Joe Root Suggests Challenge Cap as Dukes Ball Drama Deepens

Joe Root's Proposal

Joe Root, former England captain, has suggested a challenge cap to curb the cycle of ball changes during the Lord's Test. According to Root, each team should get three challenges every 80 overs, and the rings on the balls must be the right size.

Root's Comments on Ball Changes

• "I personally think that if you want to keep getting the ball changed then each team gets three challenges every 80 overs and that's it, if you want to get it changed."
• "The rings have to be the right size, not too big."
• "That would be a nice way of compromising and saying it's not all on the manufacturer."
• "Sometimes these things happen but you can't just keep asking and wasting time and slowing the game down at the same time."

Root's Thoughts on Adapting to Ball Changes

• "I don't know the ins and outs of how they make it [the Dukes ball]."
• "I do know that they're handmade so you're never going to get two balls exactly the same."
• "I do think this summer has been a bit of an anomaly for us. We're not used to getting this much sun and this much heat and squares as hard and outfields as firm so whether that plays a part or not [I don't know]."
• "It's one of those things where if the balls are going out of shape, you change them and you don't make a big deal out of it."
• "I don't think it's the end of the world. I think it adds a different dynamic to the game and you've got to be skilful enough to adapt to the changes, whether it stops swinging or starts swinging or does a little bit more."

Impact of Ball Changes on the Game

• Frequent ball changes have contributed to a poor overrate.
• Only 75 overs were bowled on the second day, meaning the Lord's Test was already 23 overs short even with both days extended by half an hour.

Bumrah's Comments on Ball Changes

• "The ball changes, I don't really control that."
• "Obviously I don't really want to lose out on money because I worked very hard, I bowled a lot of overs, so I don't want to say any controversial statement and get my match fees deducted."
• "But we were bowling with the ball that we were given and that's how it is. We can't change it, we can't fight it. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes you get a bad ball, that's how it is."