Australian Cricketers' Association President Greg Dyer said that it is "not too late for Cricket Australia to abort next month's day-night Test due to concerns about the pink ball," according to Wu & Pierik of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The feedback from next weekend's opening round of Shield matches, "where the pink ball will go on trial again," is set to form the "key plank on the stance taken by the players' union on the fate of the Adelaide Test." If problems persist, the ACA will "ask for the Test to be played as a traditional day fixture." But Cricket Australia said on Sunday that there were "no plans to change the schedule." While the bulk of Australia's cricketers support the concept of day-night Tests, "there are still worries the pink ball may not be up to scratch." Dyer, the most senior official in the players' union, said that day-night Test cricket was "too important an initiative for the game to fail." With only a month before the Test, a late change would "present a logistical dilemma for CA and TV broadcasters," but Dyer said that it was "never too late if they thought it would be unsuccessful." Dyer: "We called off a tour of Bangladesh at the very last minute, didn't we? And I would have thought it's better to make that call if you think that's the case. ... I'm sure there's lots of television scheduling and all sorts of issues around that but that's only if we're 100 percent confident we'll be successful." The manufacturer of cricket's pink ball "has defended the new look, saying the pitch -- rather than the ball" -- is to blame for the troubles batsmen had in Canberra. Kookaburra Group GM Brett Elliot said that the pink ball would "deteriorate in a similar fashion to the traditional red variety" (SMH, 10/25).
