IND vs ENG: 'I'd Play Rugby With That!' - Stuart Broad Puts Duke Balls Under The Scanner Once Again

The India vs England Test series has seen plenty of unwanted scrutiny come the way of the Dukes ball, the brand of cricket ball used in England. That is because the ball frewuently goes out of shape and has often had to be changed in the midst of the game. 

Things took a turn for the worse during the Lord's Test, when a brand new ball had to be changed after only 8 overs of being used. 

And former England cricketer Stuart Broad did not mince his words while examining one of the Dukes balls that failed to meet the hoop Test on Day 3.

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Broad's ‘Rugby’ Taunt For Dukes Balls

Former England skipper Michael Atherton said in a discussion after Day 3 that one of the balls rejected seemed alright for use, but Broad did not agree wit that assessment, saying it resembled a rugby ball.

"I would play rugby with that. I'd be rolling that to the umpire and it would sort of go, bonk, bonk, bonk. I mean, the reason it's out of shape is because it's soft and I can squeeze that. I can squeeze that even more out of shape," Broad said on Sky Sports ahead of Day 4.

He further stated that playing with such a ball would benefit no one - not the batters or the bowlers, as the unruly shape would make it go flat when it hit any surface. 

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Dukes Balls Under The Scanner

This is not the first time that the balls have been criticised - indeed, many of the Indian players have openly expressed displeasure at the ball in the middle of Test matches on this tour. 

However, Broad is someone who spent years bowling with the ball. Therefore, if he feels the balls lack design integrity, it is a matter worth taking far more seriously. 

What's more, the hue and cry over the balls has threated to overshadow what has been a fairly gripping series of Test cricket so far this summer. 

How the issue is fixed remains to be seen but as things stand, there is no doubting the fact that it is a serious issue for cricket lovers.