Cricket Australia’s choice to stage the 2027 150th Anniversary Test against England as a day-night fixture has drawn strong criticism from two of the country’s most respected cricket voices.
The one-off match at the MCG will celebrate 150 years since the first Test between the nations in 1877.
Veteran broadcaster Jim Maxwell has described the move as “an insult to the game,” while Jason Gillespie has now echoed those views.
The former fast bowler said he supports Maxwell’s stance and believes the match should be played as a traditional day Test.
Both argue that a celebration of cricket’s origins should honour the red-ball format that defines their histories.
Jim Maxwell calls pink-ball plan ‘an insult to the game’
Jim Maxwell has led the criticism of Cricket Australia’s decision to use a pink ball for the historic occasion.
“Playing with a pink ball is an insult to the game,” he said in the Herald Sun, questioning why a one-off commemorative match would depart from 150 years of tradition.
“It’s so disrespectful to a game that has been played with a red ball for 99.9 per cent of its history, and no one else in the world really plays pink-ball cricket.”
Maxwell argued that commercial motives had taken priority over cricketing integrity.
“Yes, there are good people on the cricket board who understand business, but sometimes you have to think like a cricketer,” he said.
“You do not play a pink-ball game to celebrate 150 years. But believe it or not, that’s what they’re going to do.”
The veteran commentator’s remarks have been widely supported among traditionalists who feel that the historic anniversary should reflect the sport’s origins rather than its modern adaptations.
Jason Gillespie says decision is ‘commercial, not cricket’
Jason Gillespie has now publicly backed Jim Maxwell’s comments, saying he too believes the decision undermines the occasion.
“I’m with Jim on this one. Personally, I’m not a fan of day/night Tests,” he said. “I appreciate that they are part of Test cricket now.
“Would love to see this match as a day game personally. However, I know the reasons for it will be commercial.”
His stance adds weight to growing frustration with Cricket Australia’s focus on commercial interests over their heritage.
For both Gillespie and Maxwell, the significance of the event should lie in preserving cricket’s oldest traditions rather than altering them for spectacle.
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