The pink ball might replace the red ball for all Test cricket games

According to English manufacturer Dukes, pink balls could replace red balls in all Test-match cricket. The issue of light-preventing play has long plagued the game’s longest format, but Dukes now believes it has a device that can alleviate this long-standing problem. The managing director of Dukes, Dilip Jajodia, has stated that the quality of the pink ball, which has been criticised for becoming too soft, has improved and that using the pink ball in day Tests could reduce the time lost due to poor lighting.

“I have a pink ball that is superior to anything else on the market, which will last 80 overs,” Jajodia told the Herald and The Age in Australia. There is no reason why we shouldn’t move on to pink balls for red-ball cricket all the time. It doesn’t have to be day-night, it can be during the day, there’s no problem. There is always the question of tradition, ‘we must have a red ball for red-ball cricket, we can’t have anything else’. But you’re in the entertainment industry. There are a lot of people who are paying a lot of money and they’re getting shortchanged.”

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Red balls have been used since the 19th century

Red balls have been used in Test cricket since the first match was played in 1877, and pink balls have been used in day-night Test matches since the concept was introduced in 2015. A red Dukes ball, a pink Dukes ball, and a white Dukes ball are all available. Pink balls are commonly used in daytime cricket. Despite the fact that floodlights were turned on during Australia’s Test against South Africa in Sydney last month, there was widespread criticism that play was lost due to poor lighting.

“We remain of the view that the game must find new and innovative ways to ensure players remain on the field, albeit safely and ensuring the contest between bat and ball can be protected,” Todd Greenberg, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive, said. We are in the entertainment business and as such we must play and entertain as best we possibly can.”

England has only played one Test at home using a pink ball, the 2017 Edgbaston Test against West Indies. The strong support for Test cricket in England, combined with concerns over cooler evening weather, means that the notion has not taken hold as much as it has in other nations, most notably Australia, where Adelaide’s day-night Test has become a hallmark of the Test summer. The Dukes ball is currently exclusively used in England, Ireland, and the West Indies, with the other nine Test nations using balls manufactured by other companies.