The makers of the Dukes Ball have chosen to initiate an investigation into the ball change that occurred on Day 4 of the fifth Test of The Ashes 2023 at the Oval, so the controversy doesn’t appear to be going away.
Notably, the ball was replaced late on Day 4 because it had lost its shape following the bouncer from Mark Wood that smacked Australian opener Usman Khawaja in the head.
Following that, England was given a different ball by on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Kumar Dharmasena. The switch paid off handsomely for the hosts as Chris Woakes (4/50) managed to break the game’s opening stand of 135 runs and re-engage England, which ultimately contributed to their 49-run victory.
In the midst of the controversy, the International Cricket Council (ICC) issued a statement clarifying that they do not comment on the decision taken by the umpires but did reaffirm that the balls are preselected at the beginning of every match and the officials select a replacement at their own discretion. However, Dilip Jajodia, the owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, the company that makes the Dukes ball, has stated he will look into it despite the fact that the controversy surrounding the ball is five years old.
“I don’t think they would take the chance of dropping a ball in there with a different date on it. In all honesty, the match referee should be in charge of it. We really pound that number in, so even if the gold falls off, the ball will still bear the imprint. Eliminating it wouldn’t be simple. Although it was either a 2018 or 2019 ball, I’m not saying it’s likely. Because it impacts me, I’m going to look into it myself. Dilip Jajodia was quoted by News Corp as saying, “My name is on the line.
Usman Khawaja, an Australian opener, was outspoken after the game about the modified ball’s entirely different behavior and disclosed that he had brought up the issue with the on-field umpires as well.
About eight years old, according to appearances: Mr. Usman Khawaja
“That ball is nothing like the one we’ve been playing with,” I said to Kumar as I approached him directly.You’ve switched from a worn-out, backward-swinging ball to a brand-new ball, I said. With its regular swing and solid bat contact, it appeared to be eight overs old. Therefore, I genuinely questioned Joel once more today: “How are we currently using this ball?” It’s so recent. “Look, there was nothing else in the box,” he said, according to Khawaja, who was quoted by cricket.com.au.
Despite the controversy, Stuart Broad’s final two wickets for Australia helped Australia win the fifth Test in an exciting fashion. The series, after to England’s victory, concluded in a 2-2 draw, but Australia kept the Ashes after winning the previous iteration in 2021–2022.
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