Former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade has questioned Cricket Australia’s plan to introduce Dukes balls into the second half of next summer’s Sheffield Shield season.
Cricket Australia (CA) announced on Wednesday that English-made darker-red balls will be used in all Shield matches between rounds six and 10, as well as the final next year.
The decision has been made in light of Australia’s recent struggles on the past four away Ashes tours, including in 2015 where they were bowled out for just 60 from 111 balls in the first innings of the fourth Test at Trent Bridge.
However Wade said that given the balls will be made for Australian conditions, it will do little to help prepare first class batsmen.
“I’ve played with the hard-wicket ones in the West Indies and they don’t do anything close to what the ones in the UK do, because they are obviously made to take a little bit more abrasiveness off the wicket,” he said.
“So it’ll be interesting to see how it goes but I don’t think it will make a huge difference going to a Duke.”
Traditional Australian Kookaburra balls will still be used for the first half of the season, and while neither Wade or South Australian coach Jamie Siddons see any issue in changing balls mid-season, neither felt it would help Australia’s batsman ahead of the 2019 Ashes tour.
“For me it doesn’t relate to what will happen in England as it is different conditions,” Siddons said.
“At least the bowlers will get a good look at the Dukes ball which is a positive.”
However CA’s general manager of team performance, Pat Howard, believed the move was a necessary one.
“Some people might think changing a brand of cricket ball is a minor consideration,” he said.
“But as we have seen from past Ashes campaigns in England, it can be a significant factor.”
CA has been trialling Dukes balls in the Futures League and in the under-19 and under-17 championships since 2012. The English maker has been progressively modifying the ball for Australian conditions.
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