White balls were introduced at the Cricket World Cup in 1992.
The change was part of a broad visual and tactical modernization of one-day international cricket. The 1992 tournament, held in Australia and New Zealand, was the first World Cup to use white cricket balls, colored playing clothes and black sight screens. These features made the ball easier to follow during televised matches and under floodlights.
Before 1992, World Cup matches generally used red balls, traditional white clothing and white sight screens. A white ball stood out more clearly against colored uniforms and dark backgrounds, especially in day-night fixtures. The tournament therefore helped establish the visual style now associated with limited-overs cricket.
The innovation did not mean red balls disappeared from cricket. Red balls remained standard in Test matches and most first-class cricket, where players wear white clothing and matches traditionally use red-ball techniques. White balls also behave differently: they can swing significantly when new, but they tend to lose visibility and become less durable as an innings progresses. Orange and pink balls belong to other experimental or specialized contexts, not the defining 1992 World Cup change.