Steve Smith, the fill in captain for Australia, is doing it a bit differently. He’s anxious to get into the groove of his own competition, the second Ashes Test against England at Brisbane. He has been known to wear black strips of tape under his eyes during practice sessions as he prepares. This approach is often referred to as “eye black.” This strategy is commonly practiced in American sports such as football, baseball, and lacrosse. It allows athletes to minimize incoming glare and enhance contrast while playing on the field.
Please note that Smith was snapped having these patches applied as he batted through a nets session at the Gabba. He has really been looking forward to getting his first taste of playing under the match day lights. To get ready, he’s employing all the tricks—legal and otherwise—in his playbook. Eye black has a long and storied legacy in sports. Iconic personalities like Babe Ruth and Tom Brady have made it aspirational and remarkably effective. Ruth famously wore eye black during the 1930s. At the same time, Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner, often used black paint under his eyes to increase his reflection on the field.
Eye black Originally, the purpose of applying eye black was to reduce glare from the sun and stadium lights. Career Former West Indies cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul was famous for using this technique to ward off glare in his long career. Marnus Labuschagne, another teammate of Smith’s, said he’d be interested to know the science behind eye black.
“There must be sort of science or theory around it,”
- Marnus Labuschagne
Labuschagne expressed his strong advocacy for the patches, and how they would be beneficial.
“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.”
- Marnus Labuschagne
Of course, despite eye black’s popularity among American athletes at all levels, science isn’t quite on eye black’s side. In a 2008 episode of MythBusters, the team bustified those myths on eye black. They found no statistically relevant difference when testing it against light-colored cosmetics. Additionally, a study by the University of New Hampshire yielded no meaningful findings because the sample size was too small.
As the Ashes series heads into the third test, Smith’s eye black will certainly become a compelling subplot to the upcoming contest. Labuschagne joked that he would be hoping to see Smith in fine form while wearing this rather unusual piece of headgear.
“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.”
- Marnus Labuschagne
As the Ashes series continues, Smith’s use of eye black may add an intriguing layer to the upcoming match. Labuschagne humorously noted his hope to see Smith perform exceptionally well while donning this unique accessory.
“I would love nothing more than to see him stroll out to the wicket with the Shivnarines and go out there and smack them around everywhere.”
- Marnus Labuschagne
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