The pink ball is set to be used in day Tests where play could be short due to bad light.
One of cricket’s biggest bugbears is players leaving the field due to bad light during a Test match. The moans and groans in the stands from frustrated fans feeling that they have been short-changed are commonplace.
Organisers have attempted to get around this by using floodlights until artificial light overtakes natural light. However, plenty of actual game time is still lost, especially at venues like Kingsmead in Durban, where play can be halted as early as 3:30 pm.
The powers-that-be recently came together at an ICC board meeting to approve a new trial. Subject to the prior agreement of both participating teams, the red ball could be switched to a pink ball before the start of a day Test, if it is likely to be affected by bad light.
This would be a significant change to the essence of Test cricket, especially as pink balls have previously been used exclusively for day-night Test matches, where play routinely starts at around 2/30pm and runs until about 9pm.
