‘Nonsense’: Ball manufacturer on Joe Root’s comments on changed nature of cherry

England captain Joe Root recently suggested that the nature of the Dukes cricket balls has changed, attributing his frequent LBW dismissals to the altered red cherry used in the manufacturing process. However, Dilip Jajodia, the owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, which produces the Dukes ball, vehemently disagreed with this assessment.

Jajodia stated that there is no difference in the manufacturing process of the red cherry used in the balls. He emphasized that cricket balls are made from natural materials, and variations are inevitable due to the inherent characteristics of these materials. The hides used in the manufacturing process are sourced from Aberdeen Angus cattle in Scotland, tanned in Chesterfield, and then sent to India and Pakistan for stitching before being finished in England at their Walthamstow factory.

Jajodia explained that each ball is hand-made, resulting in slight variations between batches, and even individual balls may differ. He further clarified that adjusting the difficulty of the ball is not a new issue, as the complaint alternates between the balls being too hard or too soft. Root's concerns about the harder balls causing more stress on bats align with Jajodia's assertion that such complaints have been ongoing for a long time, not a recent phenomenon.

The manufacturer also acknowledged that weather conditions have significantly impacted the batsmen's performance during the series against Pakistan, with the ongoing conditions being highly variable due to alternating dry spells and rain interruptions.