PCB Makes Major Change to First-Class Cricket From 2026-27 Season

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to bring Kookaburra balls back into domestic first-class cricket from the 2026-27 season, replacing the Dukes balls applied over the past two seasons.

Key points

• Pakistan previously applied Kookaburra balls in first-class cricket from 2019 until the end of the 2023-24 season.
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• The return to Dukes coincided with Jason Gillespie's appointment as Pakistan's red-ball head coach.
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As the PCB looks to create a better balance between bat and ball and bring domestic conditions closer to those faced in Test cricket, the change will apply to major first-class competitions, including the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and President's Trophy. Pakistan Launches FIFA Football Program Throughout 3, 000 Govt Schools.

Dukes balls, which have a harder and more pronounced seam, generally offer seam bowlers greater movement through the air and off the pitch for longer periods. Nevertheless, there have been worries that they have provided excessive assistance to fast bowlers in Pakistan's domestic conditions.

Those reservations are particularly relevant as a number of first-class matches are scheduled to be played in northern cities such as Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad, where conditions already tend to favor seam bowling.

In practice, the PCB believes the return of the Kookaburra ball could reduce that advantage, allow batters to spend more time at the crease and encourage them to improve their technique. The move could additionally rise the role of spinners in domestic red-ball cricket. Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq Ruled Out of President's Trophy.

Pakistan previously applied Kookaburra balls in first-class cricket from 2019 until the end of the 2023-24 season. Dukes balls had additionally been employed during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons before being reintroduced for the 2024-25 campaign as part of efforts to strengthen Pakistan's fast-bowling culture.

Meanwhile, the return to Dukes coincided with Jason Gillespie's appointment as Pakistan's red-ball head coach. Pakistan subsequently hosted Bangladesh for a two-Test series in Rawalpindi on grassy pitches but suffered a 2-0 defeat, marking the country's first Test and series losses against Bangladesh.

After which the team changed its approach and moved toward spin-friendly pitches, pakistan then lost the opening Test against England in Multan. Subsequent Tests and limited-overs matches were played on surfaces offering considerably more assistance to spinners.

Notably, the new domestic first-class season begins on Saturday with the opening round of the President's Trophy. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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Taken together, the developments around PCB Makes Major Change to First-Class Cricket From 2026 point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.