England’s cricket season faces an unusual challenge due to the escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict. According to a British newspaper. Daily Mail, war set to cut Dukes cricket ball supply ahead of county championship. The shortage threatens preparations for the domestic red-ball competition, which begins in early April.
Essential to English cricket, Dukes’ ball relies on a complex supply chain that has been severely affected by conflict in West Asia. While the leather is processed in England, the stitching is done on the Indian subcontinent, with the finished balls usually transported via West Asian air routes.
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This entire chain has now been broken.
Continued airspace restrictions and logistical delays created significant obstacles. Freight shipments remain stranded even though factories have stock ready to ship. Airlines have cut flights or sharply increased carriage fees, with costs reportedly tripling.
Dilip Jajodia, owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, described the situation as a “major crisis” and warned that counties may have to start the season with only half their usual supply of balls.
This presents a significant challenge for the county championship, where 18 teams play at the same time and frequent turnovers are the norm. Although there is ample stock available in the Indian subcontinent, shipping to the UK remains the biggest hurdle. Alternative routes are being explored, but no immediate solution has been found.
The reluctance of English counties to switch to other brands such as the Kookaburra ball further limits the options available to administrators. The situation highlights how global events can have unexpected consequences, even for something as specific as the delivery of cricket balls.
With the start of the season looming, officials are now under pressure to find a solution and ensure the county championship starts without interruption.
EFFECTS OF THE IRAN-ISRAEL WAR ON SPORTS
The war in West Asia had its effect on sport. Recently, Indian chess grandmaster Koneru Humpy criticized the organizers of the Candidates tournament for going ahead with the event in Cyprus, despite the security risks posed by the ongoing conflict.
“I am not sure if I will play for the candidates. It depends on the situation,” she said. “Right now I’m a little worried about the security of drone attacks and warships deployed in the Mediterranean. And very recently there was a bombing between Israel and Lebanon because of Hezbollah. So that makes me a little hesitant to go. If the situation continues like this, I really doubt I’ll be there.”
She was also pointed to the decision to hold the event in Cyprus.
“At the end of the day, you should be able to play the game in a calm and good atmosphere. Not surrounded by bomb or missile sirens. I don’t think it should be the stage for a world-class tournament. You don’t have to be desperate to hold events in such an environment.”
Earlier, Indian shuttler PV Sindhu was forced to withdraw from the All England Super 1000 tournament after getting stranded at the Dubai airport. She had a chaotic three-day ordeal when airspace in West Asia was closed following the US bombing of Iran.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
March 19, 2026 7:26 PM IST
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