Cricket news: Steve Smith's surprise call as opinion divided over shock axing for next Ashes series

Aussie cricket star Steve Smith has surprisingly thrown his support behind the axing of day-night Tests in the Ashes, with a pink-ball game reportedly unlikely to be included in the next series in Australia in 2029. Media reports from the UK have revealed Cricket Australia and the England Cricket Board are tentatively leaning towards axing a pink-ball Test from the next series Down Under in a bid to even the playing field.

Day-night Tests with the pink ball have become hugely popular in Australia, as they mean fans can attend or watch at home after school or work into the late evening. A normal Test match starts around 10.30am and finishes near 6pm, but a day-nighter doesn't start until 2.30pm and goes until around 10.

The series that just finished had a pink-ball Test in Brisbane, and drew huge crowds to the Gabba. It was held before school holidays and the Christmas break, meaning kids and adults could attend after school or work and watch more on TV.

But England have been slow to get on-board with day-night Tests, and batting star Joe Root previously said he doesn't think they belong in the traditional Ashes format. There's next-to-no chance of a day-night Test being played in the 2027 Ashes in England, and it looks like the feature will be axed for the next series in Australia as well.

Australia have won 14 out of the 15 pink-ball Tests they've played, including four out of four against England. They won the recent series 4-1, and England haven't won a series in Australia since 2010/11.

In a bid to try and make the next Aussie series more competitive, the day-night Test will reportedly be canned. The UK Times reported this week: "There are many within both the governing bodies (of Australia and England) who believe they do not produce a high-quality contest and are not needed to try to attract spectators to the ground because Ashes Tests usually sell out regardless."

Steve Smith weighs in as cricket fans divided

The report states there's been "no firm agreement", but it's "likely" the next series in Australia will consist of five day-time Tests. The news has completely divided cricket fans, with many in Australia slamming the change but a lot in England supporting it.

On Thursday, Aussie star Smith was asked for his two cents as was an unlikely ally for those who want them gone. "I'm not a big fan of the pink ball, I can't see the thing very well," he said. "I don't think you need it in Ashes series. I think we saw the crowds that we got throughout the series out here in all the red-ball games.

"On the right wicket I think it works. Adelaide's a good place for it, the wicket's a bit of a featherbed so it keeps the ball together pretty well. It's an interesting one. It's such a different game.

"If you get on the right side of things in terms of when you're batting and when you're bowling, the game can turn really quickly, so I'm not a big fan of that. But I think it's got a place somewhere."

Cricket Australia's broadcast deal will prove a sticking point, with day-night Tests drawing huge TV numbers for Channel 7 and Fox Sports. CA has agreed to play at least one day-night Test every summer for the life-span of the current broadcast deal, which runs into 2031.

One person wrote online: "I won't be disappointed to see the back of this gimmick in Ashes fixtures." But another said: "So much for embracing the 'test' of different conditions and situations. Just want it how it best suits them."

Speaking before the Gabba Test in December, former England captain Root said: "It's obviously very successful and popular here [but] a series like this, does it need it? I don’t think so … I don’t think it's as good as traditional Test cricket."

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