Ashes 2025–26: Steve Smith Experiments With Eye-Black Strips for Gabba Test

Steve Smith is testing eye-black strips during training to help him see the pink ball better ahead of the day-night Ashes Test in Brisbane.

Steve Smith trialled eye-black strips during Australia’s evening training session at the Gabba. The batter is searching for ways to improve visibility ahead of the day-night Ashes Test starting December 4. The adhesive patches are commonly used in American sports to reduce glare under lights. They were tested while Smith batted against the pink ball in the nets.

The experiment mirrors the approach once used by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, one of the few cricketers known to wear eye black.

Smith spoke about the difficulty of sighting the pink ball at certain stages of play and the unpredictability of its movement under lights.

“The pink ball in general is just a completely different game. Personally, I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day and things like that. The way it behaves is completely different to a red one,” Smith was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“I think people like the spectacle. But as a player, particularly as a batter, it’s very challenging. The game can change so quickly, and things change really quickly, which you probably don’t get so much with a red ball. But yeah, people like watching it, I suppose, so I guess it’s here to stay,” he added.

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Notably, Steve Smith has played 13 pink-ball Tests but has not matched his red-ball success. He has scored only one century in 24 day-night innings and averaging 37.04. His daytime record remains far superior with 35 hundreds and an average above 58.