Cricket Australia has confirmed it will use Dukes balls, which are used in England, instead of the locally produced Kookaburra brand for the second half of the domestic Sheffield Shield in a bid to better prepare for the away Ashes series next year. The balls behave differently through the air and off the pitch, with Australia's inability to play the moving ball seen as one of the reasons why they have failed to win an Ashes series in England since 2001.
Australia will trial a modified pink ball featuring a black seam in the domestic Sheffield Shield competition next week after complaints from players about visibility issues during the inaugural day-night Test last November.
South African off-spinner, Johan Botha, who also plays for Adelaide Strikers, has passed the biomechanical analysis of his bowling action and is free to continue playing in CA Competitions, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Wednesday.
Off the back of the spectacular success of the inaugural day-night Test last month, Cricket Australia has today announced an additional day-night round of Sheffield Shield cricket this summer.
Why New Zealand pulled out of tour match in Sydney on Day 2
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