Day-night Test with pink ball creates controversy

This year’s match sees the launch of pink ball in first class cricket, aimed at being visible for use in day/night matches rather than the white ball which was prone to discoloring

What has got into the minds of Australian Cricket administrators baffles me.

The Adelaide Test against New Zealand this summer will be a day-night affair using pink balls. When things are going well why this immature innovation?

Traditional Test cricket has been well attended in Australia and England. I realise that it is dying elsewhere, especially in India where the lure of IPL has taken over in a gigantic fashion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Zealand cricketers are against this new innovation. And so are Australia’s fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson.

Starc, the Player of the 2015 World Cup, says he could not see the pink ball well in dark during the Sheffield Shield trial match in Adelaide last season. Nor can Australia’s opening batsman Chris Rogers who is colour blind.

During the pink ball trial Starc could not see the ball from the boundary line. Also he observed that the ball did not swing as much as the red ball.

Steve Smith and Brad Haddin find the idea exciting. But players like Johnson and Shane Watson have never played with pink balls at night.

Innovations are welcome when they are necessary. But is this pink ball day-night Test cricket wise? Australia Cricket should have carried out more experiments before playing a Test match using this gimmicky innovation.

What purpose does day-night cricket with pink balls serve? I realise that we cannot use white balls because players will wear white clothes.

Or will we have Test matches in colour clothing with white balls by 2020? Heavens forbid!

 

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