BCCI in talks with Dukes for pink balls' supply

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is in talks with British manufacturer ‘Dukes’ for supply of pink balls which can be tested before zeroing in on a particular brand for the proposed day-night Test matches later this year.

"We are still deliberating on a lot of issues. The conditions, the ball used and its longevity. Also whether it is fair to have only one Test with pink ball and other two with red ball. Whether it will be fair on the two teams," BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke informed.

Among the cricket balls used, India uses 'SG Test' at home, 'Dukes' is used in England and the West Indies, while the rest of the Test-playing nations use ‘Kookaburra’.

It is learned that Sourav Ganguly, the chairman of BCCI's technical committee, had suggested that at the experimental phase, even 'Dukes' should be tried as it has a better and thicker seam, helpful for Indian bowlers.

"Sourav has made an observation about pink kookaburra balls. Sourav feels that the kookaburra seam could be a problem in Indian conditions. He suggested that we should also check out with Duke Company if they can manufacture pink balls with pronounced seam. We are expecting a consignment from Dukes," he said.

The Pink Dukes was used during the last edition of the Karnataka Premier League T20 tournament. But since it was T20, the BCCI’s top brass feels that it won't be possible to use its feedback as data for the longer version of the game.

It is important for the administrators to get assurance from manufacturers that a standard pink ball would have the ability to last 100 overs in sub-continental conditions.

There is every possibility that BCCI will use all the three pink balls -- Kookaburra, Dukes and SG Test during the Duleep Trophy to get feedback from the senior Indian players who will take part in the event.

Interestingly, Shirke said he has "no knowledge" about New Zealand Cricket having snubbed the Day/Night Test match with India, as discussion hasn’t even reached that stage.

"I have no knowledge about NZC snubbing us. I have never heard anything from them. There is a meeting with NZC to thrash out the details of the series."

Sources in New Zealand Cricket said no decision has been taken on playing a day-night Test during the tour of India in October.

"No decision has been taken by the NZC on playing the day-night Test in India. The Board has always been supportive of day-night cricket. It has been misreported in sections of media that NZC has ruled out playing the day-night Test in India. No decision has been taken as of now," Shirke added.

Australia and New Zealand played the first-ever day-night Test at Adelaide last year.

Image: Pink balls used for warm-up during Day 1 of the third Test between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide Oval on November 27.

Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images