Cricket: Balls take on bright new hue

Pink cricket balls will be trialled by the Indian Premier League next year as part of MCC's plan to promote day-night test matches.

A meeting of the IPL franchises in Bangkok last week agreed to use the balls in warm-up matches and practice sessions, a move which, depending on the success of the trial, could be extended to competitive games. The IPL also decided to abandon the use of the 12th man, leaving teams able to select four fielding substitutes instead.

The use of pink balls will be closely monitored by MCC who have already suggested using them in next year's Champions County match which could be played in Abu Dhabi.

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, agreed to take delivery of 200 balls which could also be used in next year's Champions League Twenty20.

"The concept of using pink balls in the IPL received a very positive reception from the franchise owners," said MCC assistant secretary John Stephenson. "The successful use of pink balls in the IPL would be a major step towards their acceptance in international cricket, as it would expose most of the world's top test players to the ball. It would also add further weight to the IPL's standing as a progressive force in the game."

Meanwhile next year's Sydney Ashes test could be held at the Olympic venue in Homebush, breaking more than a century of tradition. A staging agreement between Cricket New South Wales and the SCG Trust expires at the end of 2010. David Gilbert, the chief executive of Cricket NSW, has hinted the Ashes test could be moved to the 80,000 capacity ANZ Stadium. A similar threat was issued in 2004, when the current staging agreement was being negotiated, but the SCG retained Test cricket hosting rights.