Shaun Pollock has fired a red‑ball warning after South Africa lost 221 of 270 scheduled overs to bad light in their Test against Australia at Kingsmead.
The ICC’s recent pilot lets captains swap to a pink ball in daytime Tests, keeping play alive when the sun dips. Pollock said, ‘If you use the pink ball, you can keep playing past bad light.’
Ashwell Prince, South Africa’s senior assistant coach, insists the red ball should stay the norm, arguing teams would balk at an unfamiliar ball when stakes are high. He added, ‘For me, outside a day‑night Test, it has got to be a red ball.’
If the ICC moves forward, teams will need to weigh extra playtime against the comfort of a familiar red ball, especially in high‑pressure series.
The debate will feed into the ICC’s decision ahead of the 2026 World Test Championship qualifiers.