yes, i am a traditionalist curmudgeon…

and that’s why i’m speaking out against the current move towards PINK cricket balls.

as reported in the news, the Marylebone Cricket Club is considering moving to a pink ball for Twenty20 and other one-day matches. the reason behind replacing the white ball (a relative newcomer to cricket, having only come in in 1978) is that the pink ball will supposedly retain its colour longer.

well, so does the traditional RED ball, still used in Test and other First-class matches.

so, why not return to the red ball? that’s what i’d like to know.

it’s not that i have a problem with the colour pink, it’s just i think there’s no reason not to go back to red.

it may be true that red balls are slightly more difficult to see than the lighter white (and probably pink) balls under artificial lights. but to me, that’s just another issue in team or player strategy and training.

and if it’s to be changing so the viewers can see it better – well, you people probably like the coloured circle that surrounds the hockey puck on TV too, don’t you?

quote of the day:

“It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavours look interesting and lively; that was merely an unintended side effect. I don’t wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game.” – Bill Bryson