Bennett

National cricket coach Junior Bennett has expressed concerns about the proposed new pink cricket ball that will be used during day/night matches in the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) four-day championship, which is set to bowl off in Jamaica on January 8.

Responding to questions ahead of today's start of the third set of training sessions, as the team prepares to defend its title, Bennett said while he is not against experiments geared at renewing interest in the game in the region, he has his doubts about coloured balls as, traditionally, they tend to strip and give bowlers problems the longer a game goes on.

Ball quality

"In limited overs, coloured balls, like the white ball, are OK, as that is generally 50 overs. But in first-class cricket, where you can't change the ball until 80 overs, it's different and could cause problems for bowlers," said Bennett, who will be looking to cop the title for the third straight year with his charges.

"Traditionally, coloured balls tend to strip, and if that should happen with the pink ball, bowlers could have a difficult time with control. Also, if there is a dew and the ball is not of good quality it could lose its size and shape.We just have to hope that it turns out well," Bennett added.

The pink ball, which is one of several new initiatives that the WICB plans to implement in the coming season, is being used to spur spectator interest and bring back crowds to matches throughout the season, according to the organisers.

The season, which has been reduced from two rounds of matches (home and away) to one, due to financial constraints, will see each team contesting one day/night match.

World Twenty20 Champs

The first day/night match will be played at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, the second at Kensington Oval in Barbados between the Windward Islands and the hosts, and the third at the Providence Stadium in Guyana between Jamaica and the Combined Colleges and Campuses.

These venues will host matches at next April's ICC World Twenty20 Championship.

"It is an experiment that I think the ICC is thinking of using at the Test level so as to bring more spectators to games. I don't know if other cricketing nations are going to try it out in their first-class season, but we have decided to take it here," said Bennett.

He added: "If the experiment works and crowds start coming back to matches, more credit to them (the WICB), as this would benefit the game. We just hope that the quality of the ball is good and it keeps its colour and shape."

Jamaica will play the Windward Islands in their opening game, January 8-11, at Chedwin Park.