MELBOURNE — South Africa’s reluctance to play day-night Test cricket is based on Australian feedback from its first match with the pink ball against New Zealand, Proteas captain AB De Villiers has said.
South Africa’s players have balked at an invitation to play Australia in a day-night match in Adelaide in the home summer, saying their inexperience with the specially developed pink ball would place them at a disadvantage.
Cricket Australia (CA) is determined for the game to go ahead, however, and said it was still working to confirm it with South Africa’s board.
Australia defeated New Zealand in the inaugural day-night Test in November at Adelaide Oval, a match which drew huge crowds and big television audiences.
Although players from both sides hailed it a success, they also had reservations about the pink ball’s visibility and movement from twilight into the evening.
De Villiers said his team had sought feedback from Australia before the World Twenty20 and both sides walked away from their meeting reluctant to play the Adelaide game.
“At the moment, we are not too keen on playing in the proposed day-night Test match due to a few concerns that have come from a number of sources involved in the maiden Test played last year,” De Villiers told South Africa’s Independent Media.
“We had a meeting with (captain) Steve Smith and some of the Australian players when they toured here earlier this year, and the consensus from our talks were that there are just too many unknowns.
“Players from both teams were reluctant to go ahead with it.
“South Africa and Australia have a great cricketing rivalry, and this is a series that we value.
“We could well be playing for an opportunity to regain the number one test ranking, so playing a day-night match is a fundamental change to the itinerary.”
CA released its summer schedule Wednesday with the third Test at Adelaide from Nov. 24-28 only penciled in as a potential day-night Test.
“There is some concern from the South African players, but ... the success of Adelaide last year demonstrates the huge potential the day-night format has in revitalizing Test cricket all over the world, and it’s for that reason that it is our desire to stage another Test under lights at that venue,” CA Chief Executive James Sutherland, who has long championed test cricket under lights, said in a statement.
Regardless of any players’ misgivings, CA confirmed Australia would host Pakistan in a day-night Test at the Gabba from Dec. 15.
Brisbane has traditionally held the first Test of the summer but has struggled to draw crowds in recent years and Perth will instead host the opener against South Africa from Nov. 3.
Australia will also host New Zealand for three ODIs between the South Africa and Pakistan Test series, along with five ODIs against Pakistan in January and three Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka in February.
Fixture
Nov. 3-7: Australia vs. South Africa 1st Test in Perth; Nov. 12-16: Australia vs. South Africa 2nd Test in Hobart; Nov. 24-28: Australia vs. South Africa 3rd Test in Adelaide (proposed day-night). Dec. 4: Australia vs. New Zealand 1st ODI in Sydney; Dec. 6: Australia vs. New Zealand 2nd ODI in Canberra; Dec. 9: Australia vs. New Zealand 3rd ODI in Melbourne; Dec. 15-19: Australia vs. Pakistan 1st Test in Brisbane (day-night); Dec. 26-30: Australia vs. Pakistan 2nd Test in Melbourne; Jan. 3-7: Australia vs. Pakistan 3rd Test in Sydney; Jan. 13: Australia vs. Pakistan 1st ODI in Brisbane; Jan. 15: Australia vs. Pakistan 2nd ODI in Melbourne; Jan. 19: Australia vs. Pakistan 3rd ODI in Perth; Jan 22: Australia vs. Pakistan 4th ODI in Sydney; Jan. 26: Australia vs. Pakistan 5th ODI in Adelaide; Feb. 17: Australia vs. Sri Lanka 1st T20 venue TBC; Feb. 19: Australia vs. Sri Lanka 2st T20 venue TBC; Feb. 22: Australia vs. Sri Lanka 3rd T20 venue TBC — Agencies
