Middle-East War Hits Cricket Supply Chain, England's Domestic Season Disrupted Due To Shortage Of Balls

England’s domestic cricket has faced an unusual disruption due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, the war in the Middle East has affected the supply of Dukes cricket balls ahead of the County Championship.

Iran-Israel War Hit Cricket Supply Chain In Unusual Manner

The Dukes ball is essential in English cricket, but its supply chain has been severely impacted by the heightened tensions. Although the leather is processed in England, the stitching is carried out in the Indian subcontinent. Once completed, the balls are transported via West Asian air routes. However, airspace restrictions have made logistics challenging, with many airlines reducing flights from the Indian subcontinent to other parts of the world.

The situation in the Middle East intensified following the February 28 killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes. In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israeli and American assets across several Gulf states and within Israel, disrupting maritime traffic and destabilizing global energy markets. Iran has also effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for international oil and gas shipments. In the aftermath of Khamenei’s death, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

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Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dilip Jajodia, owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd, remarked: “If only I had known this was going to happen, I’d have had a word with Donald Trump. Please don’t attack anybody before the cricket season starts!”

He explained that while there are enough Dukes balls in factories, transporting them to Europe has become a major challenge due to skyrocketing costs.

“We’ve got plenty of stock in the factories in the subcontinent ready to go, but the airlines are not taking the freight because there’s a logjam. The rates have gone up too. A box of 120 cricket balls would normally be charged at about $5 a kilo. The last quote I got was $15 a kilo. Most of the shipments go through the Middle East, but if you’ve suddenly got rockets flying around, you’ve got a major problem,” he added,

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