Floodlit day-night Test cricket receded further into the distance on Friday when the International Cricket Council (ICC) said at least 18 months’ research needed to be done on different-colored balls.
“We are not as clear as we thought we were,” ICC general manager of cricket Dave Richardson said after a two-day meeting of the ICC’s cricket committee at Lord’s. “Some are saying the orange ball is better, others are saying the pink ball is better, there are some who are saying this shade of pink is better than that shade of pink.”
“There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence so we are at the stage where we say: ‘Let’s get the scientists to tell us,’” Richardson said.
Richardson told a news conference earlier that he hoped the research would be concluded in 18 months to allow the ICC to trial the colored ball in domestic cricket.
Red balls, which are used in all first-class cricket, are difficult to see under floodlights and white balls are currently used with colored clothing and black sightscreens in day-night, one-day matches. Richardson said the cricket committee had no objection to players wearing colored clothing rather than the traditional white in day-night tests, which would clear the way for a white ball.
“The manufacturers are in a bit of dilemma as you can imagine, they are trying to manufacture a ball, but will it be pink, orange or white,” he said. “So they want a bit more direction from us.”
UMPIRE REVIEWS
Cricket’s controversial umpire decision review system (DRS) will be used at next year’s World Cup despite the technology causing splits amongst players.
The ICC also decided that the DRS should be introduced as soon as possible in all Test series.
“The ICC Cricket Committee recommends that DRS, subject to agreement with ICC broadcaster partners ESPN Star Sports, should be used in all matches in the World Cup 2011 in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,” an ICC statement said.
As in Test cricket, each team will be allowed two referrals per innings to the third umpire who can replay the incident immediately via television pictures.
The system, however, hasn’t been warmly welcomed by all teams and was at the center of an embarrassing row in January during the Johannesburg Test between South Africa and England.
England complained after television umpire Daryl Harper failed to overturn a not out decision against South African captain Graeme Smith because Harper allegedly failed to turn up the sound on an audio feed from the stump microphone.
To help cure similar future problems, the ICC agreed that a minimum standard of technology, such as ball tracking, including in the third umpire room, should be introduced.
Amongst other decisions, the ICC Cricket Committee also supported, in principle, research into a reduction in the number of teams in the World Cup, but more in the World Twenty20.
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh were desperately hoping captain Shakib Al Hasan makes a speedy recovery from chickenpox after his side lost by seven wickets to England Lions on Friday.
Only Jahural Islam showed the necessary application required on a Derby pitch that helped the seamer to score an unbeaten 58 off 153 balls and was the only Bangladeshi batsman to pass 50 in the game.
Bangladesh face England at Lord’s in the first Test starting on Thursday, but this match was really decided on Thursday afternoon when the tourists lost wickets to a rash of ill-judged shots to collapse to 139 for nine, a lead of just 63.
Rubel Hossain dug in to see him to his half-century and made the Lions bowlers work for the last wicket on a hot, humid morning on Friday.
Jahural and Rubel continued the stand which had rescued their side from a two-day defeat and batted for another 11 overs before Ravi Bopara, pushing for an England Test recall, struck.
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
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