Philander, Rabada voice doubts over pink-ball Test

JOHANNESBURG: Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada have joined captain AB de Villiers in expressing reservations about playing a day-night Test because of concerns over the pink ball.

Cricket South Africa rejected Cricket Australia’s offer of a day-night Test later this year because the South African players did not want to have a match of high stakes played in unfamiliar conditions.

“If you are going there, you need to have experimented on the domestic front. We haven’t done that so it would be a total blind eye going into it. I would like to have experimented before you actually go and do it,” Philander said at a sponsor announcement on Wednesday.

When asked how many games he thought teams would need to get used to the pink ball, Philander was unsure but he did not think one practice game, which was what Australia offered South Africa on their visit later this year, would be enough.

“You have to try and test the pink ball properly,” Philander said. “We are all professional players and I think sometimes people think we are quick to adapt to everything. As far as the pink ball is concerned, you are going to need a few games to get used to it.”