‘Will take it away…’: Following criticism from both India and England, Dukes Ball manufacturer makes BOLD claim

The Dukes ball-which is being used in the ongoing Test series between India and England- has been under severe criticism over it’s build quality. The first complains were from Shubman Gill, who had expressed his disappointment in how easily the ball lost it’s hardness. As the match progressed, the English side also expressed the same query. This led to the manufacturer of the ball finally addressing the issue.

Dilip Jajodia, the owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, the company that manufactures the Dukes balls- told BBC Sport that his side will do their complete investigation on the issue and work on leaning no face unturned while making the perfect ball possible.

“We will take it away, inspect and then start talking to the tanner, talking about all of the raw materials – everything. Everything we do will be reviewed, and then if we think some changes need to be made or tightened up.” said Jajodia.

The controversy on the Dukes ball has began when Shubman Gill addressed the ball during the press conference after India won the Edgbaston Test. “It is very difficult for the bowlers. I think more than the wicket, maybe the ball is out of shape very quickly. It gets soft very quickly. I don’t know what it is, whether it is wickets or whatever. It is difficult for the bowlers,” Gill said.

The Dukes ball has been known to be of high quality, but recently, a lot of issues have been reported about the ball- both in Test and County Cricket. The main problem with the ball is that is gets soft a while before the scheduled 80 overs, which makes it difficult for bowlers to secure wickets.