What Happened to Duke’s Cricket Balls?

It has become a refrain in the 2025 England vs India Test series: a bowler pauses, inspects the ball, shakes his head, and asks for a replacement. From close quarters, umpires have agreed. By 30 overs, some balls are already visibly “out of shape,” the seam ragged, the lacquer peeling, the hardness diminished — echoing complaints first heard during The Hundred, where players voiced similar frustrations with inconsistent ball quality.

This is striking because the Duke ball has long been a standard narrative in English Test cricket. Revered for its pronounced seam, swing, and durability, Duke’s reputation extended beyond England’s shores. To hear top international players now calling it “irritating” and demanding frequent changes is a sign of crisis.

In this article, we examine what’s wrong with Duke balls in 2025 — the complaints, technical explanations, counterarguments, and consequences for the game’s integrity.

Historical Context: What Makes a Duke Ball Special

The Duke name has deep roots in British cricket. British Cricket Balls Ltd (BCBL), which now owns the brand, has ties going back to Wisden and traditional ball-making craftsmanship. Dilip Jajodia, a notable owner, later took over production, continuing the hand-crafted legacy.

Traditionally, Duke balls are known for:

• A pronounced seam, stitched by hand, that retains shape well.

• A hardened lacquered shell with multiple coatings.

• Good swing and seam movement in English conditions, especially early.

• Durability across long innings — the expectation was that a Duke should last 60–80 overs without structural collapse.

Compared to Kookaburra (used in many other countries) or the Indian SG balls, Duke boasts stronger seam retention and sometimes more movement under English green conditions. These attributes made it a preferred ball in England’s domestic and Test cricket.

The 2025 Controversy: Complaints & Incidents

In the 2025 England–India Test series, the Duke ball has become a focal point of friction. Several high-profile incidents have brought accusations of ball failure into public view.

• Indian players have repeatedly complained that the ball loses shape too early — sometimes within 10 to 20 overs — forcing umpire ball replacements far sooner than expected.

• Rishabh Pant called it “irritating” that “every ball plays differently” because of how quickly it softens.

• Stuart Broad, a former England fast bowler, sharply criticised recent balls, stating that frequently they are changed “virtually every innings” and that Duke seems to “have a problem.”

• Joe Root proposed limiting the number of ball-change challenges per team to cut down on delays and place more accountability on the ball manufacturer.

• Reports noted multiple matches where the ball failed the “ring test” (a check for roundness) or was suspected of deformation.

• During one Test, Shubman Gill objected to a replacement ball he considered substandard, leading to controversy over its shape.

Match flow has been disrupted by extended breaks and multiple ball inspections, shifting momentum, and irritating players and administrators alike.

Technical Explanations & Claims from Duke’s Side

Duke’s management has not ignored the criticisms. They’ve offered several responses and caveats.

• Natural materials variability: Jajodia has emphasised that cricket balls are made from natural leather, cork, and rubber — components that vary in quality. He argues that some of the problems may lie in raw material inconsistency, not the design itself.

• Balance between hardness and safety: He warned that making the ball “really hard at the centre” could risk breaking bats or injuring fingers. He sees the ball as requiring a compromise between durability and safety.

• COVID-era production changes: Duke has acknowledged that during the pandemic, supply chain constraints and altered leather treatment (chemical usage, curing times) may have affected the quality of some batches.

• Commitment to review: In reaction to mounting pressure, the company has declared it will subject used balls to forensic review, audit tanning methods, test batches, and improve quality control.

• Defensive posture about weather and conditions: Jajodia and others have also pointed to unusually hot English summers, dry pitches, and square hardness as external factors that may stress the ball more than typical summers.

While these explanations provide context, many players and analysts remain unconvinced that material inconsistencies alone account for the scale of observed failures.

Fault Lines: What Critics Say Is Going Wrong

Critics and players have voiced specific technical complaints about how the Duke ball is failing in 2025:

• Shape loss/deformation: The ball reportedly “gets de-shaped” too early, losing its roundness, seam integrity, and structural tension.

