Escalating criticism regarding the conduct of the Dukes ball in the current Test series between India and England has prompted its makers to rethink major aspects of its manufacture.
After successive complaints that the ball loses shape and becomes soft much too soon—sometimes in as little as 10 overs—British Cricket Balls Ltd owner Dilip Jajodia has reacted, with a complete remake of the ball's construction now an option on the table.
"We will take it away, look at it and then begin speaking to the tanner, discussing all of the raw materials - the lot," Jajodia said to BBC Sport.
"Everything that we do will be checked and then if we feel that there are some adjustments that need to be made or tightened up, we will."
In Test cricket, a new ball is generally available after 80 overs. In this series, however, the Dukes ball has been changed much earlier—at times as little as 10 overs—after it was considered unsuitable for use because it lost its shape.
Jajodia pointed out the organic origins of the material used in the ball when he spoke to Wisden, attributing part of the inconsistency to the inherent variability of organic materials.
The underlying thing about cricket balls is that raw materials are raw materials," he said. "They are natural, right? It is cow hide, it is cork, it is rubber, it is wool, winding thread, all that stuff. It's a totally natural, almost animate product.
Although assurances are made that every ball is produced to high standards, the business admits that raw material quality fluctuations are only partly under control. An earlier 2022 incident caused by COVID-19-related disruptions led to batches of poor quality due to inadequate chemical treatment during the process of processing leather.
Delays due to frequent ball replacements have also slowed the tempo of matches. To do something about it, Jajodia admitted that it might be possible to make a ball more long-lasting—but cautioned there might be unforeseen effects.
"I can put a rock in there, a really, really hard centre, and that will fix the problem. But you won't have a good game of cricket. That would shatter bats and shatter fingers."
The row only grew louder on the second day of the Lord's Test, when India complained about the state of a ball that was not even 10 overs old. The umpires were observed checking it with a ring gauge and deciding that it was not fit. India captain Shubman Gill looked agitated, having a heated argument with officials. He was still fuming during the drinks break, where he was observed carrying on the argument.
To address the increasing concern, England batsman Joe Root has suggested a potential rule amendment to improve the handling of ball complaints during a match.
"I think personally, if you want to continue having the ball changed then each side gets three challenges every 80 overs and that's it," Root said in an interview with Wisden.
"But the rings must be the correct size, not too large. That would be a good way of compromising and saying it is not entirely the manufacturer's fault. Sometimes things do go wrong, but you cannot keep going on asking and wasting time and slowing the game down as well."
But the interruptions did not end there. Only 48 deliveries from the previous replacement, the ball had to be changed again. This disruption pattern was also seen in the first two Tests.
The issue caused more controversy on Day 3 at Lord's. Shortly after the drinks break in the first session, play was again suspended to start a new ball change. Ex-England cricketer Ian Ward blasted the delay in addressing the issue.
"They have decided to change the ball again, it's quite frankly ridiculous because if they've decided to change the ball, why was that not decided at the start of the drinks break?" Ward said on Sky Sports.
"We waited for the entirety of the drinks break; they should be playing again now, and now the umpires have decided to change it and go through the procedure."
England's former fast bowler Stuart Broad joined the swelling ranks with his disappointment at the regular interruptions.
"The ball should be as discreet as a good wicketkeeper. Hardly noticed. We are forced to mention the ball too much because it is such a problem, & being replaced almost every innings. Not on. It feels like 5 years now. Dukes have an issue. They need to sort it out. An 80-over ball should last. Not 10," Broad tweeted.
India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant also spoke out prior to the third Test, voicing worry over the continued deformation of the ball.
"I believe the gauge has to be the same (to check whether the ball got out of shape, regardless of the brand of ball), but if it is slightly smaller, it will be better. Certainly, I believe it is a great problem because the ball is getting de-shaped. But simultaneously, it is not in our hands. Because visually, when you look at the ball, you can see that it's de-shaped."
"The ball is getting de-shaped too much. That has never happened like that. It is surely frustrating for the players because every ball performs differently. Because when it gets softer, at times it does not do too much. But whenever ball is replaced, it begins to do enough. So as a batsman, you need to keep adapting to it.I feel it is not good for cricket ultimately."
England skipper Ben Stokes seconded the same opinion, placing the blame on a consistent problem when sides tour the UK.
"I do not even believe the rings that we play with are Dukes rings. It is not ideal. But you have to make do," Stokes was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
As frustration swells on all sides among players, commentators, and officials alike, everyone's eyes are turned to Dukes and whether the legendary brand can win back trust in one of cricket's greatest match facets.
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