PCB interested in Cricket Australia's day-night Test offer

Shakeel Sheikh says he is advice by the board's chairman to take up the offer by Cricket Australia

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is interested in Cricket Australia’s (CA) offer to play a day-night Test when the two teams take on each other in December 2016, but they want to take all the players into confidence before saying yes.

The PCB’s cricket committee is planning to prepare a detailed report on playing with the pink ball in Australia next summer.

"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 Misbahul Haq have raised their concerns and we would want to take them on board to record their points as well."

CA has also sent out an invitation to their Pakistan counterparts to attend the day-night Test in Adelaide between Australia and New Zealand starting November 27. Their presence will help them better understand the concept of day-night Tests.



But invitation 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.

PCB is also going to purchase a bulk of the improvised version of the pinky, over the next few weeks, and distribute it among the team for practice. Feedback will then be taken over the performance of the ball.

"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 we will be playing the Quaid-e-Azam trophy final with the new pink balls."



This is not the first time the PCB is 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, 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.

The article originally appeared on ESPNcricinfo