Cricket’s governing body said on Monday it would trial the use of pink-coloured balls in Test matches to maximise play during bad light.
The red balls usually used in Tests are not easily visible in fading light, while white balls used in limited-overs matches have been found to be not durable enough for the longer format.
Pink balls are already used in day-night Tests played under lights.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement its executive board had approved the “trialling the use of a pink ball in Test matches, with prior agreement from both teams, to maximise play in case of anticipated bad light”.
The global cricketing body said it had also given approval for new “research on lighting technology for match officials and venues to reduce lost play due to poor light”.
“Our discussions… have reinforced the ICC´s commitment to governance, administration and the growth of cricket globally,” said council chief Jay Shah, following a meeting in India´s Ahmedabad.
Furthermore, the ICC Board Meeting also permitted the head coach or designated staff to enter the field during the drink breaks in ODIs.
Previously, only substitute players were allowed to enter the field and relay messages during the drink breaks, which are taken twice in an ODI innings, one hour and 10 minutes apart.
The ICC also made a slight tweak to the playing conditions of T20Is, as it reduced the time of the innings break to 15 minutes, previously set at 20.
In another amendment, ICC said it would give the on-field umpires access to HawkEye data to analyse bowlers for illegal actions during matches as part of its determination to crack down on bowlers with suspect actions.
2026-06-01 20:13:00
