Shaun Pollock Advocates for Pink Balls in Test Matches Amid Bad Light Concerns
Pollock's Call for Change in Test Cricket
Durban [South Africa], October 13: Shaun Pollock, the former all-rounder from South Africa, has suggested that teams should consider using pink balls during Test matches, especially when bad light poses a challenge. This comes as the Proteas face a daunting run chase on the final day of their Test against Australia, which has seen play halted due to poor visibility.
In the opening match of this crucial three-match series, South Africa stands at 102/4 while attempting to chase down 421 runs. The first three days of the Test were marred by interruptions from bad light, resulting in both teams missing out on potentially pivotal overs. Only 221 out of the 270 scheduled overs were bowled before the fourth day commenced, with play extending into Monday as the overcast conditions cleared.
Recently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved the use of pink balls in daytime Test matches, contingent upon the agreement of both team captains.
The ICC's announcement regarding this new playing condition states, “As a trial, pink balls may be used in daytime Tests by mutual agreement to reduce loss of play due to bad light. The use of a pink ball must be agreed before the start of the Test and once agreed, must apply for the duration of the match. The decision cannot be changed after the match has started. Switching from red to pink ball is also not allowed once the match has commenced.”
Pollock, speaking to Fox Sports, encouraged captains to embrace the use of the pink ball when light conditions are likely to be an issue. “I’m not suggesting we should have played a day-night game, but I believe we should have opted for the pink ball during the day,” he stated.
He emphasized the importance of this decision, noting, “If we stick with the red ball, we can’t continue playing Test cricket once bad light sets in, but with the pink ball, we can. We risk losing even more overs otherwise.”
Pollock further posed a hypothetical scenario: “If this were a crucial match, perhaps deciding the World Test Championship final, and it was 1-all in the series, would Australia agree to use the pink ball to avoid losing 100 overs to bad light?”
Meanwhile, Ashwell Prince, a former South African batter and current senior assistant coach, expressed his preference for red balls in Test cricket, stating, “For me, outside of a day-night Test, it has to be a red ball.”
He acknowledged the challenges in reaching an agreement between captains, noting that some teams may lack sufficient experience with pink balls, making consensus difficult. “It’s going to be a challenge to get both captains on board,” he concluded.
As South Africa chases 421 runs, Aiden Markram (45*) and Wiaan Mulder (5*) remain not out. Australia, batting first, scored 390 runs, thanks to a remarkable 190 from Matt Renshaw off 397 balls. The Proteas managed 284 in their second innings, with Simon Harmer (35*) and Keshav Maharaj (34) helping to narrow the deficit to just over 100 runs. Australia then declared their second innings at 314/6, with Renshaw (82 off 99 balls, including seven fours), Nic Maddison (48 off 33 balls, with six fours and two sixes), and captain Pat Cummins (32* off 12 balls, hitting four sixes) showcasing aggressive batting to set a target of 421 runs for the World Test Champions.