Umpires, square leg fielders cast shadow on Australia’s pink ball experiment

SYDNEY - Umpires and fielders square of the wicket have cast a shadow on Australian cricket’s pink ball experiment by saying that they frequently lost sight of the pink leather.

Pink balls are being used in a day-night Futures League fixture at Adelaide Oval this week, and also in a day match in Brisbane.

The experiment is an attempt to find balls suitable for night Test matches.

Umpires in the Adelaide Oval match expressed concern at losing sight of the ball when stationed at square leg, an identical complaint from fielders in South Australia’s match against Western Australia.

“As the umpire at the bowler’s end there’s no issues, I found it nearly glows at some stages,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted umpire Andrew Collins, as saying.

“Square leg is a different issue I think, certainly we work as a team picking height for over the shoulder balls, and there are times you lose it altogether. At this stage it is a little bit difficult from square leg,” he said.

Redbacks bowler Michael Cranmer on Wednesday voiced the same concern.

“I was fielding square of the wicket and I found a couple of the pull shots quite tough to pick up so it’s something they are going to have to look at,” Cranmer said.

Cranmer batted during the afternoon against the pink balls, and found them blurry early before adjusting in his innings of 64.

Two pink balls were used in each innings in Adelaide, with Cranmer noting each started reverse swinging when just 15 overs old. (ANI)