Bad light in test cricket? Shaun Pollock suggests a pink ball solution

Former South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock proposed the use of a pink ball in traditional one-day Tests to reduce the number of losses lost in poor light, sparking debate over whether the change could work in the longest format of the game.

His suggestion comes amid a weather interruption in the ongoing first Test between South Africa and Australia at Kingsmead. South Africa were 102 for 4 in their chase of 421 at the end of day 4, with playing time lost over the first three days restricting the action to 221 from the scheduled 270 overs.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently allowed the trial use of pink balls in one-day Test matches. However, this move requires the approval of both captains before the start of the match. If he approves the change, the pink ball must be used for the duration of the test, with no option to return to the red ball.

PINK BALL TO SOLVE BAD LIGHT

Pollock’s proposal is not about turning traditional Tests into day-night matches. Instead, he believes the pink ball could allow play to continue in the fading light and help teams make up for some of the time lost in poor conditions.

In an interview with Fox Sports, Pollock said the idea was worth considering, even if the games were played exclusively during the day.

“I’m not saying for a second that we should have used the pink ball and played a day-night game,” Pollock said.

“I just believed we should have used a pink ball for the day’s game. It’s not irrelevant because if you use a red ball, suddenly you can’t play Test cricket in bad light, but if you use pink, you can,” he added.

The former South Africa all-rounder also questioned whether teams would willingly accept the change when the outcome of a match or series was at stake.

He pointed to a hypothetical situation involving Australia and South Africa, with the World Test Championship final on the line, and asked whether either side would agree to use the pink ball if bad light threatened to cost them a significant number of overs.

His argument focuses on whether teams would be willing to prioritize playing time over preferring the traditional red ball.

PRINCE WANTS TEST CRICKET TO KEEP THE RED BALL

South Africa senior assistant coach Ashwell Prince does not share Pollock’s view. He believes the red ball should remain the standard for traditional day Tests, with the pink ball reserved for matches specifically scheduled as day-night.

Prince also highlighted the difference in experience between teams that played pink-ball cricket regularly and teams that had less opportunity to do so. In his opinion, this could make it more difficult to secure an agreement between the two captains.

“For me, outside of a day-night Test, it’s got to be the red ball. I think obviously some nations have played a lot more pink-ball cricket than others, so it’s always going to be a challenge to get both captains to agree,” Prince said.

He added that teams with limited experience with the pink ball may be reluctant to accept the change, making a unanimous decision difficult.

“But for me, you know, Test matches are a red ball,” Prince said.

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