Although most sports use one official colour of ball (NFL, NBA & MLB), there are several sports that have a range of colours to choose from. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) allows white and yellow balls. The Professional Golf Association (PGA) sanctions the use of white, yellow, pink and orange balls.
For centuries, a deep red ball has been traditionally associated with the the game of cricket. White balls were introduced into the game in the 1970s when matches started to be played under floodlights. The bright lights make the standard red balls appear to be brown, making them difficult to see in the dirt of a cricket pitch. White balls are much more visible, especially at night. Unfortunately, they have one major drawback – they become dirty quickly, making them less effective.
Enter the pink cricket ball. It is easier to see than the red version, equally as durable and doesn’t show wear and tear like that of a white ball. After experiments with other options (orange and yellow) the pink ball made its debut in 2009 in a professional women’s match. Sometime later, in 2015, Test cricket finally authorized the use of the pink ball. Today, you will find all three colours used in matches throughout the world. Not everyone is a fan of the pink ball however, some say it gets lost during sunset, while others say it’s just “not cricket.”