LAHORE – Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to reintroduce the Kookaburra ball for first-class cricket from the 2026-27 domestic season, bringing an end to the use of the Dukes ball in the country’s premier domestic competitions.
The Dukes ball has been used in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and President’s Trophy for the past two seasons. Its use will now be discontinued with the start of the new domestic season.
According to sources, the PCB believes that bringing back the Kookaburra ball will help narrow the gap between domestic first-class cricket and Test cricket, where the Kookaburra has been widely used.
The Dukes ball is known for its prominent and durable seam, which allows fast bowlers to generate swing and seam movement for longer periods. Its characteristics have given pace bowlers a significant advantage in several domestic matches over the past two seasons.
The PCB is now expecting the Kookaburra ball to create a better balance between bat and ball and provide batsmen with greater opportunities to perform. The change is also expected to give spinners a more meaningful role in first-class matches.
Most first-class matches during the 2026-27 domestic season are scheduled to be played in Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad. Weather conditions and pitches in these venues are already considered favourable for fast bowling, making the choice of ball an important factor in determining playing conditions.
The PCB hopes the return of the Kookaburra will help domestic players prepare more effectively for the demands of international cricket while also producing more balanced contests.
The Kookaburra ball was last used in Pakistan’s domestic first-class cricket during the 2023-24 season. The PCB subsequently switched to the Dukes ball for the following two seasons before deciding to reverse the move for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign.
