Mark Waugh, Steve’s brother, explained that umpires should be allowed to replace the red ball with the pink one if batters are having trouble spotting the delivery owing to bad light.
Kyle Verreynne (l), and Sarel Erwee talk with an official as play is suspended due to poor light during the first day of the test match. AP
Former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh expressed his dissatisfaction over ICC’s “soft” bad light rules in Test cricket after a midway drinks break was taken on the first day of Australia’s third Test against South Africa due to bad weather.
However, the rain did eventually come after 40 minutes at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), enforcing the officials to announce ‘Tea’ prior to the designated time. When the action was halted due to bad light, the hosts were batting at 138/1 with Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne at the crease. They had reached their half-centuries earlier in the day.
The match was supposed to resume at 3:45 pm and players from both sides were padded up for taking the field. They were waiting at the sidelines when umpires signalled to clear the ground again as the lighting condition deteriorated once more.
All these while the floodlights were turned on and the players were having no visibility issues.
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Following the occurrence, Waugh penned a long note on his personal Instagram along with a photograph of the illuminated SCG. He asked for a modification in the long-lasting rules as most stadiums have enough infrastructure to let the play carry on. The former Test expert explained how this kind of situation affects the teams playing as well as the spectators coming to watch the game.
Waugh wrote, “Test cricket needs to realise there is a lot of competition out there, and not using the lights when the players are off for bad light simply doesn’t add up. Lots of unhappy spectators who can’t understand the rationale and reason for no play.”
While speaking on Fox Sports, Mark Waugh, another Aussie legend and Steve’s brother, mentioned the use of the “pink ball” that has already been recognised by cricket’s governing body. As stated by him, umpires should be allowed to replace the red ball with the pink one if batters are having trouble spotting the delivery owing to bad light.
The match finally restarted at 4:45 pm local time, but only for 15 minutes. Labuschagne was seen scratching his head as Proteas seamer Anrich Nortje sent him off for 79 during that brief period. Moments after Labuschagne’s dismissal umpires instructed the cricketers to clear the field as the sky was overcast once again. Australia ended the day at 147/2.
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