• Softening/reduced hardness: As the ball becomes softer, it behaves inconsistently — less seam, less swing, less bounce. Some deliveries flatten out prematurely.

• Reduced movement: Observers say that after the early overs, the ball’s movement (swing or seam) tails off drastically — critics argue batters gain an advantage too soon.

• Comparison with other ball brands: Some compare the performance to Kookaburra or SG, arguing that those may hold shape marginally better in certain conditions, though those balls have their own complaints.

• Ring test inconsistencies: The ring or hoop test (passing the ball through a circular gauge to check roundness) is applied variably; critics suggest some replacements or inspections are too lenient.

The cumulative complaint: the ball is not playing to the expected standards of durability, fairness, and consistency, especially in conditions it was engineered for.

Impact on Matches & Players

These ball issues don’t just stay off the pitch — they influence strategy, morale, and the flow of play.

• Bowling attacks disadvantaged: Bowlers expect to extract swing, seam, or bounce — but when the ball deteriorates too quickly, their planned spells lose potency.

• Batting dominance in later overs: As the ball softens, batting becomes easier, shifting innings momentum toward batters.

• Delays & disruptions: Frequent ball-change inspections and replacements slow the game, break bowler rhythm, and frustrate momentum.

• Trust erosion: Captains and bowlers may lose confidence in using aggressive fields or attacking plans if the ball’s trajectory is unpredictable.

• Match fairness concerns: If some innings use balls that degrade faster than others, it raises questions about level playing fields across sessions and matches.

These combined effects make the Duke ball issue more than a technical complaint — it challenges the integrity and balance of Test cricket in England.

What Duke Could Do & What Has Been Proposed

To recover trust and restore performance, several remedial steps have been floated.

• Quality audits and batch testing: Thoroughly inspect all balls used, review defective batches, and trace back leather sourcing.

• Enhanced raw material standards: Use more controlled leather grades, improved tanning protocols, stricter curing, and consistent treatment.

• Adjust lacquer, seam reinforcement: Modify finishing coats, seam height, stitching tension and thread quality to keep seam integrity longer.

• Reexamine pandemic-era shifts: Undo changes adopted during COVID-19 that may have led to weaker batches.

• Umpiring and ball test reform: Standardise or strengthen ring-test protocols, limit ball-change challenges per team to share responsibility.

• Transparent reporting: Publish quality reports, make public comparisons of ball performance to restore stakeholder confidence.

If Duke executes solid corrective measures, it may salvage its legacy; if not, its role as England’s Test ball supplier may come under serious challenge.

FAQs

Are Duke balls being banned?

No. There is no move to ban Duke balls. Instead, pressures are mounting for Duke to review and improve quality.

Is the problem only in 2025, or did it start earlier?

While complaints have occurred in past series, 2025 has seen a surge in consistent, loud criticism, with multiple matches involved.

Do other ball manufacturers have similar complaints?

Yes — Kookaburra and SG balls are also critiqued (especially for softening or reducing swing), but none are under as severe scrutiny in England this summer.

Can Duke fix this mid-series?

In limited ways. They can review raw materials and quality protocols, but wholesale changes mid-series are difficult. However, they have committed to reviewing balls used and potentially adjusting manufacturing going forward.

Conclusion: Duke’s Balls in Crisis

For decades, Duke cricket balls have been trusted for their swing, durability, and craftsmanship. But the 2025 England–India Test series has brought that reputation under fire. Players, media, and commentators have repeatedly complained that balls are losing shape too early, softening unexpectedly, and altering match balance.

While Duke management offers explanations — from raw material variability to pandemic-era production changes — many critics argue the scale and consistency of failures demand substantive reform. The next series will test whether Duke can remedy quality issues and restore confidence, or whether its symbolic status in Test cricket will start to crack.

The path forward involves honest review, technical rigor, and a commitment to consistency. Because a cricket ball isn’t just equipment — it’s central to the balance, fairness, and spirit of the game.