Live Update: ‘Don’t be scared’ – Pollock bats for pink-ball switch for light-affected Tests “It is not irrelevant because if you use the red one, all of a sudden you can’t play Test cricket past bad-light time.
But if you use the pink one, you can” The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins, India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 The smile of a champion – Mohammed Siraj picked up five wickets in a ten-ball period, India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup final, Colombo, September 17, 2023 Alyssa Healy poses with the trophy after Australia retained the Ashes, England vs Australia, 3rd ODI, Women’s Ashes, Taunton, July 18, 2023 A general view of the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 3rd match, Jaipur, October 17, 2006 A general view of the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab Kings vs Delhi Citals, IPL 2024, Mullanpur, March 23, 2024 The Haryana Cricket Association’s Bansi Lal Stadium in Lahli, Haryana v Rajasthan, 1st semi-final, Ranji Trophy 2011-12, Rohtak, 1st day, January 10, 2012 Shane Warne bowls the first Test match ball under lights. Australia v New Zealand 2nd Test, Day One, at the WACA, Perth, Thursday November 20th 1997 “It is not irrelevant because if you use the red one, all of a sudden you can’t play Test cricket past bad-light time. But if you use the pink one, you can” Lungi Ngidi speaks to Shaun Pollock on the eve of South Africa’s World Cup match against India in Kolkata Lungi Ngidi speaks to Shaun Pollock on the eve of South Africa’s World Cup match against India in Kolkata, November 4, 2023 Matt Renshaw is having the game of his life, while the bowlers have plied consistent pressure on SA Matt Renshaw used his reach to play the sweep, South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test, Durban, 4th day, October 12, 2026 It is very early in the summer but there are worrying signs after the home side’s performance against Australia in Durban Tristan Stubbs pulls behind square, South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3, Durban, October 11, 2026 In hunt of their 43rd Ranji Trophy title, Mumbai have a new ctain, one who is hungry for success after re-establishing himself in the setup Siddhesh Lad celebrates his century, Mumbai vs Puducherry, Ranji Trophy, 2nd day, Mumbai, November 18, 2025 The Gujarat bowler wants to play his first full red-ball domestic season since 2020, and pass on his lessons to the team’s youngsters from his ’15-16 years of trial and error’ Harshal Patel peals successfully for an lbw, India vs South Africa, 1st T20I, Thiruvananthuram, September 28, 2022 Litton Das is now the first wicketkeeper to complete nine dismissals, score a century and a fifty in the match Sediqullah Atal plays defensively, Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Only Test, Abu Dhabi, 4th day, October 12, 2026 Hasan Mahmud has now taken five-wicket hauls in four different countries, going where few bowlers – and not just from Bangladesh – have gone Hasan Mahmud wrecked Afghanistan’s tail, Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Only Test, Abu Dhabi, 3rd day, October 11, 2026 Shreyas Iyer looks at Shamar Springer’s bat after he smashed an unbeaten 11-ball 35, India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I, Indore, October 11, 2026 He started slowly, showing Roston Chase the respect the bowler deserved, but Abhishek Sharma still got to his fifty off just 18 balls, messing with West Indies’ well-laid plans Abhishek Sharma scored heavily on the off side, India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I, Indore, October 11, 2026 On an Indore pitch whose low bounce made big hitting difficult, Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball 69 ended up giving India an above-par total Arshdeep Singh celebrates after knocking over Sherfane Rutherford, India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I, Indore, October 11, 2026 Pakistan could make changes with the series in the bag, but they may also be tempted not to disrupt the in-form players’ rhythm Pasindu Sooriyabandara retains his place ahead of Lahiru Udara while keeper Anjala Bandara could make his debut Pathum Nissanka scored his first Test century at home, Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 1st Test, Galle, day 3, June 19 2025 Maaz Sadaqat raises a fine half-century, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi, October 11, 2026 Rishabh Pant played the sort of shots one expects of him, Sri Lanka vs India, 2nd Test, Colombo, 2nd day, August 24, 2026 Bowling coach Eric Simons warms players up before the game, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2023, Bengaluru, ril 17, 2023 “It is not irrelevant because if you use the red one, all of a sudden you can’t play Test cricket past bad-light time.
But if you use the pink one, you can” Lungi Ngidi speaks to Shaun Pollock on the eve of South Africa’s World Cup match against India in Kolkata Lungi Ngidi speaks to Shaun Pollock on the eve of South Africa’s World Cup match against India in Kolkata, November 4, 2023 Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer shared seven wickets between them, England vs India, 3rd T20I, Nottingham, July 07, 2026 Shreyas Iyer looks at Shamar Springer’s bat after he smashed an unbeaten 11-ball 35, India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I, Indore, October 11, 2026 Pasindu Sooriyabandara retains his place ahead of Lahiru Udara while keeper Anjala Bandara could make his debut Pathum Nissanka scored his first Test century at home, Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 1st Test, Galle, day 3, June 19 2025 Lungi Ngidi speaks to Shaun Pollock on the eve of South Africa’s World Cup match against India in Kolkata, November 4, 2023 Former South Africa ctain Shaun Pollock wants the “stigma” around the use of the pink ball in traditional Test cricket to go, especially at venues where light could be an issue. He urged teams to not be “scared” of the pink ball. Around 45 overs were lost to bad light over the first three days of the ongoing first Test between South Africa and Australia at Kingsmead .
“I’m not saying for one moment that we should have used the pink ball and played a day-night game,” Pollock, part of ICC Cricket Committee and working as a commentator in this series , told the host broadcaster. “I just believed we should have used the pink ball for the day game. It is not irrelevant because if you use the red one, all of a sudden you can’t play Test cricket past bad-light time.
But if you use the pink one, you can.” Following its board meeting in June this year, the ICC proved a move to enable a switch from the red ball to the pink ball before the start of Test matches, if both ctains agree, to reduce losses of play to bad light. The pink ball offers better visibility in gloomy conditions or under floodlights than the red ball, but had, until now, been used exclusively in day-night Test matches. “If this was a final or a game where you had to win to make the World Test Championship final and it was one-all in the series, and Australia were playing South Africa and you said to them, ‘Let’s use the pink ball because we are going to lose 100 overs to bad light’, do you think they would agree or not agree?” Pollock said on Monday, the fourth day of the Test match.
“There is a stigma that has been created around the pink ball. First, they say it moves too much. But I tell you what, if Australia were 124 for 6 [their score on day one of the Durban Test] using the pink ball, everyone would have said it was the pink ball’s fault.
“There is another stigma: that the pink ball is going soft. Had Australia scored 124 for 6 and reached 390, everyone in South Africa would have said it was the pink ball’s fault and that it had gone limp. But the pink ball would have meant we would have played 45 more Test cricket overs if we had used it and that’s why I want to introduce it.
“I say, in a day game where lighting is a factor, don’t be afraid to use the pink ball.” “That’s not unimportant because if you use red, after a moment of bad light you suddenly can’t play Test cricket. But if you use pink, you can” Lungi Ngidi speaks to Shaun Pollock on the eve of South Africa’s World Cup match against India in Kolkata. Lungi Ngidi speaks to Shaun Pollock on the eve of South Africa’s World Cup match against India in Kolkata, November 4, 2023 story:1558269+ “It’s not unimportant because if you use red, suddenly you can’t play Test cricket.” beyond times of poor light. But if you use pink you can” “That’s not unimportant because if you use red then after a moment of bad light you suddenly can’t play Test cricket.
But if you use the pink ball, you can.” Shaun Pollock wants teams to use the pink ball during the day too. Tests • ICC upon ICC proves switching from red to pink ball to reduce the effects of poor light.
