Shaun Pollock says pink ball should have been used in South Africa-Australia Test

Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock believes the International Cricket Council should have allowed a pink ball for the ongoing daytime Test match between South Africa and Australia to prevent lost time from bad light.

Match Status

The match at Kingsmeade has reached the fifth day, but only 221 out of 270 scheduled overs were bowled across the first three days due to fading light. South Africa resumed their fifth day on 102 for 4 with Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder at the crease, needing 319 runs to win. Australia remain in control after recovering from a batting collapse on the first day.

Pollock's View

Speaking to Fox Sports, Pollock clarified that he was not suggesting a day-night game, but rather the use of a pink ball during a standard day match to keep play going past normal bad light limits. He also raised a question about whether teams would choose the red or pink ball in high-stakes situations, such as a World Test Championship final, to avoid losing overs.

Context

Test cricket traditionally relies on red balls for daytime matches, which must be taken off the field when natural light drops below safe levels for batters. Pink balls were introduced to international cricket specifically to improve visibility under floodlights and extend playing hours, though they behave differently from red balls over the course of an innings.