Thaindian News

London, Feb. 5 (ANI): After receiving a thumbs down to pink balls, manufacturers are planning to come up with fluorescent orange balls to facilitate day night Test matches.

Dukes MD Dilip Jajodia, whose firm is competing with Kookaburra to invent a ball suited to night Test matches, rated flourescent orange a superior option to the pink balls.

“My view is that flourescent orange is the best chance. I have asked a lot of spectators and they go for orange every time. The technology is there to do almost anything. Technology has moved on since the last time orange balls were tried,” Fox Sports quoted Jajodia, as saying.

Pink balls proved pale imitations of their red cousins during their trial at Allan Border Field in Brisbane this week.

Players found “bits” of paint came off to reveal a white cover beneath, and some of the balls also went out of shape and were impossible to shine.

Former Australia Test batsman Martin Love recalled the lukewarm reception orange balls received in Sheffield Shield games the mid-1990s.

“The orange balls were not that bad to face when you batted, but difficult to field at night when they developed a comet-like trail. Particularly from side-on when you tried to follow it and it was a bit of a blur,” Love said.

“It was difficult to bat at night against them with the dew. You had to score your runs during the day. I am not sure whether flourescent is the way to go,” he added.

The consensus among many Border Field observers was that painted balls are not suitable until a dyed pink leather capable of lasting 80 overs can be developed.

But Jajodia said this type of ball will never be invented.

“The only colour you can properly dye leather is red. If you want a bright-coloured ball, you are going to have to put up with white underneath it,” he added. (ANI)