Published: Jun 09, 2016, 03:09 AM (IST)
Edited: Jun 09, 2016, 03:09 AM (IST)
England captain Alastair Cook has expressed over the pink balls used in the day-night Tests. He has urged the ICC to keep an eye on the say-night Tests, which is said to pull in more crowd into the ground, like it did when the first-ever day-night Test was played between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide in 2015. England will take on Sri Lanka in the third and final Test at Lord’s on Thursday with an eye to clean sweep the visitors, who have not been up to the mark in the series so far. Cook also recently went past 10,000 Test runs and became the youngest to reach the milestone. READ: Alastair Cook wants fixers to be banned for life; prepared to face Pakistan’s Mohammad Aamer
Talking about the day-night Tests, Cook said, “My general view of day-night cricket is that it is something the ICC need to keep looking at because it is a way of keeping the game moving with the times and getting more spectators in,” Cook said. “The biggest problem I have is with the quality of the pink ball. It doesn’t seem to behave the same way as the red ball does. I have no idea why,” according to independent.co.uk.
“One of the great things about Test cricket is that ball – sometimes it swings conventionally, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it reverses. It fluctuates through the game. During my two experiences of using the pink ball it didn’t do any of that and then it nipped all over in the twilight. I don’t know if that was because I was in Abu Dhabi or a wet Chelmsford. The quality of the ball is vital for day-night cricket.” READ: Alastair Cook has it in him to surpass Sachin Tendulkar as Leading run-scorer in Tests, says Trevor Bayliss
Cook also went on to say that he does not think that the Ashes should have day-night Tests as the crowds in the matches are generally good. “I don’t think Ashes cricket needs day-night Tests,” he said on the eve of his side taking on Sri Lanka at Lord’s in the third Test. “A lot of the games have really good attendances. It’s not a series where you need to do it at this precise moment in time.”
Cook’s views were echoed by Australia captain Steven Smith as well. “The crowds and the viewers for the regular Ashes Test matches are pretty good. My personal preference probably would be [to keep the Ashes to day-only Tests]. READ: Alastair Cook can challenge Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test record, feels Sunil Gavaskar
“I think it works pretty well with the red ball. It’s been around for years and I think playing against England we always get the viewers and the crowds out. So I don’t think there is any issue there.” Smith told cricket.com.au.
