Pakistan interested in day-night Test offer by Cricket Australia

Pakistan Cricket Board is eager to give consent to Cricket Australia’s suggestion to play a day-night Test when the two sides face in December 2016 but wants to know opinion of players before making the decision. Cricket committee of PCB will prepare a comprehensive report on playing with the pink ball in Australia next year. PCB cricket committee chairman Shakeel Sheikh said that PCB chairman has advised us to consider the offer by Cricket Australia. He added that detailed research on pink ball has been conducted and we seek a copy to discuss pros and cons of it because some players including Misbah-ul-Haq have pointed some objections and we would like to give them chance to register their view as well.

Cricket Australia invited a top PCB official to observe the day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand staring November 27. This invitation was sent with a view to help their Pakistani counterparts to understand the idea of playing with pink ball. But PCB did not accept the invitation because the official has to attend Asian Cricket Council meeting during the same time. There is however another option under consideration to send another member of the cricket committee Zakir Khan who will already be visiting Australia as manager of the Pakistan Under-16 team.

 

An improved version of the pink ball is likely to be purchased by PCB and will be distributed among the teams to test it during training sessions and feedback will be taken afterwards. PCB is not considering the option of day-night Tests for the first time because Pakistan offered Sri Lanka to play first ever Test under lights in UAE two years ago but Sri Lanka did not accept saying their players’ lack of practice with the pink ball.