South Africa balks at pink-ball Test proposal

Cricket Australia announce packed endof-the-year calendar

Cricket Australia unveiled plans yesterday for daynight Tests against South Africa and Pakistan, but admitted player concerns about the experimental format meant the Proteas’ fixture was not locked in.

The day-night Tests using a pink ball are a central part of Australia’s home international schedule for 2016-17, which also features limited over matches against three nations.

Administrators regard the inaugural day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide last season as an outstanding success, attracting 123,000 spectators and an average television audience of two million.

However, players from both sides complained about the pink ball’s movement and durability, as well as the difficulty batsmen faced seeing it under lights. CA chief executive James Sutherland said Pakistan had agreed to play a day-night Test in Brisbane, but that South Africa’s players had refused to commit to a similar fixture in Adelaide.

“Understandably, there is some concern from the South African players,” Sutherland said.

No experience

“Day-night Test cricket is all about the fans and a daynight match in Adelaide will be a bigger Test match crowd than the South African players will have ever experienced.”

South African players association chief Tony Irish said this week that the Proteas, unlike their Australian rivals, had no experience with the pink ball and did not want to be disadvantaged in the Test series.

“The reluctance to play is a sign of how much importance the South African players place on the series against Australia,” he told The Australian newspaper.