West Indies’ legendary former batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul once used black tape on his face.
Many years later, Australian stand-in captain Steve Smith used the same tape against England in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. Chanderpaul had previously worn these patches to reduce the glare of sunlight and improve contrast.
Speaking about the black tape, Smith said: “I actually sent Shivnarine Chanderpaul a message and asked what he thought—whether he had used chalk or strips.
“He said he used strips, and he believes they cut out around 65 per cent of glare. He also said, "I’ve seen the photos and you’re putting them on the wrong way."
“So after that, I put them on properly,” Smith added.
