Nelson's Column: The future's pink

A new and more garish era has dawned in cricket, and it's got nothing to do with the Indian Premier League.

No, this time we're talking balls - pink ones. The MCC, once a bastion of be-suited stuffiness, has brought a dash of colour to the glorious game by introducing the pink cricket ball. It was trialled this week at Lord's when the MCC took on Scotland in a 50-over friendly, replacing the white variety that has become the norm in limited-overs cricket.

While traditionalists may quake at the very thought of pink being the chosen colour, there are good reasons for the change. The white ball has been a bone of contention among players and umpires for some time, mainly because it's not very durable and becomes grubby pretty quickly, especially on hard pitches and outfields.

Dr Anthony Bull, a bioengineer from Imperial College, is working with manufacturers Kookaburra to come up with a ball which is both durable and visible.

The problem is that while the traditional red ball is dyed in a protective paraffin wax, other colours such as white or pink have to be painted on, making them liable to become scuffed and frayed more quickly.

Dr Bull's dream is that he will be able to come up with a pink variety that can withstand the crash-bang-wallop cricket that's becoming increasingly popular.

If he and his colleagues are successful, the pink ball could well become the missile of choice in all forms of cricket. Yes, even in Tests.

What do you think? Is this a step too far, or should cricket move with the times and new technology? Send us your comments via the boxes below.

Comments

[Lancy Jack]

what next - pink pyjamas? the game's going to the dogs. too much money and too many marketing types. village cricket for me now.

[frank in kent]

Sounds like a good idea to me. I get fed up with all the agonising over white balls during play when they get battered and the umpires have to select another one. Pink will look good on the telly too so it will happen.