After multiple complaints during the ongoing England-India Test series, the manufacturer of the Dukes cricket ball has promised to look into the problems and, if needed, will make required changes in the ball.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will hand over used balls to the company for a thorough study.
“We will take it away, inspect and then start talking to the tanner, talking about all of the raw materials — everything,” Dilip Jajodia, owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, who make the Dukes, was quoted as saying in a report
on bbc.com.
“Everything we do will be reviewed and then if we think some changes need to be made or tightened up, we will,” Jajodia added.
In a Test, a ball can be officially changed after 80 overs in an innings. But the Dukes ball has been going soft, or out of shape, prematurely, leading to the fielding side protesting and demanding a change of the ball. Bowlers find it difficult to take wickets with a softer ball.
The problem with the Dukes ball attracted greater spotlight during the Lord’s Test. There were five ball changes during England’s first innings, while once it was changed after only 10.2 overs.
The report also quotes Stuart Broad, the former England pacer, highlighting
the problem.
“The cricket ball should be like a fine wicketkeeper — barely noticed. We are having to talk about the ball too much because it is such an issue and is being changed virtually every innings. Unacceptable.
“It has been like this for five years now. Dukes have a problem. They need to fix it,” Broad said.