Bad Light in Cricket: Has a New Rule Changed Anything?

Bad light is one of the most enduring challenges in cricket, often interrupting play during crucial moments. This issue resurfaced in the first Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban, resulting in the cancellation of over 60 overs during the first three days.

Compounding the frustration is the introduction of a new solution to cricket’s regulations just days prior, which remains untested globally.

Bad Light in Mid-Afternoon - What Happened in Durban?

In Durban, matches begin at 09:30 local time, making this the first October Test at Kingsmead—the sun sets shortly after 18:00 along South Africa's eastern coastline during this period.

On the opening day, play was suspended at 15:23 local time due to developing cloud cover, with only 65.2 of the 90 scheduled overs completed. Unfortunately, the players did not return to the field afterward.

Day two saw slight improvement, with play lasting until 16:25, but this still concluded 35 minutes earlier than the scheduled finish. On the third day, the day's play ended at 16:31.

In each instance, the initial sessions were played in warm, sunny weather, only for clouds to thicken in the afternoons—a predictable weather pattern for Durban.

Chris Fawkes, a weather presenter for the BBC, explained, "As temperatures rise inland due to sunlight warming the ground, a sea breeze forms, bringing in winds from the ocean towards Durban."

"This increases humidity levels and leads to cloudy conditions. As temperatures cool in the evening, the air's relative humidity rises, causing the clouds to become denser and lower."

What About the Change in Playing Conditions?

Inspired by a trial earlier in the year, the International Cricket Council revised its playing conditions to permit the use of the pink ball in Test matches. This change was intended to mitigate issues related to poor light.

However, it does not allow for an arbitrary switch from the red ball to the pink ball when light deteriorates—an option previously advocated by former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Instead, if there are anticipated light challenges, teams can agree before a Test match to utilize the pink ball throughout. Unfortunately, no such discussions took place between the Proteas and Australia before the Durban Test.

'There is a Stigma Around the Pink Ball'

The pink ball has become synonymous with day-night Tests as it offers better visibility compared to the traditional dark red ball in low light conditions.

Shaun Pollock, a former South African bowler and member of the ICC committee that recommended the recent change, expressed that there is a "stigma" associated with the pink ball in cricket.

He noted, "If Australia were 124-6 using the pink ball, it would be labeled as the pink ball's fault. Conversely, if they scored from 124-6 to 390, the blame would still fall on the pink ball for becoming soft."

Pollock emphasized that using the pink ball could result in an additional 45 overs of Test cricket, which is why he advocates for its broader introduction, not just in day-night formats.

Why Might Teams Not Want to Use the Pink Ball?

There is a prevailing belief that the pink ball exhibits more movement under floodlights, although ball tracking data does not support this notion.

Several batters have cited the pink ball as being more challenging to see, with batting averages noticeably lower during the evening sessions of day-night matches.

Australia has participated in 15 of Test cricket's day-night games, significantly more than any other team, which is evident in the fact that the top four wicket-takers in these matches are all Australians. Notably, left-armer Mitchell Starc has captured 89 wickets across 15 Tests, establishing himself as the foremost bowler in pink-ball cricket.

This context creates a compelling case for teams to prefer facing Australia with the traditional red ball.

Vernon Philander, a former South African bowler, expressed his preference for allowing balls to be switched during a match if conditions dictate. However, this idea raises concerns about the integrity of the Test match.

He stated, "The potential unfairness of one team having to face the pink ball must be considered in the context of ensuring that more play occurs."

Philander further added, "The ICC should remove this decision from players' hands and empower umpires to make the call on when to deploy the pink ball based on light conditions."