The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will reintroduce Kookaburra balls for the 2026-27 domestic first-class season, replacing the Dukes ball used over the past two seasons. The change takes effect from Saturday, September 12, with the President’s Trophy Grade-I beginning with eight departmental teams.
The Kookaburra will be used in both the President’s Trophy and the upcoming Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The PCB wants domestic players to prepare with the same ball used in Pakistan’s home Tests, helping them become more familiar with the conditions they are likely to face at the international level.
The PCB brought back the Dukes ball for the 2024-25 domestic season to revive Pakistan’s fast-bowling culture. The Dukes was previously used in 2017-18 and 2018-19, before the board switched to the Kookaburra from 2019 until the end of 2023-24.
Pakistan prepared grassy pitches in Rawalpindi for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh to support their seamers. However, the plan backfired as Pakistan lost the series 2-0, suffering their first-ever Test and series defeat against Bangladesh.
England then beat Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test in Multan after declaring on 823/7. Pakistan responded by shifting to square-turning, spin-friendly pitches. Gillespie resigned in December 2024, eight months into his two-year contract.
Dukes Ball Raises Concerns Over Domestic Seamers
The Dukes ball has a harder, more pronounced seam than the Kookaburra and retains its shape for longer. This gives fast bowlers more movement in the air and off the pitch. The PCB became concerned that grass and moisture on domestic pitches, combined with the Dukes, were making matches too favourable for seamers.
The board also felt that the extra seam movement could mask the true ability of domestic fast bowlers. Seamers could take wickets without consistently building pressure or improving their control and tactics. This became a concern when they moved to international cricket, where they had less assistance from the ball.
The PCB also wants domestic batters to get more time at the crease and improve their technique. The board believes a more balanced contest will help batters develop for Test cricket while giving spinners a bigger role as matches progress.
Kookaburra Return Aims to Restore Balance
The PCB believes the Kookaburra will help restore the balance between bat and ball. Most of the 2026-27 first-class season will take place in northern Pakistan, including Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad, where conditions already favour seam bowling.
The Kookaburra has a flatter, partly machine-stitched seam that offers early movement but loses its shape faster than the Dukes. The PCB expects this to give batters more time at the crease to improve their technique and allow spinners to play a bigger role as matches progress.
The switch will apply to both major first-class competitions. The President’s Trophy Grade-I begins on Saturday, September 12, with eight departmental teams playing 28 four-day matches.
The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy starts on November 1 and has been expanded from 18 to 20 teams, with eight in the Gold division and 12 in the Silver division. The revamped Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will give all 16 regions access to first-class cricket.
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