The ICC has signed off a trial that could see umpires replace the traditional red ball with a pink one whenever bad light threatens to halt a Test. Both captains must agree before play – a nod to cricket’s habit of settling things in the dressing-room as much as in the boardroom.
At Sunday’s Board meeting in Ahmedabad, the Chief Executives’ Committee pushed through several tweaks aimed at trimming dead time. The pink-ball switch, normally reserved for day-night fixtures in Australia and the odd experiment elsewhere, is the headline change. The thinking is simple: under lights the pink ball is easier to see, so fewer overs disappear.
The ICC admits the paperwork will not clear in time for England v New Zealand on 4 June. Even so, administrators are upbeat. An ICC note said it will back research “on lighting technology for match officials and venues to reduce lost play due to poor light, with ICC co-funding R&D projects alongside Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).”
Coaches on the pitch
Another recommendation rubber-stamped on Sunday allows head coaches – or a named deputy – to step onto the field at scheduled drinks breaks in ODIs and T20Is. Up to now only the drinks carrier could slip a message to the skipper. Franchise leagues use similar “strategic time-outs”, so the move brings internationals in line with the modern traffic.
White-ball pace of play
From the same meeting: the interval between T20I innings is set at 15 minutes, and batters “would be required to be ready at the resumption of play.” No one wants fielders kicking their heels while a new pair tapes up a bat handle.
Leg-side wides clarified
Last year’s trial guidelines for judging wides when the batter backs away become law. The painted lines give umpires a clearer reference – or, as one match official put it, “guide lines to help umpires adjudicate wides down the leg side”.
Technology for suspect actions
Match referees will soon have easier access to Hawk-Eye data when they suspect an illegal action. That should mean quicker, more transparent decisions – not to mention fewer late-night video trawls.
Will teams readily swap one ball for another? Tradition dies hard, and bowlers in particular guard their weapons. But with whole sessions still lost to murky skies despite floodlights, captains may decide a pink ball is better than no ball at all.
