Pink ball is here to stay: Sourav Ganguly
With Eden Gardens set to host the country’s first day-night match with a pink ball in club cricket, an expert panel comprising Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S.
With Eden Gardens set to host the country’s first day-night match with a pink ball in club cricket, an expert panel comprising Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman and Dean Jones on Thursday strongly felt that the innovation is here to stay.
In its bid to host India’s first day-night Test, proposed against New Zealand in October, the iconic Eden Gardens will experiment by organising the final of the four-day Super League under lights with pink Kookaburra ball.
The June 18 to 21 match will be telecast live by BCCI’s official broadcaster Star Sports and the Sourav Ganguly-led Cricket Association of Bengal is leaving no stone unturned to make the experiment a success.
Former Australia batsman Jones, who did commentary in the first day/night Test between Australia and New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval, said the era of pink ball will make cricket an even contest.
“I would like to see the defensive skills of the batsmen. I think it will be a better game to watch. Pink ball is here to stay.”
He joked that the ‘night-watchman’ would mean in a true sense with the advent of day/night Tests. Jones said a lot of research was being done on the kookaburra ball which would be completely dyed in pink and would retain the colour even if its get old.
Ganguly, incidentally, had the experience of playing with pink ball when he represented MCC a few years back in the UAE and said he did not have any problem sighting the ball.
Ganguly, incidentally, had the experience of playing with pink ball when he represented MCC a few years back in the UAE and said he did not have any problem sighting the ball.
Citing the example of Virender Sehwag’s century with pink ball in a Champion county match, Ganguly said, “Brightness was a lot better. This is here to bring people back to the ground.”
“It’s all about marketing. Pink ball is the way forward. You have to find a way to bring people back to the ground. Everything needs a bit of innovation. Like nobody thought T20/IPL to be so popular till it came to being.”