Australia's acting captain, Steve Smith, is experimenting with NFL-style eye black to combat the challenges of batting under lights with a pink ball during the upcoming Ashes Test at the Gabba. This move reflects the difficulty of picking up the pink ball under lights and Smith's influence from American sports, given his recent relocation to Manhattan. Eye black, a traditional method used by baseball legend Babe Ruth and NFL players like Andy Farkas, has been a popular choice for many NFL players, despite mixed studies on its effectiveness. Some players use it to present a 'game face' to the opposition, while others have faced sanctions for writing inappropriate messages. In cricket, the West Indian batting stalwart Shivnarine Chanderpaul also utilized eye black during his career. Australia's record in pink ball games at the Gabba is mixed, having lost to the West Indies in 2024, thrashed Sri Lanka in 2019, and narrowly defeated Pakistan in 2016. Smith acknowledges the difficulty of batting under lights with a new ball, stating that it's easier to see the pink ball at night than during the day. He is confident in his batting skills and aims to make good decisions this week to achieve a total. Smith returned from the United States just before the Ashes Test, allowing him to spend more time in his adopted home rather than playing every Sheffield Shield round for New South Wales. He expressed a desire to balance his time between cricket and his personal life, acknowledging the mental drain of playing multiple games in a short period.
