The International Cricket Council is considering introducing a ‘greeny yellow’ ball to Test cricket, which it hopes will allow matches to continue in bad light.

England saw their hopes of a miraculous victory in the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi scuppered on Saturday when they were forced off the field by the umpires 25 runs short of their target. England’s captain, Alastair Cook, admitted it had been frustrating not to complete the victory despite the presence of floodlights in the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Next month a pink ball will be used in the first-ever day-night Test match between Australia and New Zealand and, according to a report in The Times, that could soon be extended to other Test matches.

‘Long term, we will probably end up with a pink or “greeny yellow” ball so that we can play under floodlights, if the different coloured ball is good enough,’ said the ICC’s chief executive, Dave Richardson.

‘We could also look to improve the quality of the floodlights.’

The ICC is also due to discuss the possibility of cricket becoming an Olympic sport at a meeting with IOC officials next month. – Guardian Sport

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