Australia invites Pakistan to play day-night Test

Karachi: Cricket Australia (CA) has invited Pakistan to play a day and night Test match when they tour Down Under in the winter of 2016-17 for a full series. Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told PTI yesterday that CA chief executive James Sutherland had sent a letter to his PCB counterpart Subhan Ahmed proposing Pakistan and Australia play one of the three Tests under lights.'

CA has already decided to host a day and night Test against New Zealand later this month in Adelaide. "The PCB will discuss the Australian invitation at the next meeting of the Board of Governors but already they are receptive to the idea of playing a Test under lights with a pink or orange ball," one source said.

He said the PCB was also planning to hold the five-day final of the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy starting from January 3 at the National Stadium here a day and night event. Pakistan was among the first countries to experiment with day and night first class matches with pink and orange balls and has twice hosted its Quaid Trophy finals under lights here.

The source said the PCB was receptive to the idea of having day and night Tests as it had become abundently clear to them that crowd turnout for Tests in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah was very poor. "Since Pakistan has been forced to play its home series in the UAE since 2010 it is now clear that the concept of a day and night Test in the UAE can improve the spectator turnout for the Tests," the source said.

Pakistan had invited Sri Lanka to play a day and night Test in Sharjah or Dubai two years back but the Lankans had declined. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also concerned with the dwindling crowd attendance at Test matches in most of the Test playing nations has been encouraging its member boards to experiment with day and night Tests.