I Would Like To Keep The Red-Ball Cricket Alive- Steve Smith

Australian superstar Steve Smith has responded to leg-spinner-turned-commentator Shane Warne’s recent suggestions of replacing the red ball with the pink cherry after the latter ruled the roost in the recently-concluded day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval.

There have been a lot of concerns regarding the seam of the red Kookaburra ball in recent years. It has been observed that with its seam not as pronounced as the pink-cherry, the ball tends to go soft after 20-25 overs, offering little to no resistance to seamers as well as spinners.

’Ive been saying this for the last few years. I believe the pink ball should be used in all Test matches. Day games, not just day-night games, I think the pink ball you can actually see the ball easier, crowd can see the ball easier. It generally does more than the red ball, and it looks fantastic on TV. So why not use a pink ball the whole time,” Shane Warne had said on Fox Cricket.

“Maybe change it at 60 overs because it goes soft, but I’d be using the pink ball for every Test match so more of it I would say,” he added.

”No, I don’t think that would be the case”- Steve Smith

However, Steve Smith disagrees with the legendary leg-spinner, who retired from international cricket as the leading wicket-taker in Test match cricket back in 2007.

According to Smith, the tradition of red-ball cricket should be kept alive and one pink-ball match per series is enough. He, however, heaped high praise on the spectacle that the day-night Test put up at the Adelaide Oval last week with the ball dominating bat for almost the entirety of the match.

”No, I don’t think that would be the case. Personally, I would like to keep red-ball cricket alive. I think one match per series or something like that is a good amount.” Steve Smith told SEN Radio.

”We have seen in Adelaide for instance, it worked exceptionally well, it’s a great spectacle. We have played good day-night games there. I personally like to keep red-ball cricket alive.” he added.

Smith himself had a rare off-game during the first Test as he managed a pain-staking 1-ball 29 before getting outfoxed by Ravichandran Ashwin.

Also Read- ‘I Believe The Pink Ball Should Be Used In All Test Matches’- Shane Warne Suggests A Radical Change In Test Cricket