New rule, no change - has cricket missed a trick again with bad light?

Bad light presents one of cricket's longstanding and vexing challenges.

Moments of compelling play are suddenly interrupted when the conditions become too dim.

This issue has resurfaced during the intriguing first Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban, resulting in over 60 overs being lost across the initial three days of competition.

The recent introduction of a potential solution in cricket's regulations, an option that remains untested on a global scale, only heightens the sense of frustration.

Bad light in mid-afternoon - what's gone on in Durban?

Play is scheduled to commence at 09:30 local time in Durban. This marks the first October Test at Kingsmead, where sunset occurs shortly after 18:00 during this season on South Africa's eastern coastline.

Nevertheless, on the first day, play was halted at 15:23 local time due to cloud cover. Only 65.2 of the 90 overs planned were bowled, and the players were unable to resume.

The second day saw slight improvement, with play continuing until 16:25, yet that conclusion still arrived 35 minutes ahead of the possible finishing time. On the third day, play ended at 16:31.

In each instance, the initial two sessions were conducted under hot, sunny skies, only for cloud cover to emerge in the afternoon—a familiar weather pattern in Durban.

"Very quickly in the morning, as temperatures have risen inland from the heat of the sun, a sea breeze has formed with winds flowing from the ocean into Durban," explained BBC weather presenter Chris Fawkes.

"This increase in humidity throughout the morning has brought about cloud formation. As the temperatures begin to drop toward the evening, the relative humidity rises, resulting in the air becoming increasingly saturated.

"Consequently, the clouds become denser and lower."

What about the change in playing conditions?

Following a trial earlier this year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) revised its playing conditions to permit the use of the pink ball in Tests.

This amendment was specifically aimed at addressing scenarios such as those being witnessed.

Importantly, the new rule does not allow a red ball to be swapped for a pink ball when visibility diminishes—a suggestion previously proposed by former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Instead, if adverse lighting conditions are anticipated, teams can agree prior to the Test commencing to utilize the pink ball throughout its duration.

However, no discussions took place between the Proteas and Australia regarding this matter before the Test in Durban.

'There is a stigma around the pink ball'

The pink ball has become a staple in day-night Tests due to its superior visibility compared to the traditional darker red ball during nighttime conditions.

Former South African bowler Shaun Pollock, who served on the ICC committee that recommended this change, believes there is an unjust "stigma" surrounding the pink ball.

"It is often said that it moves too much," Pollock noted.

"If Australia were 124-6 and the pink ball was in play, many would attribute it to the pink ball's influence.

"If Australia reached 390 from 124-6 while using the pink ball, people in South Africa would similarly claim it was due to the ball having softened.

"The pink ball could have allowed us to play 45 more overs of Test cricket, which is why I advocate for its broader implementation, not limited to day-night matches."

Why might teams not want to use the pink ball?

There is a prevailing perception that the pink ball moves more under floodlights, although this notion is not substantiated by ball tracking data.

Conversely, various batters have indicated that the pink ball is more challenging to see. Batting averages tend to be lowest during the evening sessions of day-night matches.

Australia has participated in 15 Test matches scheduled for day-night play—10 more than any other nation.

Unsurprisingly, the four leading wicket-takers in these day-night encounters are all Australian players, with left-arm bowler Mitchell Starc claiming 89 wickets across 15 Tests, earning him the title of the definitive pink-ball expert.

It is understandable if teams prefer to compete against Australia with the red ball instead.

Former South African fast bowler Vernon Philander has expressed his preference for the possibility of switching balls during a match if conditions dictate, though such a move could raise integrity concerns regarding the Test's fairness.

The question of whether the perceived injustice of one team facing a pink ball outweighs the necessity for increased on-field action remains.

"They must take the decision-making out of the players' hands and enforce it from the umpires’ perspective, dictating when the pink ball should be implemented due to fading light," Philander urged.

"The debate around which team holds the advantage will persist.

"I would advocate for the ICC to empower officiating personnel to make that determination."