Smith Trials ‘Eye Blacks’ Ahead of Pink-Ball Test at the Gabba

Australia’s Steven Smith appears poised to adopt a new look for the second Ashes Test, trialling black anti-glare “eye blacks” during a floodlit training session at the Gabba on Sunday evening. The innovation comes as Smith seeks an edge ahead of Thursday’s day-night pink-ball Test in Brisbane.

The adhesive strips—commonly used in American sports to reduce glare under bright lights—were worn by Smith while batting in the nets as he prepared for conditions that have historically challenged him. Despite playing 13 of Australia’s 14 pink-ball Tests, Smith has not matched his usual prolific output in the format, scoring just one century in 24 day-night innings, averaging 37.04. In contrast, he boasts 35 centuries and an average of 58.31 in traditional daytime Tests.

“The pink ball in general is just a completely different game,” Smith said earlier this year following Australia’s day-night win over West Indies in Jamaica. “I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day… it behaves completely differently to a red one.”

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the former West Indies great, is the most notable cricketer to have used eye blacks previously. He told Gulf News in 2018 that the strips helped reduce glare by up to “60–70 percent”.

Vision under lights remains one of the format’s biggest talking points. Former England captain Alastair Cook has highlighted the difficulty of tracking the pink ball’s black seam when floodlights reflect off the leather. “If you can’t see the seam as a batsman, you’re in big trouble,” Cook wrote in The Sunday Times, calling seam visibility “nigh-on impossible” at times.

Smith’s trial comes as England batter Joe Root questioned whether the Ashes should feature a pink-ball Test at all—a suggestion that teammate Travis Head swiftly dismissed.

Australia head into the second Test leading the five-match series 1–0, following their two-day demolition of England in Perth.