PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif said on Wednesday that South Asian teams must ponder upon the possibility of the organising day-night Tests for the survival of the longest format.
Recently, Australia and New Zealand agreed to play a day-night Test in Adelaide in the three-match series and Latif suggested Pakistan and India could do the same if they face each other in the UAE in December.
"It is an issue on which cricket authorities in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh should have taken the lead, especially Pakistan. But even now it is not too late and they should follow it up earnestly," Latif told Press Trust of India.
Latif, who represented Pakistan in 37 Tests, said Tests were dying a slow death and Australia and New Zealand have done well to try and save it.
"They are only a handful of countries now where still a sizeable number of people come to watch Test matches like in India or England. But otherwise it is getting tougher to attract crowds for the five-day game with the increasing popularity of T20 cricket and changes to ODI rules," he noted.
Read: Don’t lose hope yet, Latif tells Pakistan
Latif also highlighted the commercial aspects of day-night Tests for Pakistan.
"I think it would be a great idea commercially to have a day and night Test in the UAE or in other countries of the South Asian region. I think people would come in to watch Tests after work hours. You can start the Test around 3.00 pm and it would mean you would have good crowds in the final session of a day," he said.
Furthermore, he was of the view that Tests can attract more TV audience due to prime time slots, if the match was played in the day-night format.
"When Pakistan play England for certain and maybe even India later this year in the UAE they should float the idea of a day and night Test to these Boards," he suggested.
Read: Off to India: Hafeez receives visa for test
Latif said he was surprised that while it was Pakistan which had first taken the initiative in staging day and night first-class matches with a pink ball, it did not follow it up on this concept for its home Test matches.
"We experimented with day and night first-class games and it was not a bad idea at all. I think it is not difficult to play with the pink ball it is clearly visible under lights," he added.
The story originally appeared on NDTV
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