Ahead of three-match ODI series against England, Ireland have raised an issue about the visibility of white ball as their players were not able to collect the ball against the backdrop of empty cream-coloured seats during practice sessions.
“The thing that’s a little bit of a concern is the background. The seating is either cream or white, and you’ve got a white ball and an empty stadium, so that background for fielders might be a challenge,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Ireland’s head coach Graham Ford as saying.
All three matches are scheduled at Ageas Bowl, where both teams are staying since last week. Empty stands haven’t been a big issue during England and West Indies ongoing series, though Ireland players are finding it difficult to see the white ball against the light seats.
But Ireland Skipper Andrew Balbirnie is assured that more practice sessions will prepare his side for the challenge.
“It does take a bit of getting used to, but we’ve got a week of prep and we can make sure that we hone that, and make sure that guys are comfortable and almost getting their eyes in while fielding. It can be tricky: a white ball on cream and white seats will be tricky, but we’ve got enough time to make sure we can’t use that as an excuse,” he said.
The first ODI between England and Ireland will be played at Ageas Bowl at Southampton on July 30th, followed by next two matches on August 1st and 4th respectively.
Currently, the third test match between England and West Indies is taking place at Manchester with England scoring 258/4 on the first day. It will be interesting to see who will clinch the series as both teams have won 1 match apiece so far in the series.
