Dhaka, Mar 05 (V7N) — The historic The Ashes will no longer feature pink-ball day-night Test matches after a joint decision by the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia, according to a report by Nine Network.

The decision came following discussions between the two cricket boards regarding the format of future Ashes contests. Under the scheduling rules of the ICC World Test Championship, both participating nations must agree to stage a day-night Test match.

However, the ECB has reportedly opposed continuing the pink-ball format in the Ashes, despite broadcasters supporting the concept due to its strong television appeal.

The current Ashes season has already recorded a significant rise in viewership in Australia. Nevertheless, officials have confirmed that the 150th anniversary Test scheduled to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from March 11 to 15 next year will mark the final pink-ball day-night Test in Ashes history.

Day-night Test cricket was first introduced in 2015 as an effort to attract larger audiences and make the traditional format more television-friendly. Since then, 25 day-night Test matches have been played in international cricket.

With the latest decision, future Ashes series are expected to return exclusively to the traditional red-ball daytime Test format, marking a shift back to long-standing cricketing tradition.

END/SMA/AJ