Ollie Robinson sees no need for day-night Tests matches as England look to end their losing run in pink-ball games.
Ben Stokes’ tourists face New Zealand in their series opener from Thursday, with the pink-ball format being used at the Bay Oval but Robinson would prefer more traditional timings.
While the brighter ball has been touted for more widespread use, primarily to help beat bad light stopping play, seam bowler Robinson is underwhelmed by the pink Kookaburra.
‘I’m not a massive fan of that ball, no,’ he said. ‘We’ve been trying to get them to swing and they’re very inconsistent. They’re just not a traditional cricket ball.
‘We’ve been trying a lot in the last week or so to get the pink ball moving and it’s proved pretty challenging. It’s not as consistent as the red ball, Dukes or Kookaburra, which swing for a little while and allow you to shine them.
‘This has a layer of lacquer on it and it’s hard to shine and keep it swinging. You don’t know how they’re going to react in the game.’
Robinson’s first day/night Test, in Adelaide during last winter’s Ashes, took an unexpected turn when he was asked to bowl a bit of off-spin after a selection blunder saw Jack Leach left out. Watching the 6ft 5in pace man twirling away in his sunglasses was a symbol of England’s muddled thinking during that series.
Any chance of a repeat? ‘I hope not,’ smiled Robinson. ‘For everyone’s sake.’
Even so there are no guarantees he will open the bowling, as he did so effectively with James Anderson when returning to the side last summer.
Stuart Broad was nudged to first change then but may be better suited to targeting New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway.
‘They’ve got two lefties up top and Broady is really good against left-handers. Whatever role we each play we’ll be up for the challenge,’ said Robinson.
Captain Stokes’ squad arrived in the coastal city of Mount Maunganui yesterday, greeted by wind and rain.
Any scrapped practice sessions could mean even less time to get to grips with the pink ball.
Since winning their first day-nighter against West Indies in 2015, England have lost five in a row, including an innings defeat to the Black Caps in Auckland five years ago.
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