Manufacturer insists pink ball criticism 'ill-informed' ahead of day/night Test

14 August 2017 02:38

Dilip Jajodia, the man responsible for providing the pink balls for England's first day/night Test this week, is confident they will prove a success and considers scepticism about his new product "ill-informed".

Jajodia is the managing director of Dukes, the long-tenured manufacturer of choice for the England and Wales Cricket Board, and has personally overseen his company's part in bringing floodlit Tests to this country for the first time.

It was Jajodia who persuaded a tannery to dye balls pink when he was told they could only be coloured after production, Jajodia who hand-selected the batch to be used by England and the West Indies at Edgbaston from Thursday and and Jajodia who liaised with the ECB after the experimental round of day/night county matches in June.

He has heard suggestions that it does not swing as long or as prodigiously as its red counterpart, that it feels 'soft' coming off the bat and some borderline sledging from competitors Kookaburra, who provide the Australian equivalents and claim to be ahead of the game.

But his conclusions are clear: "As a manufacturer I am completely satisfied our product is perfectly okay," he told Press Association Sport.

"The ECB has done detailed analysis and we've had a conversation that says there is no need to worry about anything.

"Some of the comments about the ball are ill-informed, they are personal opinions about a ball and one has to take many of these comments with a pinch of salt. I ask for real evidence and at this moment there is no issue with the ball.

"Cricketers are nutters, and I know because I am one, but I've also been involved in making cricket balls for 45 years.

"My view is that in cricket generally, people can get a little precious. It will be the same for both teams. My view is that if it's of international standard, use it. You have to be incompetent if you can't bowl one with the same size and weight made to the specified standards.

"The pink ball is not an alien thing. It's just perception, opinion and psychology."

Jajodia, the India-born entrepeneur who bought Dukes in 1987, has worked hard to deliver a pink ball worthy of Test cricket's elevated status ever since the authorities made it clear the format would be going under the bulbs in a bid to attract new fans.

"I constantly keep an open mind. The technology now compared to 45 years ago is incredible, it's like cars and the changes in engines, performance, materials," he said.

"There was a time people said it was impossible to dye leather pink but the reason was there was not enough demand.

"I chatted to a lot of people and managed to persuade one of my tanneries this was a long-term project. We achieved fully dyed-through pink leather, we got it done."

He will be present for the first two days of the first Test and admits the stakes are high, with more eyes than ever on Dukes' handiwork.

"When you're supplying balls for international cricket, your neck is on the block," he admitted.

"The biggest problem with cricket balls is you can't test them before the game.if I could bowl a dozen balls in the nets that would be perfect, but it needs to be pristine.

"I'm a cricket nut so professional pride is important and if it behaves well, I'm proud. If a ball fails from the first delivery, it's like being found guilty before being sent to trial."

Source: PA