Daily Times

JOHANNESBURG – Expressing his concern over the day-night Tests, Australian explosive batsman David Warner has insisted that the batsmen and fielders struggle at times to see the pink ball.

Cricket Australia are planning to schedule two Twilight match this year against South Africa and Pakistan, but the players’ reluctance to play only one day-night Test has placed the match in trouble. Warner admitted the concept is fantastic, but added that there was an immediate need to improve the pink ball if the day-night Tests are to become a regular-fixture.

The 29-year-old, who played in the inaugural day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide last year, pointed out that one could not shine pink ball up like a red ball and insisted that the new ball also lacks swing, Sport24 reported.

The Australian administrators had considered the first Twilight Test as a huge success, attracting a large number of spectators and an average television audience. But the players from the two sides voiced concerns about the new ball’s movement and durability.

Earlier in April, the South African players had shown their reluctance to the idea, with the Proteas Players’ Association saying that their players might face disadvantage on account of having not played a day-night Test at any level.

According to the initial schedule, the third Test of the three-match series between Australia and South Africa in Adelaide is intended to be the pink ball game in contrast to the series-opener against Pakistan in Brisbane in December.