London: The boss of Dukes cricket balls has taken aim at Stuart Broad and says England's decision to make a late switch could even backfire on the host nation come the Ashes.
As the focus slowly starts to turn to cricket's most famous Test series, beginning in August, Dilip Jajodia – the owner of British Cricket Balls which manufacturers the Dukes brand – said his company had followed orders from the England and Wales Cricket Board to deliver a batch of balls more batsman-friendly for county cricket this season.
However, the ECB has since determined too many runs were being scored, and this prompted concerns England's best weapon in the Ashes – the swing and seam of fast bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Broad – would be blunted.
ECB managing director Ashley Giles consulted his players, and then ordered Dukes to replace the current batch with the version of recent seasons which had a more pronounced and tightened seam to suit the quicks.
Broad used his newspaper column last weekend to insist the change had been made because the current batch went "soft and out of shape quickly and when the pitches lose pace it means the cricket becomes boring".
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This incensed Jajodia, who contacted The Age-Sydney Morning Herald in London to give his version of events.
"We produce the balls at the request of the ECB to help the batsman score more runs because it was felt they scored an inadequate number of runs last year," he said.
"I did warn them by the way to not change the specifications, to stay as they are. But they wanted to go ahead, as they did. They, presumably, have sat around the table and said: 'The batsmen are getting quite a lot of runs, with the odd score of 500 and the odd score of 400'.
"They probably started panicking a bit and said these games could be, he (Broad) said about boring games, but I suspect it might be 'the Aussies might be us'. That is my view.
"They have had a conversation and said: 'We better go back to last year's balls, we know it was good or cricket, everybody said it was, so let's do that'. They got in touch with me and I said we can do that, and of course we can."
Asked if he felt it was a sign that England were scared of Australia's batting, Jajodia replied: "I would have they took the view that their main weapon was being blunted a bit but, frankly, the Indians bowled well with it last year and England bowled well. It was a close series. One side didn't outplay the other badly."
He added: "There shouldn't be a huge disadvantage. The Aussies have had the balls in good time for training … some of them have played with the Dukes ball which have the same sort of seam width and everything else and the way it feels in the hand in Australia. So, really, I think it is down to the skills and on the day. I don't think it is going to give any material advantage. If anything, I would imagine that Mr Starc would swing it pretty well."
England defeated India 4-1 last summer although that seriRead More – Source
London: The boss of Dukes cricket balls has taken aim at Stuart Broad and says England's decision to make a late switch could even backfire on the host nation come the Ashes.
As the focus slowly starts to turn to cricket's most famous Test series, beginning in August, Dilip Jajodia – the owner of British Cricket Balls which manufacturers the Dukes brand – said his company had followed orders from the England and Wales Cricket Board to deliver a batch of balls more batsman-friendly for county cricket this season.
However, the ECB has since determined too many runs were being scored, and this prompted concerns England's best weapon in the Ashes – the swing and seam of fast bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Broad – would be blunted.
ECB managing director Ashley Giles consulted his players, and then ordered Dukes to replace the current batch with the version of recent seasons which had a more pronounced and tightened seam to suit the quicks.
Broad used his newspaper column last weekend to insist the change had been made because the current batch went "soft and out of shape quickly and when the pitches lose pace it means the cricket becomes boring".
Advertisement
This incensed Jajodia, who contacted The Age-Sydney Morning Herald in London to give his version of events.
"We produce the balls at the request of the ECB to help the batsman score more runs because it was felt they scored an inadequate number of runs last year," he said.
"I did warn them by the way to not change the specifications, to stay as they are. But they wanted to go ahead, as they did. They, presumably, have sat around the table and said: 'The batsmen are getting quite a lot of runs, with the odd score of 500 and the odd score of 400'.
"They probably started panicking a bit and said these games could be, he (Broad) said about boring games, but I suspect it might be 'the Aussies might be us'. That is my view.
"They have had a conversation and said: 'We better go back to last year's balls, we know it was good or cricket, everybody said it was, so let's do that'. They got in touch with me and I said we can do that, and of course we can."
Asked if he felt it was a sign that England were scared of Australia's batting, Jajodia replied: "I would have they took the view that their main weapon was being blunted a bit but, frankly, the Indians bowled well with it last year and England bowled well. It was a close series. One side didn't outplay the other badly."
He added: "There shouldn't be a huge disadvantage. The Aussies have had the balls in good time for training … some of them have played with the Dukes ball which have the same sort of seam width and everything else and the way it feels in the hand in Australia. So, really, I think it is down to the skills and on the day. I don't think it is going to give any material advantage. If anything, I would imagine that Mr Starc would swing it pretty well."
England defeated India 4-1 last summer although that seriRead More – Source
