During a training session at the Gabba before to the second Ashes Test, Australia’s star batsman Steve Smith was seen sporting weird black pieces of tape under his eyes. This hooked people on cricket immediately.
The day/ night Test in Brisbane will be played with a pink ball and lights on. Smith has been trying out what is usually called eye black. The strategy, which former West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul adopted, is supposed to cut down on glare and make contrast better when batting.
Smith was seen wearing the patches during a nets practice. He was getting ready for lengthy periods of time under the lights, when the pitch’s reflection may make it hard to see the ball.
What does “eye black” really do?
American sports including football, baseball, and lacrosse are where the practice comes from. Athletes put black paint or tape beneath their eyes to cut down on glare. For decades, legends like Babe Ruth and Tom Brady have utilised it.
Marnus Labuschagne, a teammate from Australia, claimed there must be “some sort of science” behind it. He also stated that light from the wicket may make it tougher to see the ball at night.
Labuschagne stated, “It might help you pick up the ball better.” “Even if it’s a placebo, it works if it feels like it works.”
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Does it actually work? Studies are not all the same.
Many tests have attempted to find out whether eye black really works throughout the years:
MythBusters (2008): There isn’t much of a difference between light-colored and dark-coloured makeup. When worn with a hat, glare was reduced a little, but not completely.
A research at Yale University found that contrast sensitivity increased and glare decreased, although the findings may have been affected by learning bias.
A research at the University of New Hampshire found that eye black may have some impact at short distances, but the sample size was too tiny to show any real change.
So why is Smith using it?
Smith seems to be doing everything he can think of to get a little visual edge at the Gabba, such using a pink ball, bright lighting, and a reflecting surface.
No matter if it’s science or psychology, everyone will be watching to see if he walks out of the Test with the same black patches that Chanderpaul did.
