Ashes: The Story Behind Steven Smith’s ‘Eye Black’, What Is It; Know All Details

AUS Vs ENG: Ashes 2nd Test: Australia’s Stand-in skipper Steve Smith was seen having eye blacks beneath the eyes during the net sessions ahead of the second Ashes Test. Australia and England are facing each other in a Day-night Test at Gabba and Smith was seen with the eye blacks while batting in the first innings as well. 

What Are Eye Blacks?

It is a thin, flexible adhesive patch that is applied to the upper cheek, underneath the eyes. Eye blacks are helpful in decreasing the amount of stray light that reaches a player’s eyes from below and from the sides and applying them is a more prominent practice in sports like American football and Baseball which are generally played under floodlights. They are helpful because the dark, matte surfaces have the tendency to absorb light rather than diffusing it.

How It Helps While Facing Pink Ball?

The pink ball has a special reflective coating that helps keep its colour bright under lights. But this shiny surface can also catch and scatter light, which may briefly make it harder for the batter to see the ball clearly. The twilight period is the most challenging one for the batters as the natural light fades away and floodlights haven’t taken full effect. During this period, the pink ball can blend into the mixed sky background making it difficult for the batters. 

Why Steve Smith Is Using Eye Blacks?

Steve Smith hasn’t really had a great run in Pink-ball Tests. The right-hander has admitted the challenges he has faced during the Day-Night Test matches. 

“The pink ball, in general, is just a completely different game. Personally, I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day and things like that, and the way it behaves is completely different to a red one,” Smith said.

“There must be sort of science or theory around it. I haven’t read into it. I think it’s something to do with glare, especially on the wicket. The glare up from the wicket. Maybe it helped pick the ball up better. I look at it either way, if there is a science behind it or whether it is a placebo. If it doesn’t, but it feels like it works, both ways, it works,” Smith’s teammate Marnus Labuschagne said.

What Do The Studies Suggest?

The benefits of using eye blacks was summarised by Brian DeBroff, a professor of ophthalmology & visual science at Yale School of Medicine in his review paper titled “The ophthalmic science behind Eye Black grease and its use in professional and youth athletics” back in 2016. 

He argued that eye-black grease changes how the skin under the eyes reflects light, reducing stray light that can blur the image reaching the retina. Many outdoor sports require players to see high-contrast details in bright conditions, so even a small improvement in contrast sensitivity can be helpful.

Who is The Other Cricketer Who Has Used Eye Blacks?

Former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chaderpaul used the eye blacks during his playing days. “I always used it whenever it was very glary. I stick them on, and it does help take 60-70 per cent of the glare off my eyes, and that was good for me,” he told Gulf News in 2018.

Also Read: Joe Root Scores First Ton On Australian Soil, Saves Matthew Hayden From Embarrassment After He Vowed To Walk Nude Around MCG For THIS Reason