Is the pink ball still under review? Cricket umpires’ perceptions of the pink ball for day/night matches

The visibility of the pink ball used in day/night Test cricket has been under scrutiny, with recent research suggesting cricketers find the pink ball less visible at dusk under floodlights. With increasing interest in this match format, this study sought to investigate elite umpires’ opinions pertaining to the visibility of the pink cricket ball during day/night matches. Purposeful sampling of a cross-section of elite umpires with experience adjudicating matches played using a pink cricket ball. Twenty-seven international/first-class umpires completed a questionnaire consisting of Likert scale and free text responses covering perceptions of the pink cricket ball, with a particular emphasis on visibility. The pink ball when viewed at night under floodlights was rated as being significantly more visible than the red ball during natural lighting (ps