Kookaburra balls to be used by PCB for home Tests, Dukes for domestic season

Pakistan Cricket Board has tdecided to use Kookaburra balls for the seven home Test matches in the 2023-25 cycle of the ICC World Test Championship. The matches in which the red Kookaburra will be incorporated includes two Tests against Bangladesh, three against England, and two against the West Indies, which will be played in the months of August, October, and January. 

For the domestic season, which is slated to start in September, Dukes balls will be used in all the red-ball matches in the domestic season for the senior teams. The decision to go ahead with the Dukes has been made after a well-analysed research based on domestic ground and pitch conditions.

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As far as grassroots and junior cricket is concerned, the PCB will use Aceline and Grays in the Under-13, Under-17, and Under-19 tournaments, as well as competions involving academic institutions like schools and colleges, in addition to inter-district tournaments.

The PCB will go ahead with Kookaburra balls in domestic 20- and 50-over matches to align with international standards, since Kookaburra is the brand used for all white-ball events coming under the umbrella of the International Cricket Council.

The PCB has appointed Tony Hemming, hailing from Australia, as the Chief Curator, and will ensure that the pitches for the 2024-25 season will be designed according to the use of the different types of cricket balls to be integrated on various separate occasions. It is reported that Hemming will create tailor-made pitches to maintain a balance between bat and ball.

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Hemming will also be responsible for training and coaching local curators, ensuring that pitches across different regions and districts are consistently prepared. This comes in addition to his main role of overseeing the preparation of different pitches across the nation.