The tradition of playing Test cricket matches in white kit could be abandoned in favour of coloured clothing.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is pushing ahead with plans to allow players to wear non-white 'pyjama' kits in the inaugural floodlit Test against Bangladesh at Lord's next year.
The move, which have infuriated traditionalists, has come about because traditional red balls cannot be seen against a night sky, while trials with other coloured balls such as pink or orange have proved unsuccessful. If a white ball is to be used, the cricketers' clothing must be some other colour.
Critics of the plan point out that the test will take place at Lord's, the home of cricket, where "whites" for Test matches are seen as sacrosanct.
Dickie Bird, the retired umpire, said last night: "I am one of the old school and I am all for the game being played in white. It is best to play at Test match in white and during the day."
Peter Baxter, the ex-producer of Test Match Special, warned that many of the game's most passionate supporters would be upset.
He said: "I don't like the idea of the Test matches not being played in white. If you don't play in white than it's the thin end of the wedge. For many people, the attraction of cricket is the aesthetic and the sense of tradition."
Mr Baxter, who produced Test Match Special for 34 years added: "I think floodlit cricket will only ever be partly successful in this country because we simply do not have enough suitable evenings."
But not all of the game's high profile supporters are upset by the move. Sir Michael Parkinson, the broadcaster, who once had trials for Yorkshire, said: "I think the England cricket team have more to worry about than coloured clothing."
The Sunday Telegraph understands that there have already been in-depth discussions on the subject at two recent ECB committee meetings.
John Stephenson, the head of cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), has been asked to move the initiative forward.
One problem that organisers will have to overcome is that white balls can become discoloured very quickly.
At the moment it is mandatory to change them after 34 overs in one-day matches, whereas in Test matches the traditional red balls are only changed after 80 overs. Mr Stephenson and his team are seeking a white ball that lasts longer.
The floodlit match, the first of two Tests against Bangladesh, will be played in late May next year. Play is likely to start at 2.30pm and finish at 9.30pm, which would allow spectators to attend after work.
Organisers hope the day-night matches will go some way to boost attendances, which they expect will be hit by the economic downturn and by the lowly status of Bangladesh in world cricket.
Attempts to find a ball which could be seen against the night sky, but still allow players to wear whites,
Problems emerged from the MCC's much-publicised experiment last year with pink balls. And orange balls were trialled most unsatisfactorily in first-class day/night cricket in Australia in the mid `90s.
The search for an alternative-coloured ball which can be seen against both a night sky and white clothing has suffered repeated setbacks. Orange balls were trialled unsatisfactorily in first-class day/night cricket in Australia in the mid 1990s.
The MCC experimented with pink balls last year, again with little success.
The use of coloured kits and white balls in a Test match would need to be sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC), but sources close to the arrangements for the forthcoming Test do not believe this will be a problem.
Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager, said last night: "As this would involve a change to the standard Test playing conditions and the clothing and equipment regulations for Test cricket, it would require our proper consent and the ECB have not approached us yet for any such approval.
"But the ICC is supporting the research by the MCC which includes whether a white ball can be developed that can last longer and be suitable for longer versions of the game.
"This matter will definitely be on the agenda of the ICC cricket committee meeting in May. Overall the ICC remains committed to the promotion of Test cricket, and if this means playing some Tests under lights, we should certainly consider it.
"We need to play Test cricket at times when it is convenient for people to watch."
Alan Fordham, the ECB's head of cricket operations, said: "It was a subject that came up following the Test Match strategy day in January."
© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2009
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