Australia try pink ball in Sheffield Shield

I have watched very little cricket in recent years as the day’s play is generally over when I finish work. The day’s allocated amount of overs had not being bowled. Don’t spoil the spectacle by forcing the issue to play under lights.

Waugh, whose twin Mark is one of the selectors, profited more than most players from being given time to prove himself.

It was announced back in June that Australia and New Zealand will play in the very first day-night Test match, scheduled for the Adelaide Oval, Australia, at the end of November. But, when it comes to day-night games, not everyone is tickled pink by the idea.

“I hope our members understand why we are doing it. We’ve gone through decades of the game being played in a traditional way”.

The last time the teams faced off was in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where Brad Haddin gave New Zealanders a lot of sledge attacks which he later said was revenge for the New Zealanders being discomfortingly nice in their home game in the group stages of the World Cup.

But Waugh believes the potential for day-night scheduling to transform Test cricket, particularly in countries where crowds and interest are flagging, is too great to ignore.

The hype and curiosity of the Adelaide Test will ensure massive attendance and blockbuster ratings for Channel Nine.

“In response, we’re working with New Zealand Cricket to provide alternative preparation for the team ahead of next week’s first Test”. Logically, if play is partially held after dark, temperatures will be cooler, making conditions less gruelling for players-even if humidity could still play a factor-and, hopefully, increasing the standard of play.

Now, though, Cricket Australia wants to tamper with the lovely game.

The Kookaburra-made ball has the backing of Cricket Australia, but has been criticised by players for premature wear and visibility problems.

But the reaction to the pink ball has not been overwhelmingly positive, and there is still much work to be done before the pink ball can be widely used. If Tests are superseded by Twenty20s, cricket will lose its flavour. Other test-playing nations were warned that lucrative tours, especially home tours against India, would be withheld unless they agreed to the demands of the so-called ‘Big 3′. “Players had to adapt to it and that’s what they will have to do here”.

Former Test fast bowler Ryan Harris said it was time players accepted the radical change.

While declining to offer specific figures, CA have commented that ticket sales for the Adelaide Test are at “Ashes levels”, and Sutherland expressed his desire to see the match serve as proof to the rest of the world that floodlit Test matches could help to bring major growth to a format of the game that is healthy in Australia but moribund elsewhere.

But still there are questions about its use, just weeks before the hotly debated day-night Test in Adelaide.

“It doesn’t react anything like the red ball, in terms of swing and the hardness of it anyway”. Jackson mentioned how important it was to capitalize on the new ball, he said “We got a few early wickets with it though and I think that’s the key with these (pink) balls, you need to cash in with the new ball while it still swinging around because it’s pretty tough work after that”.