New Delhi: The ongoing war in West Asia has triggered an unexpected crisis in English cricket as a looming shortage of Dukes balls is threatening to put a damper on the upcoming season beginning in April. The US-Israel-Iran war has disrupted travel routes across the Gulf, impacting the delivery of the famed Dukes balls from the subcontinent to the United Kingdom.
The war has interrupted the supply chain of the balls as the airlines are reportedly putting an astronomical price hike on freight charges. The impact of the ongoing war has jeopardised preparations for the upcoming English cricket season, which is scheduled to begin on April 03.
The shortfall of the Dukes ball, which is historically used for home Tests and the County Championship by all 18 first-class clubs in England, has triggered chaos and panic in the cricketing landscape of the country.
In limited supply, only about half the usual stock is available at this stage of the season.
Routes disruption across the Gulf for shipments jeopardising the start of the English cricket season
Dilip Jajodia, owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, the makers of Dukes, opened up on the stark situation, blaming the ongoing Gulf conflict for the disruption.
He revealed that the clubs have been instructed to manage with reduced supplies as the country grapples with shipping delays and a freight backlog ahead of the new season.
“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 DailyMail.
Jajodia also revealed that the sharp rise in transportation costs has made shipments difficult and expensive as the routes through the Middle East have been heavily affected by the conflict.
“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.
The Duke ball goes through a long and arduous process before being delivered to the clubs for use. The British cowhide leather is first treated and tanned in Chesterfield before being shipped to South Asia, where seasoned craftsmen hand-stitch each ball with care. After all the processes are complete, the balls are transported back to the UK for professional use across the competitions.