This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The pink ball was introduced for day-night matches over a decade ago, and in June this year the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved a trial of pink balls in Tests expected to be affected by bad light—subject to prior agreement from both teams. Now, a study by academics from Australia, the U.K. and the Netherlands has found that players with color vision deficiency (CVD) struggle to see the pink ball around dusk or against the crowd and grass.
Previous research shows about 9% of male Australian grade-level cricketers have CVD, including the common conditions deuteranomaly—the most common form of red-green color vision deficiency, affecting how greens, reds, yellows and related shades are distinguished—and protanomaly—a form of red-green color blindness. Luke Wilkins, a specialist in visual, perceptual and cognitive skills in sports from the Centre for Sport and Human Performance Research at La Trobe University in Australia, said the study sought to understand how CVD interacts with ball color and match conditions. "Cricket balls are hard and travel very fast, so anything that makes them harder to see warrants attention," he said.
"We also need to consider whether the choice of ball places some players at a greater disadvantage than others. "Our study did not measure injuries or on-field performance, but it identifies situations where visibility could be problematic and where further investigation is needed." The researchers measured the spectral reflectance of new and old red and pink balls in the laboratory, as well as the backgrounds and illuminance of a day-night match at Lord's Cricket Ground in London during the day, dusk and night. They calculated the luminance contrast of the ball relative to the background for each combination of ball, time of day and background surface for a typical observer and for observers with CVD.
The study is published in the journal Sports Medicine. "Our computer modeling suggests that different types of CVD create different challenges for seeing a cricket ball. These challenges depend on the ball's color and condition, the background and the time of day," Wilkins said.
"For example, players with deuteranomaly (green color deficiency) may struggle to see a pink ball against the pitch, potentially making batting more difficult. Players with protanomaly (red color deficiency) may have more difficulty seeing it against the crowd or grass, which could affect fielding." They also found there are a few scenarios in which CVD could be beneficial, depending on the combination of ball color, ball age, background surface and time of day. "There is no single ball that provides the best visibility for everyone in every situation.
However, on balance, our findings suggest that the red ball provides more consistent and equitable visibility across players and conditions," Wilkins said. The findings reflect the experience of former Australian Test opener Chris Rogers, who has red-green color deficiency. In one of the first matches played with a pink ball more than a decade ago, during a friendly match between English county teams in Abu Dhabi, Rogers was unable to see the pink ball with green stitching against the black sight screen and the purple seats at the ground.
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