Quaid Trophy final to witness pink-ball action

Decision taken in light of possible day-night Test against Australia

KARACHI: Pakistan will experiment with the pink ball in the final of its premier first-class cricket tournament in preparation for a possible day-night Test against Australia later this year, said a cricket official on Saturday.

“We had experimented with the orange ball in the final of the trophy in 2011 and then with a pink ball in 2012 so the latest final will help us further assess the pink ball as Australia have offered us to play a day-night Test later this year,” Pakistan Cricket Board’s committee head Shakil Sheikh told AFP.

Pakistan has already imported pink balls from Australia for the final.

The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final between Pakistan Test captain Misbahul Haq-led Sui Northern Gas Pipelines and Younus Khan-skippered United Bank will be played at the National Stadium from Sunday.

“We are ready to experiment at the highest level and this final will help the players and the board to consider the day-night Test offer, after which we will finalise our plans,” added Sheikh.

Australia and New Zealand played the first-ever day-night Test in Adelaide in November last year, an experiment initiated to lift waning interest in the five-day format of the game.

The International Cricket Council termed the day-night Test a “success”, while Cricket Australia announced a record-breaking crowd for non-Ashes Test matches at the ground.

The Pakistani Test players expected to participate in the match are: Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Wahab Riaz and Ehsan Adil.

Meanwhile, Misbah said that although there were reservations regarding the pink ball, there was no harm in trying something new to attract crowds in the evening.

“While the actual form of Test cricket should be preserved, having one-off day-night Tests is not a bad idea,” said Misbah. “There is no harm in experimenting with the day-night Tests as far as the results are productive.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2016.

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