Australian Test batsman Adam Voges has again voiced his doubts over the quality of the pink ball, as Cricket Australia continue to push for a second day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A floodlit Test against Pakistan at the 'Gabba is confirmed for December but CA is yet to convince South Africa to play under lights in Adelaide when they tour in November. On Friday the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers Association Alistair Nicholson released a statement stressing that the voices of the Australian players must also be heard.
While Steve Smith has said his team would be happy to play South Africa under lights if their opponents agreed, Voges believes more work needs to be done on the ball before floodlit Tests are taken forward.
The 36-year-old played alongside Smith in the inaugural day-night Test against New Zealand last year, which finished inside three days. He accepts players must take a role in developing the game but he was sceptical about the suitability of the pink ball in the lead-up to the first ever floodlit Test, and speaking in the UK where he is currently captaining Middlesex, he still has doubts.
"I think it needs to be worked on with the ball," he told the BBC before he was struck on the head and hospitalised during the current match against Southampton. "The ball doesn't behave as a red ball does just yet, so I still think there's work to be done there. But we had 120,000 come through the gates of the Adelaide Oval in a three day Test match, which was incredible really."
"The appetite is there for day-night Test cricket. As players we have a responsibility to keep help trying to grow the game. Like I said though, I'd still like to see the ball get better."
"When we did play the Test in Adelaide they kept a lot of grass on the wicket. That was purely because they felt they needed to do that so the ball didn't deteriorate too much and become less of a spectacle. Maybe it went too far because the game was over in less than three days. But as a spectacle people loved it."
"So it's finding that balance so that we get the ball right and we can have wickets that allow a four or five day Test match that people still want to come and watch."
"If it keeps people coming to Test cricket then it has to be a way forward."
Last year Cricket Australia enticed New Zealand to play under lights by offering a $1 million prize pot which was split 60-40 between the winner and loser. Further discussions are due to take place between CA and Cricket South Africa regarding the Adelaide Test but nothing is expected to be resolved until after the Indian Premier League has finished.
