Cricket balls have been sent into space, others shot out of a cannon and 16 shades of pink have been tested to determine the ideal ball for inaugural day-night Test to be played at Adelaide next month.

The pink ball has been the subject of much scrutiny and criticism ahead of the Adelaide Test but manufacturer Kookaburra says a ball has never been tested more thoroughly.

Developed 10 years ago, Kookaburra has the past seven years testing the ball that has been identified as the best fit for day-night cricket.

It replaces the traditional red ball used for day Tests. Players, umpires and television cameramen have all provided feedback during the development of the ball.

Why Pink?

"So we looked at a number of different colours initially, colours like yellow and florescent orange were considered as being possible solutions to this challenge," Kookaburra managing director Brett Elliott said.

"Some of the problems that were presented came primarily from the television networks, where the camera guys said it was too difficult to pick up the orange ball, or alternatively they got a streaming effect or a media effect from a camera perspective."

Once pink was touted as a solution, extensive testing on the best shade of pink and the colour of the stitching was carried out.

"We have gone through 16 different shades of pink and the construction of that has all changed as well, different cuts of leathers, base colours, different shades and pentanes of pink as well," Elliott said.

He added that a number of stitching colours were tried.

First it was a black then we went to a green and then to a white, then we reverted back to the green stitching," he said.

"This is really about the how the players pick up the stitches and pick up the seam, so it was feedback from the players initially that made us settle on the colour green."

Pink ball construction

This ball features one of the sixteen shades of pink trialled in search of the perfect day-night cricket ball. ( Bryan Charlton, file photo: AAP Image )

The pink ball is closer to the red ball than its one-day equivalent white ball. Elliott said the difference in construction between the red and pink balls is very subtle.

"The construction of the ball from a centre are all identical to the centre we put into the red ball and the white ball," Elliott said.

"So in factors in terms of bounce, in terms of hardness, all of those characteristics and performances, there is no difference in the performance of the ball."

The subtle changes relate to how the leather is dyed and the protective film that is added to preserve the pink colour.

The pink evolves from dying the red leather whereas white leather remains neutral and is not dyed.

"With the pink ball we're dying the leather pink, so at this point, now the pink and the red are still identical but the white has become slightly different, so the leather isn't dyed in the white ball," Elliott explains.

"The next stage is where the pink slightly separates from being identical to the red.

"The red ball we just finish with a nitro-cellulous lacquer finish, therefore the leather is dyed red and we put a clear finish on it and that's a finished product.

"On the pink ball, in order to help preserve its colour through the twilight and the natural wear of the ball we add more colour so we put more pink on it.

"The main difference between the pink and the red ball is that we add refined film of extra paint and colour to the surface of the ball, then we put the clear cellular lacquer finishes over the red and the pink ball, so that's the only difference that there is a very fine film to help preserve the colour of the ball throughout the course of the game."

The testing process

An early version of a used pink ball trialled in English county cricket, compared to the normal white one-day ball. ( Getty Images: Julian Herbert )

"I don't think any Test ball has gone through the level of testing and development that the pink ball has got and the number of trials and feedback," Elliott said.

As it is essentially a red ball, the difference for the players is only subtle.

While the ball has been extensively tested in the cricket arena some out of the box testing has also been undertaken.

"In England they fire some pink balls into a wall out of a cannon, and recently we put a white ball in a weather balloon and sent it to space," Elliott said.

"So there have been some fun things done with the colour balls and to see how they respond to different atmospheres and conditions but ultimately the testing that has taken place has been very formal, very structured, and involved a lot of professionals of their fields."

The MCC in England engaged academics to test the ability of eyes to distinguish different colours and contrasts.

"We've trialled the balls for seven years now and the levels of feedback from players and from umpires has been taken on board and processed and changes have been made on the back of that feedback," Elliott said.

The ball was introduced in the United Kingdom and closely monitored for five years. Testing was also carried out in other Test playing countries and the UAE.

"The actual run rates, the actual of wickets, the percentages; those haven't changed much, so that's helped us to get an idea that there is a lot of perception rather than statistical differences in terms of the performance.

"I think we've got it as far as we can at this stage, the next stage is matches being played at international level."

The feedback

Cricket Australia head of cricket operations Sean Cary said last season Shield cricket in day-night conditions showed there was an even contest between bat and ball.

"We've worked very closely with the Australian Cricketers' Association and Kookaburra during its development to get it ready and fit for purpose," Cary said.

He defused criticism that arose from the ball's deterioration during the Prime Minister's XI match against New Zealand at Canberra's Manuka Oval last month.

Test batsman Adam Voges remarked that the ball was hard to see because it was "more green than pink by the end".

"We're not reading too much into the condition of the ball during the Prime Minister's XI match in Canberra," Cary said.

"We know the Manuka wicket is very abrasive and has a similar impact on a white ball in limited overs cricket."

South Australia's cricketers are probably more qualified than most to comment on the pink ball, as they prepare this week for their third Sheffield Shield match using it in three seasons.

Captain Travis Head says he is excited to use the ball.

"I think the two games that we've played previously has been great for people to come in and watch and it's been fine to play, the pink ball held up well," he said.

"It probably doesn't swing as much as the red ball, so the white ball swings for a bit then it doesn't and it looks to reverse pretty quick, so I think that's similar to the pink ball."

Former Test Captain Steve Waugh believes players will get used to the pink ball.

"We had the same concerns with the white ball and even now there's not a perfect situation," he said.

"There's times in the game in one day cricket where the ball is very hard to see, and even after the twilight session and starting the night session in one day cricket it's always difficult, but players get on with it, they adapt and once they start playing they'll forget about it."

Elliott hopes that is the case.

"It's exciting, it's new, there are some risks, there's some concerns from everyone but I'm sure that in time we will look back and we will say that this was a milestone."