There are no excuses for the pink ball according to Cricket Australia’s head of Team Performance, ahead of the ball’s international debut in the Third Test. 

General Manager Pat Howard told Sports Today there had been ‘a little bit of a beat up’. 

‘Like every ball, some things might go right or wrong,’ he said. ‘With any colour and that doesn’t matter what you’re playing with.’

He was confident that regardless of the ball colour, the test series will be a strong contest.

‘We are absolutely focused on business as usual,’ he said. ‘[We have] two tests matches with a red ball in Brisbane and Perth and that’s where our focus is.’

‘We’ll get to the Third Test when we get there.’

The first pink ball Test is in Adelaide against New Zealand on November 29.

Howard said the day-night concept could boost crowd attendances.

LISTEN to the full interview with Pat Howard