In a bid to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be implementing Kookaburra balls in the upcoming domestic cricket season, which will get underway from September 14. The Kookaburra ball is expected to help the cricketers in developing profound techniques as its condition changes over the course of an innings. The PCB expects investment on the Kookaburras will develop cricketers who are ready to take up the challenges of international cricket by learning how to operate at different stages of an innings, a PCB spokesman, said.
Cricketer Azhar Ali: "The conditions in domestic cricket were becoming bowling friendly, with the application of the Dukes on grassy surfaces. Batting sides were losing a lot of wickets in the first 25 over as the bowlers did not have to work hard enough in such conditions. This was keeping them from developing the habit of scoring runs. The bowlers will now have to work hard, which will also increase the bowling speeds of our pacers because the Kookaburra demands from the bowlers to put in efforts unlike the Dukes, which can just be floated in the air."
Sarfaraz Ahmed: "It is very important for a player to play the domestic cricket with the same ball that he will be playing with in international cricket. This will give our bowlers, both Test and first-class, a fair idea of how the Kookaburra behaves at different stages of an innings. The more we play with the Kookaburra ball, the better it is for us. We have to play our international cricket with this brand."
Senior pacers Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir backed the PCB's initiative, saying this will help the up-and-coming pacers in preparing for the challenges at international level. Wahab Riaz said: "This is going to benefit our up-and-coming fast-bowlers as we are playing our international cricket with the Kookaburra ball, except for when we play in England. They, at the moment, are not quick but seam bowlers.Even bowler is not aware in which direction a Dukes ball is going to swing. So, it is even more difficult for a batsman to deal with."
Mohammad Amir said: "All international cricket is being played with the Kookaburra ball, save England and West Indies, and all of our upcoming international series are also going to be played with it. It is necessary for us to play with this ball because it helps our bowlers in getting accustomed to its swing and seam. The Dukes and Grays balls swing and seam more, which doesn't give the right idea to our bowlers about how they have to go about their business after they break at the international level."