Pitch cops blame for pink balls going soft

Kookaburra says a flat pitch is to blame for the soft pink balls that helped two Pakistan batsmen motor to easy centuries

Kookaburra says Perth Stadium’s flat pitch is to blame for the soft pink balls that helped two Pakistan batsmen motor to easy unbeaten centuries before two day-night Test matches this summer.

Australia A’s attack had Pakistan 3-60 in the day-night tour match before Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq blasted 0-276 off the final 60.5 overs on Monday and then retired overnight. Bowlers complained during the innings that the ball quickly lost its hardness and then vice-captain Travis Head (0-70 off 14 overs) and quick Sean Abbott (0-78 off 20 overs) voiced their concerns after stumps.

“The pink ball as it tends to do got a bit soft on a pretty hard wicket over here in Perth,” Abbott said.

“You have to drag your length back and look to be a bit boring when that ball gets a bit softer with some boring fields.”

Abbott did blame himself and Riley Meredith for not offering opening pair Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson enough support.

Australian great Mike Hussey agreed with former spinner Bradley Hogg that the softness of the pink ball was alarming.

“I’m not sure whether it’s the wicket or the ball, because the rumour was that the ball was relatively soft after the 20th over,” Hogg said on Fox Cricket. “That’s not a good sign for the Tests coming up. They’ve got to find a batch of balls that are going to last the distance and keep that hardness so you don’t lose that bounce and carry on these types of pitches.”

But Kookaburra said the lack of wickets could’ve simply been because of the brilliance of Babar and Shafiq at the crease.

“The pink balls to be used in Test and first-class matches this summer have minimal difference to last summer, where balls showed improved resilience from previous seasons,” a Kookaburra spokesman said. “From reports it seems like the track was quite flat, so naturally that’s going to mean a different rate of deterioration than on a green seamer. ‘’

Australia will host Pakistan (Adelaide Oval) and New Zealand (Perth Stadium) in day-night Tests this summer.

Herald Sun