Players admit concerns over pink ball visibility

Barnaby Read 23:00 11/10/2016
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  • The pink ball has been created by Kookaburra.

    The first Test of the series between the two teams begins in Dubai on Thursday, with the unique format and pink ball taking its latest step in its development in the UAE.

    And, according to both Pakistan and West Indies, each of which are preparing for their first pink ball Test, the black seam has been a concern in training.

    “The seam is different and it’s hard to see, especially with the spinners, you can’t really spot the seam but yeah, it’s a different challenge and as it will be played more we will get to know it better,” said Pakistan’s Azhar Ali.

    West Indies’ Darren Bravo was similar in his assessment of the ball, which they trialled against a PCB XI in a three-day tour game in Sharjah last week.

    “I believe earlier on it was quite difficult to see the ball but the longer I spent in the middle it was much easier,” said Bravo.

    “I think most of the guys are complaining about the fact they are not able to pick up the seam that well, but we can’t do anything about it. It is what it is and we need to accept the challenge as quickly as possible and go out there and give it our best shot.”

    Since the format was first mooted, Australian ball manufacturer Kookaburra has been at the forefront of delivering the day-night balls for international cricket.

    And in the first pink ball day-night Test in Adelaide last year, a green seam was used before being ditched over the same concerns Pakistan and West Indies have aired in the pre-amble to the Dubai Test.

    Kookaburra’s head of communications Shannon Gill, in Dubai to advise the boards and media on the ball, believes visibility will not be an issue.

    “We used a green and white seam in Adelaide and the feedback from the players was that it was a little bit hard with visibility,” Gill told Sport360. “We’ve since used the black seam which has had much better feedback on visibility. The contrast between black and pink has worked a lot better.

    “The conditions of the outfield and pitch will determine how successful it is by how visible the ball remains.”

    Seen as the saving grace of Test cricket’s dwindling crowds, the day-night format was brought to Test cricket for the first time between Australia and New Zealand.

    It is still very much a work in progress but following this match, 2017 will see a marked increase in day-night Tests with Pakistan slated to take on Australia in the format in the New Year and England committed to hosting its first against West Indies in the summer.

    Pakistan’s Asad Shafiq hopes it can deliver on its promise of more fans at Test matches – a very real issue in the UAE – and said he is excited to be a part of the occasion.

    “I’m really excited about this and how it goes, especially the timings that we are playing in,” said Shafiq. “It can pull the crowd, the ones who are going [to work in] offices can come and watch the match at this time so I’m really excited about it.”

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