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'Always moaning': Ex-England captain takes cheeky dig at bowlers amid ongoing Dukes ball controversy

The Dukes ball has sparked fresh controversy in the India vs England Test series, with players complaining about its poor quality. Meanwhile, former England skipper has made a cheeky remark on bowlers' complaints, saying they are 'always moaning.' read more The Dukes ball has once again come under heavy scrutiny during the ongoing India vs England Test series, with both sides expressing frustration over its quality. Players from both sides have raised concerns regarding the Dukes ball, suggesting that they go soft and lose shape much earlier than expected. Indian bowlers, in particular, have raised complaints during the series, frequently asking for replacements as the ball lost its hardness within just a few overs. There have been a couple of incidents where players have gotten into arguments with umpires after they refused to change the ball. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Alastair Cook takes a jibe at bowlers Now, former England captain Alastair Cook has made a cheeky comment aimed at the bowlers who are 'always moaning' to get the ball changed. Cook, however, admitted that batters also dislike facing an out-of-shape or soft ball. 'I just love how bowlers are always moaning. It's like they bowl a bad ball and it's never their fault. They've scraped the footmark… If they bowl a bad ball, they look at the ball and blame the shape,' Cook told BBC Sport. 'I think a batsman would much rather hit some slightly harder ball. Nothing worse than playing a lovely cover drive like I used to and it going nowhere,' he added. The controversy surrounding the Dukes ball deepened during the Lord's Test when the ball had to be changed twice in the morning session on Day 3. After a 10-over-old ball was replaced, Indian players remained unhappy with the new one too, leading to yet another change within minutes. Former England captain Nasser Hussain has also criticised the Dukes ball, saying there was a 'serious issue.' Ex-English pacer Stuart Broad also voiced concern regarding the Dukes ball during the third Test. 'The cricket ball should be like a fine wicketkeeper. Barely noticed. We are having to talk about the ball too much because it is such an issue & being changed virtually every innings. Unacceptable. Feels like it's been five years now. Dukes have a problem. They need to fix it. A ball should last 80 overs. Not 10,' Broad wrote on X.