A few days after South Africa’s captain AB de Villiers expressed his concerns over the day-night test format, his compatriots Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada have joined their captain AB de Villiers in expressing reservations about playing a day-night Test because of concerns over the pink ball. Cricket South Africa rejected Cricket Australia’s offer of a day-night Test later this year.
Philander and Rabada admitted they want more opportunities for practice matches and domestic day-night games before going into a pink ball Test.

“If you are going there, you need to have experimented on the domestic front. We haven’t done that so it would be a totally blind eye going into it. I would like to have experimented before you actually go and do it,” Philander said at a sponsor announcement on Wednesday.

“You have to try and test the pink ball properly,” Philander said. “We are all professional players and I think sometimes people think we are quick to adapt to everything. As far as the pink ball is concerned, you are going to need a few games to get used to it.”

Philander and Rabada said that the unfamiliarity with the nature of pink ball is the key reason for their hesitation to play the day-night test.

“There are a lot of rumours of the ball being okay during the day and then at night being a bit difficult for batters,” Philander said.

Echoing Philander’s sentiments,Rabada said: “From what I hear, it’s not a fair contest between bat and ball and that should be Test cricket.”

About a month ago Dale Steyn expressed his excitement to play the latest format of test cricket and Rabada also took a view similar to Dale Steyn and said that he would like to play a day-night Test at some point in his career

“I haven’t given it much thought but I wouldn’t mind playing in it. I’ve heard good things and I’ve heard bad things,” Rabada said.

“Perhaps they need to look into it more and perhaps make it a bit fairer. The positive is that it brings crowds in. They need to find a way to balance the two so that it’s good for cricket and good for publicising the sport. You need to find a way to come to a fair conclusion where both parties are happy.”