Australian great Mike Hussey can understand why England does not want the challenge of facing the pink ball in future Ashes series.
But amid criticism regarding the 150th Anniversary Test next March at the MCG being held as a day-night match, Hussey is adamant the pink ball has a place in cricket.
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The Fox Cricket expert analyst is a self-confessed traditionalist when it comes to cricket but said the tactical intricacies required to succeed in day-night matches intrigued him.
He believes the nuance required to excel against the pink ball is part of what makes the sport special, saying day-night matches added to the tactical intrigue for Test cricketers.
“I think, from my point of view, if you had asked me probably five, six, seven years ago, I would have been not that … keen on pink ball cricket,” he told Fox Cricket podcast The Follow On.
“I’m very much a traditionalist. I love the red ball game. But I must admit, I feel as though I’ve changed my tune a little bit. I feel as though the pink ball game has added a lot to Test cricket in that the tactics that come into play are fascinating.
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“And I think Australia, I think they’d be pretty happy to keep playing pink ball Test matches, because their record in those games is unbelievable. So I can understand why England is saying, ‘No, we don’t want to play one in Australia, because if you look at Australia’s record in Australia with pink ball games, they’re almost unbeatable.’ But I just love that, the way that players have to adapt to the different phases of the day and night.”
The debate around pink ball Tests flared after the BBC reported that the England and Wales Cricket Board had told Cricket Australia in post-Ashes discussions they would not agree to a day-night match being part of the 2029/30 schedule.
Ex-Australian coach and middle-order batter Darren Lehman, former star bowler Jason Gillespie and veteran ABC broadcaster Jim Maxwell have also criticised the decision to host the special one-off Test next March at the MCG as a day night Test.
Champion English batter Joe Root told the BBC on the eve of the Brisbane Test where he scored his first century in Australia that he did not believe pink ball Tests should be played in Ashes series.
“A series like this, does it need it? I don’t think so, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be here either,” he said.
Australia’s superstar No.4 Steve Smith offered a similar opinion when quizzed earlier this week prior to a BBL outing, saying he was not particularly fussed by pink-ball Tests.
Smith used special reflective strips under his eyes for the match at the Gabba Australia won in convincing fashion to further its grip in an Ashes series it eventually claimed 4-1.
“I’m not a big fan of the pink ball. I can’t see the thing very well,” he said.
“But I don’t think I’ll be around for that. Those who like the pink ball, it is a bit of a shame, I suppose. But I don’t think you need it in an Ashes series.
“I think we saw the good crowds that we got throughout the series out here in all the red ball games. I think we broke records for pretty much every game, so I don’t think we need it.”
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Hussey, who assisted the Australian team in its preparation for the Ashes series when they were training in Perth, said the hosts displayed their experience under lights in Brisbane.
He cited the example of the partnership between Australia’s tailenders Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland that lasted more than 35 overs, while adding only 75 runs, as a demonstration of why the pink ball adds an extra layer of strategy.
“This is where I think Australia were absolutely spot on from a strategic point of view, in that Test match in Brisbane, the day night Test … with Mitchell Starc and Scotty Boland,” he said. “Batting that long period of time, they didn’t care about really how many runs they scored. It was all about the time, to make sure that they could bowl that new pink ball under lights, and that puts the batters under a lot more pressure. The ball does a lot more at those at those times.
“Similarly, batsmen need to change the way they play. You know that you can be a little bit more … aggressive during the day session, and then at twilight it gets a little bit tricky. But then if you’re facing a new ball, it can be hard under lights. Or if you’ve got an old ball under lights, it’s maybe not too bad.
“So I love the way that teams, sometimes they might declare a little bit earlier … so they can get access to that new ball under light. I love there’s a little bit of strategy involved. I love watching players having to adapt between the different phases of the day and the night.”
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