Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to reintroduce Kookaburra balls in the country’s first-class cricket system from the 2026-27 domestic season, replacing Dukes balls used in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and President’s Trophy over the last two seasons, according to Cricinfo. The PCB believes the switch back to Kookaburra will help bridge the gap between domestic first-class and Test cricket. The decision has also been influenced by concerns that first-class matches have increasingly favoured bowlers on pitches offering grass and moisture.
Pakistan subsequently hosted Bangladesh in a two-Test series in Rawalpindi on grassy pitches but lost the series 2-0, suffering their first Test defeat and series loss against Bangladesh, according to Cricinfo.
The majority of first-class matches in the upcoming season scheduled in northern cities such as Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad, where conditions are traditionally more favourable to seam bowling; the PCB expects the Kookaburra to create a better balance between bat and ball, according to the report. The switch coincided with Jason Gillespie’s appointment as Pakistan’s red-ball head coach.
A Test defeat to England in Multan in the following series then prompted a major change in Pakistan’s approach, with the team moving towards turning pitches and subsequently playing Tests and limited-overs cricket on surfaces offering significant assistance to spinners.
