Joe Root’s Ball Claims Dismissed by Dukes Owner
On August 30, 2026, England emerged victorious over Pakistan by 194 runs in the second Test at Lord’s. Joe Root scored 28 runs in two innings during that match and has encountered substantial difficulties with leg-before-strike dismissals throughout the summer series.
During the 2026 summer series, Root has been dismissed lbw seven times in nine dismissals in four innings, accumulating 265 runs at an average of 29.44.
Root has proposed that the seam on the current Dukes balls has been reinforced with lacquer to prevent the ball from deforming. He acknowledged the absence of concrete evidence to support his assertion; however, he proposed that the manufacturer may have implemented this modification to prolong the ball’s lifespan during matches.
Three of his seven LBW dismissals this summer occurred in the two Tests at Lord’s, where he was dismissed by Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali. Additionally, he was dismissed by Nathan Smith of New Zealand in June 2026.
Jajodia’s response and the manufacturing explanation
Joe Root assertion was categorically denied by Dilip Jajodia, the proprietor of British Cricket Balls Ltd.
The manufacturer has refuted the existence of any recent modifications to the ball’s specifications or composition. Jajodia clarified that cricket balls are manufactured from natural basic materials, which are inherently subject to variation from batch to batch.
The Dukes ball manufacturing process entails the extraction of hides from Aberdeen Angus cattle that are raised in Scotland and tanned in Chesterfield.
The raw material is subsequently transported to facilities in India and Pakistan for stitching, and it is subsequently returned to England for finalisation at the Walthamstow factory. Jajodia observed that complaints regarding ball durability have been present for years and are not a recent development.
