GARY Ballance is unsure whether he will be able to play in Yorkshire's pink ball County Championship match later this summer due to being colour blind.

The White Rose captain has admitted his issue means he cannot differentiate between the colour of the ball and the colour of the batting pitch.

As a result he may have to hand over the leadership duties for the day-night clash with Surrey at Headingley between June 26-29.

Left-handed Ballance will test things out with the pink ball in the nets in Dubai before Yorkshire head home from their pre-season tour later this week.

The county's new skipper admitted: "It's not ideal. The last time I played with it, I struggled to see it. That was about four, five or six years ago in second-team cricket.

"I'm going to have a few net sessions with it and if I can't see it, I can't see it. There's nothing I can do. If you can't see the ball, you can't play cricket. I have already spoken to an optician in Headingley to see if they can get anything to help.

"It's obviously the way the game's going as they try to attract more people, and it's been used around the world now, so it's what people want. I'd just rather they stick with red."

Ballance says his colour blindness is not limited just to the pink ball.

The England batsman said: "It doesn't affect me in everyday life but if a red ball comes out of the trees, I don't see it until very late.

"Batting with the red ball is fine but because the pink one is not as dark, when it comes out of the sight screen I lose it. Also, to me, when it comes out of the pitch, they're both the same colour.

"But I haven't tried the new pink ball yet. I've seen it and it's got a black seam. That might help, I don't know.

"I'm going to have a few net sessions this week while I'm out here and I'll keep trying over the summer. I'll also keep liaising with the opticians to see if there's anything they can do.

"I know there's a few people who have the same problem. Chris Rogers missed a Sheffield Shield game in Australia a few years ago."

The ECB have introduced a day/night pink ball round of Championship fixtures this summer in the lead up to England's first home Test match in such conditions against the West Indies at Edgbaston in August.

If Ballance does have to miss the match, Yorkshire will at least be able to call upon England duo Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root.