QEA final to be a day-night affair

The final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan's premier domestic first-class tournament, will be played under lights with the use of coloured balls, an unprecedented event in Pakistan first-class cricket.

Dave Richardson, ICC's general manager, cricket, expressed his support for the experiment. "This concept has been trialed in other countries and it is part of our wider policy of investigating the possibility of introducing day-night Test matches," Richardson said. "Just like we need to find ways to promote and protect Test cricket, this initiative shows the intentions of the PCB to promote the longer form of the game in Pakistan and try to make cricket even more popular than it already is. We are very pleased with how this trial is to be implemented and we will be very interested in the results."

Pakistan International Airlines and Habib Bank Limited, will clash at the National Stadium in Karachi from January 13 for the five-day final after jointly topping the Division One table, tied on 57 points.

First-class cricket has been played under lights in India before while the start of the English domestic season, in Abu Dhabi, featured pink balls. "This innovation is in line with the initiatives that the PCB has been taking to improve the standard of the domestic game in Pakistan," Ijaz Butt, the board's chairman, said in a release.

"The success of this event will bode well for our domestic structure as it could have positive implications for holding matches during the summers in Pakistan," Javed Miandad, former Pakistan captain and current director general of the PCB, said.

The total prize money for the final is Rs.1.75 million, with the winner taking home Rs.1 million.