England pace setter Ollie Robinson says Test cricket doesn’t need “gimmicky” day-night matches.
England’s first test in a two-game series against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui on Thursday (0100 GMT) is a day-night, played under floodlights with a pink ball.
“There’s nothing wrong with Test cricket to begin with,” Robinson said.
“I’m not a big fan of pink ball. I don’t think we need to play these pink ball games.”
Day and night matches are common in overrun cricket and were introduced in the longest form of the game in an effort to raise the profile of Test cricket, both by increasing attendance and television ratings .
There have been 20 men’s day-night tests since the first in 2015, contested in seven different countries by 10 different teams.
They proved popular in Australia, where 11 daytime nights were held, all won by the home side, including two in the 2021-22 Ashes series. There have also been three female day-night tests in Australia.
The England men have played six night matchdays and won just one – their first and only on home soil – against West Indies in 2017. In the only day-night test they have contested in New Zealand, in 2018 they were knocked out for 58 in a one-set loss.
And Robinson, 29, believes England’s enterprising style of cricket, which has seen them win nine of their last 10 matches, is enough to lure fans into the Test format.
“It’s a bit fanciful. They’re trying to bring in the crowds and change the game a bit, but the way England are playing Test cricket at the moment, I don’t think that needs to happen,” he said. said Robinson.
“We could stick to the way we go and entertain people the way we are, so I don’t know if that’s necessary.”
England traveled to Mount Maunganui on Sunday, just before ex-cyclone Gabrielle is due to hit the Bay of Plenty, where is the seaside town.
With heavy rains and high winds hitting the region in the coming days, preparations for the test could be seriously affected. Even though the Bay Oval have grass nets that are tucked away, England are unlikely to train on Monday.
“We are well aware that it might be difficult to get out there,” said Robinson, who took 60 wickets in 14 Tests.
“If we don’t train until Thursday, I think we’ve had good preparation and are ready to go.”
As England bid to win back the Ashes this summer, Robinson could line up alongside Steve Smith in the County Championship after the Aussie striker agreed to join Sussex for three matches in May.
Robinson faced Smith less than a year ago and says he sees the former Australia captain’s arrival as a learning opportunity rather than a risk.
“People know how I play and what I do, so hopefully I can just use that to my advantage,” Robinson said. “He’s changed his technique a lot, so any kind of clues or points I can get from him could be valuable to us.
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to play with him. I hope I can learn a bit more about him.
“I’ve found him difficult to bowl at times, so it would be nice to take a closer look at him and see if I can learn more about his stick and ways to get him out.”