Pakistan to use pink ball in first-class final

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, a cricket official said 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 has offered us to play a day-night Test later this year,” Pakistan Cricket Board’s committee head Shakil Sheikh said. 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 Younis 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 finalize 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. New Zealand keen to host South Africa New Zealand is keen to build on the momentum of the inaugural day-night Test with its own ‘pink ball’ match, possibly against the touring South Africans, next season. Some 120,000 fans flocked through the gates of the Adelaide Oval over three days of play to watch Brendon McCullum’s side lose to Australia in the first day-night Test in November. On the back of such undeniable public support for the concept, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive David White said the idea of hosting a pink ball test had already been discussed. “I think it’s a distinct possibility,” White told Newstalk ZB Saturday. “Obviously, South Africa would have to be keen as well but I think that it’s very much a possibility.” NZC was already considering a full round of day-night first class matches next month to test the concept, which would give it an indication of whether the conditions would be suitable during South Africa’s tour in Feb. 2017. “The big difference between New Zealand and Australia is that it will be a big challenge to do it before Christmas because of our weather,” White said. “But I think post-Christmas when it’s a lot warmer at night, I think will be more attractive.” NZC also initially suggested they would trial the concept in a test against Bangladesh but after witnessing the interest in the Adelaide game, decided to make it more of an extravaganza, White said. “As a first off game it was just outstanding,” he added. “Huge crowd and a great spectacle (so) I think if we’re going to do it, the first one should be a very big game. “Provided we get the conditions right and make it a huge, big extravaganza.” Hamilton’s Seddon Park, which hosted a warm-up fixture under lights with the pink ball for the New Zealand side before it went to Australia looms as a likely venue for the match. Seddon Park groundsman Karl Johnson traveled to Adelaide to discuss preparations and to monitor how the wicket and ball performed in the twilight conditions. — AFP