Surrey County Cricket Club has rejected claims that an old Dukes ball was used as a replacement in the final Ashes Test. The controversy arose after Australian players and commentators questioned the quality of the ball used in the second innings of the match. Dilip Jajodia, the owner of Dukes cricket balls, vowed to conduct his own investigation into the matter.
During the Test, Australian batter Usman Khawaja raised the issue with the umpires, stating that the replacement ball was noticeably different from those used throughout the series. It was later revealed that among the available replacement balls were some from the 2019 series, which had a more pronounced seam.
Surrey County Cricket Club supplies the balls directly to the venues, who then make them available to the umpires. However, a spokesperson for the club dismissed the claims that old balls could have been among the stock provided to the umpires, calling the suggestion ludicrous. The spokesperson emphasized that the umpires have a wide selection of balls to choose from, and the decision is entirely at their discretion.
It is worth noting that every ball produced for a specific season is stamped with the date. While Jajodia acknowledged that using a ball from a different year is highly unlikely, he stated that he would be asking questions to rule it out. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has backed the umpires’ selection process, stating that all balls are preselected before every match, and the match officials choose the closest ball in condition to the one being replaced.
The article presents both sides of the argument, with Surrey County Cricket Club rejecting the claims while Jajodia intends to investigate further. The ICC’s support for the umpires’ selection process adds another perspective to the ongoing debate.
