PCB keen on CA's day-night Test offer

The PCB is keen on accepting Cricket Australia's offer to play a day-night Test when the two teams meet in December 2016, but wants to take the players into confidence before taking a decision. PCB's cricket committee will make a detailed report on playing with the pink ball next summer in Australia and has discuss the possibility of using the ball for the final of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy.

"We have been advised by the PCB chairman to take up the offer by Cricket Australia," Shakeel Sheikh, the PCB cricket committee chairman told ESPNcricinfo. "There has been detailed research on pink ball and we have sought the copy to discuss every point about it. Some players including Misbah-ul-Haq have raised their concerns and we would want to take them on board to record their points as well."

In a bid to allow their Pakistani counterparts understand the concept, CA sent out an invitation to a top PCB top official for the day-night Test in Adelaide between Australia and New Zealand starting November 27. But that wasn't accepted as the PCB official is due to an Asian Cricket Council meeting during the same period. There is, however, a proposal to send Zakir Khan, also a member of the cricket committee, who will already be in Australia as manager of the Pakistan Under-16 team.

Over the next week, the PCB is likely to purchase in bulk an improved version of the pink ball and distribute it among the teams for practice sessions, following which feedback will be taken. "The ball we came to know has improved and ready for the top cricket as it been a while we had experimented with the orange and pink," Sheikh said. "We are also thinking to send someone to as an observer to witness the first game between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide. But at the time are obviously keen and enthusiastic about the idea and the committee will debate about playing the Quaid-e-Azam trophy final with the new pink balls."

This is not the first time the PCB mulling the option of day-night Tests. Pakistan took the initiative to become the first country to play Test cricket under floodlights against Sri Lanka in UAE two years ago, but the proposal was declined by SLC, citing their players' lack of practice with the pink ball.

As part of their trials, the PCB also tested the orange ball during the 2010-11 season final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, while the 2011-12 season final was played with the pink ball. While the response was encouraging, the main concern was the overlapping of the colour of the seam and that of the sight screen.