South Africa Test players begin pink-ball experience

A cohort of South Africa's Test players will begin their preparations for the floodlit Test against Australia later in the year by facing the pink ball in the A-team series in Brisbane.

The opening four-day game against Australia A at Allan Border Field will be a first experience of facing the pink ball in first-class for the South Africans, albeit this match will be in daytime conditions.

The South Africa A squad includes nine Test players, including captain Stephen Cook who made his Test debut against England in January, with some of them having a good chance of being in the squad for the full of Australia tour which starts in October and includes South Africa's first day-night Test in Adelaide from November 24.

The other Test players on this tour are Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas and Hardus Viljoen. Elgar and Bavuma are established in the Test line-up while Piedt is currently the frontline spinner.

There had been initial reluctance from the South Africans to play a Test under lights with a lack of preparation and experience in such conditions being a major factor. However, after much behind-the-scenes work an agreement was reached to mean that Australia will host two day-night Tests in their season with Pakistan also playing under lights at the Gabba in December.

"The guys are really on a high and looking forward to the first game," Cook said. "It will be the first time the guys play with the pink ball in a first-class match, so the guys have prepared for that and are very excited about that.

The second match of the series will be played in Townsville from August 6-9, before a one-day series that also involves India A, Australia A and a National Performance Squad begins on August 13.