Overview:
The Australian player hoped that the franchise would take swift action to resolve the matter.
The opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen became controversial when the game unexpectedly transformed into a ‘pink-ball’ affair. Fans were taken aback when Marnus Labuschagne, the captain of the Hyderabad Kingsmen, approached the umpires with a concern. He noted that the colour from his team’s jerseys was impacting the white ball, making it pink. This unusual turn of events sparked criticism from fans and cricket experts. In his YouTube review, former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal jokingly commented on the situation, even speculating that the jersey colours might have been from traditional dyeing methods.
“Each city has a dupatta gali where you can get your dupatta dyed. The kits seem as though they’ve just come from there. At first, I thought the ball was pink because of the camera, but it might also be because of the sponsorship boards,” Akmal said.
Labuschagne confessed that he had never experienced anything like that in his career.
“After the second over, I told the umpires, ‘What’s happening? The ball is red.’ It must be something from the clothes or something along those lines. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Labuschagne told reporters during the post-match press conference.
The Australian player hoped that the franchise would take swift action to resolve the matter.
“I’ve seen situations where something from the bat had impacted the ball, or when it hits the pad, some paint comes off. But I’ve never witnessed anything like this with clothing. I’m sure they’ll fix it in the upcoming games,” he added.
After Lahore Qalandars triumphed, the Hyderabad Kingsmen shared a lighthearted post on X (formerly Twitter), congratulating the victors on winning the inaugural “pink-ball game” of the PSL.
“Congratulations to the opposition on winning their first pink-ball game,” the official account of the franchise posted.
