The Pakistan Cricket Board is reverting to Kookaburra balls for domestic first-class matches starting with the President's Trophy this Saturday.
The strategic change follows Pakistan's poor batting performance on the England tour and intends to bridge the gap between first-class and Test cricket.
Domestic cricket previously used Kookaburra balls from 2019 to the 2023-24 season before switching to Dukes for the 2024-25 campaign.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to reintroduce Kookaburra balls in the first-class cricket system amid their horrific batting performance on the England tour. The change will start from this domestic season.
Pakistan used Kookaburra balls earlier in their domestic first-class competitions - the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the President's Trophy - before switching to Dukes balls in the 2024-25 season.
According to a Cricinfo report, the change is taking place to bridge the gap between their first-class batting and Test cricket. The report further claims that the Dukes were helping bowlers more, especially on surfaces that had grass and moisture, making the battle between the ball and bat uneven.
Dukes Helping Bowlers!
The Dukes ball, characterised by its firm and distinct seam, offers seam bowlers the ability to achieve lateral movement both in the air and upon landing for extended durations, unlike the Kookaburra.
While the Dukes ball aids fast bowlers, there have been worries that seamers are not performing at their maximum capacity in first-class cricket, which hinders their progression to international cricket.
Bringing Back The Balance
Most of the first-class matches are going to take place in the northern part of Pakistan. These regions help fast bowlers. Thus, PCB thinks that switching back to Kookaburra will bring back the balance between bat and ball.
The individuals in charge also want to allow batters more time in the crease, which would enhance their skills. Consequently, spin bowlers might have a more significant impact in domestic first-class matches.
Pakistan's first-class season starts on Saturday, with the opening round of the President's Trophy marking the launch of the domestic campaign.
Over the past year, the Pakistan Cricket Board has altered its red-ball plans several times. It first restored Dukes balls to support pace bowlers before turning towards spin-friendly pitches after home Test results went against it.
Ball Changes Return
The PCB went back to Dukes balls for the 2024-25 first-class season. Pakistan had used Kookaburra balls in domestic first-class cricket from 2019 until the end of the 2023-24 season.
The Dukes had already been used in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, and their return was part of Pakistan's effort to revive its fast-bowling culture. The move also lined up with Jason Gillespie's appointment as Pakistan's red-ball head coach.
Bangladesh Series Backfires
That plan soon ran into trouble when Pakistan hosted Bangladesh for two Tests in Rawalpindi on grassy pitches, aiming to play to the perceived strength of their fast bowlers.
Instead, Pakistan lost the series 2-0. It was the first time Pakistan had lost either a Test or a Test series to Bangladesh.
A defeat to England in the first Test of the following series in Multan led to a sharp change in direction. Pakistan then moved towards producing square-turners.
Since then, they have hosted Tests and limited-overs cricket on pitches that assist spinners massively. Saturday's start to the President's Trophy now comes against that backdrop.
