English Cricket In Jeopardy: ECB Faces Unexpected Hurdle Due To US-Israel-Iran War

The upcoming English cricket summer could be the latest casualty of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reportedly facing a severe shortage of Dukes balls. The ongoing conflict between Iran, the US, and Israel has disrupted major shipment routes in the Gulf, leaving the ECB with only 50% of its usual stock for the upcoming international home summer and the County Championship season. This unexpected hurdle could cast a shadow over the schedule, with the English summer set to get underway on April 3.

Dukes produces between 4,000 and 5,000 balls each summer. The balls are made from the hides of Aberdeen Angus cows. After being tanned in Chesterfield, the leather is flown to South Asia for stitching.

Dilip Jajodia, the owner of Dukes, has warned of spiraling costs in getting his product stitched in South Asia. He also said he is having to ration the number of balls he gives each team due to the "nonsense" conflict in the Middle East.

"We've got a major crisis right now with this bloody Gulf War nonsense. We've got to ration clubs by giving them 50 per cent of their balls at the start of the season, and then manage the problem. We've got plenty of stuff in the factories in the subcontinent ready to go, but the airlines are not taking the freight, because there's a logjam," Jajodia told The DailyMail.

"The rates have gone up too. A box of 120 cricket balls would be charged normally by airlines at about $5 a kilo. The last quote I got was $15 a kilo. Most of the stuff goes through the Middle East, but if you've suddenly got rockets flying around, you've got a major problem," he added.

Jajodia also made a lighthearted remark while reflecting on the current situation.

"If only I had known this was going to happen, I'd have had a word with Donald Trump. Please don't attack anybody before the cricket season starts!" he joked.

The ECB, which had scrapped the idea of using the Kookaburra ball for some matches of the County Championship, reportedly sees this as a wake-up call.

Despite players complaining of a decline in the quality of the balls since the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that Dukes has regained its monopoly in the English market.

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