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Dubai: The white cricket ball that is being used in one-day matches may soon become history. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is likely to introduce pink balls for day and night one-day matches. Experiments have already commenced with the pink ball and the response has been good.
The white ball was introduced during the rebel World Cricket Series in 1978 by television tycoon Kerry Packer. After three decades it has been discovered white balls are losing their colour quickly, get dirty faster and are turning out to be difficult for the batsmen to spot.
Experiments conducted by scientists at the Imperial College revealed the pink ball can be spotted a fraction better than the white one by the batsmen and that it can retain its colour throughout the match.
Delighted
The pink ball was first experimented during a Twenty20 women's cricket match between Queensland and Western Australia in January. The women were delighted with it and said that they saw the ball clearer than the white ball.
Last Monday, the pink ball was used in men's cricket at the Lord's during a match between MCC and Scotland.
MCC, which holds the responsibility for the laws of the game, has been experimenting with different kinds of balls for the last few years. John Stephenson, a former England batsman, is the head of MCC. He led the MCC team against Scotland. The match began raising doubts on the credibility of the ball as Scotland lost two wickets for just two runs but then went on to pile up 253 for seven. MCC chased the huge total and won the match too proving that pink ball is comfortable for the batsmen.
However, the question now is will the pink ball make it so comfortable for the batsmen that the bowlers will have to struggle harder in one-day cricket for wickets?
Orange and blue tests
The MCC is keen to have pink balls being used in the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup to be held in England. Kookaburra, the ball manufacturer, has already started producing pink cricket balls.
The MCC selected the pink ball after trying out orange and also blue balls. The orange ball was first used in the Refuge Assurance Cup in 1989 and the blue ball was used during a women's cricket match.
A study conducted by scientists revealed that the pink ball is also clearer for the television viewers when compared with orange and blue balls.
The pink ball may get the approval only after finding out whether fielders will find it difficult to catch it as the colour of the ball can get mixed with the colourful dress of the spectators in the stands.
Transition of the cricket ball
- The white cricket ball was introduced following the arrival of floodlight cricket. It enabled the batsmen of the team batting second to see the ball clearly under floodlights.
- White balls are known to swing better than red balls. The need for a change began as soon as white balls began to show scuffs and blemishes more than the red ones.
- All cricket balls are made from a core of cork, which is layered and tightly wound and covered by a leather case with slightly raised sewn seam.
- The manufacturing method of making a cricket ball has not changed much in nearly 250 years. As per the original laws in 1774, the ball should weigh between 5 1/2 and 5 3/4 and this weight has remained unchanged. The size of the ball did undergo changes. In 1838 - the circumference of the ball was 9 to 9 1/4 inches but was altered in 1927 to 8 13/16 to 9 inches.
- Cricket balls have so far been made in five colours: red, white, pink, blue and orange.
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