AP, Sydney :
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland says the first ever day-night cricket Test will go ahead next month, though the pink ball that will be used in the historic match between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide continues to receive mixed reviews from players.
The Australian Cricket Players’ Association suggested this week it is not too late to postpone the introduction of day-night Tests to allow further development of the pink ball. ACPA president Greg Dyer said his organization supported day-night Test matches but warned the concept might be damaged if there were problems with the ball in the inaugural match.
Sutherland said Thursday it was “a bit late” to re-schedule the Adelaide Test as a day match and the move to day-night matches was necessary to reinvigorate Test cricket.
“It’s about trying to make sure that Test cricket retains its currency and relevance in a rapidly changing, competitive world,” Sutherland said.
He said manufacturer Kookaburra had put huge effort into the development of the pink ball and he was undeterred by recent comments from players questioning its durability.
“I was more concerned about criticism a couple of years ago, or observations a couple of years ago when we were really testing,” he said. “We have been through a really rigorous process … as (Kookaburra managing director) Brett Elliot said earlier this week, more work has gone into preparing this pink ball than any ball in the history of the game.”
The pink ball is being used in all matches in the current round of Australia’s Sheffield Shield first class competition in which batsman have generally prospered at bowlers’ expense. Queensland bowler Ben Cutting said the pink ball lost its shine and went soft more quickly than the white ball currently used in one-day internationals.
“As a batting team if you get through those first couple of overs and negate the swing, you’re going to do pretty well,” Cutting said. “From what I’ve seen in this game it’s a lot softer than the white ball. (I) will be very surprised if the ball didn’t get changed at some stage.”
Some players have suggested the pink ball behaves differently under lights than during the day. That view appeared to be reinforced during the match between New South Wales and South Australia when New South Wales lost five quick wickets around tea, as the floodlights took effect.
New South Wales and Australia captain Steve Smith promptly declared and his bowlers, including Test pacemen Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, had South Australia 3-3 and eventually all out for 120. Batting again, New South Wales reached 217-1 with Smith 103 not out and former test opener Ed Cowan 82 not out.
“I don’t think it necessarily behaves differently under lights, I haven’t found that at all,” Cowan said. “I think it behaves abnormally through the whole innings.
“Some will swing, some will seam. It’s just not that consistent but I don’t think it’s a daytime, night-time thing.”
Cowan hoped efforts to improve the pink ball would continue.
Sutherland remains confident in the pink ball.
“We haven’t learnt anything new over the course of the last week or so that we didn’t know already,” he said. “I don’t see any negatives.”
