FADING LIGHT: Black Caps players are yet to be convinced about the merits of the proposed day-night test in Australia in November, using pink cricket balls.

The lights appear to be dimming on cricket's inaugural day-night test between New Zealand and Australia in November.

Fairfax Media understands that widespread opposition among New Zealand players, and even some of the Australian players, could torpedo the concept.

One of New Zealand's three scheduled trans-Tasman tests in November, most likely in Adelaide, is pencilled in as a floodlit match starting about 2pm daily (local time), using a pink ball instead of the traditional red.

But that still hasn't been agreed to by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) which recently received a briefing document and proposal from Cricket Australia (CA) on the day-night test.

NZC chief executive David White was guarded on the topic today and refused to say which way his organisation was leaning.

"We discussed it at the NZC board meeting last week and we're going out now to consultation with coaches and players and we will be going to back to Cricket Australia with our position on it in the next couple of weeks," White said.

He insisted he'd received no feedback from New Zealand players yet. He planned to discuss the day-night test with New Zealand coach Mike Hesson in Napier this week, and the players would also provide their thoughts.

Both CA and NZC appear unlikely to proceed if their players are dead against the idea.

White said there was no pressure being applied by CA. It is an awkward situation for NZC in that it wants to ensure regular contests with Australia which were sadly lacking since their last test series in 2011.

But White didn't believe it would harm the relationship if he declined CA's day-night proposal, assuming the feedback was negative.

"It will be from the whole of NZC. We've had an initial discussion as a board and we're getting all the feedback, and if that is the view of NZC collectively, then I don't think there will be any issues."

It is not overstating the situation to say there are widespread reservations among the Black Caps players, sources confirmed. Day-night tests have a gimmicky feel to them and the players remain staunch fans of test cricket's traditions.

The pink ball remains a concern.

Under the proposal, the Black Caps would play two warmup matches using the pink Kookaburra before the first test. It would be their first experience of it in a match, which leaves a small window to adjust to its different characteristics.

CA played Sheffield Shield first-class matches with pink balls these past two summers, and Channel Nine staged a television screen test during a January one-day international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Victorian club batsmen faced bowlers delivering a new ball, and one with 40 overs and 80 overs wear.

That suggested the day-night tests were a done deal, with broadcasters clearly in favour of delivering their product in prime time with a 9pm finish (11pm NZT), and CA chief executive James Sutherland insisting crowds would increase.

In a survey of those who played in the Sheffield Shield pink ball matches last summer, 11 per cent of respondents thought the matches were a success and 24 per cent believed that day-night tests should be played in future.

At the time, Australian Cricketers' Association boss Paul Marsh said: "The general feedback was that it [pink ball] went soft very quickly, the ball didn't swing, it didn't seam, it didn't reverse swing."

Australian captain Michael Clarke is said to be lukewarm on the idea, too.

In his most recent public comments on day-night tests, in May, he said: "I've never experienced test cricket at night so I don't know what it's like, but I don't believe we need to have day-night test cricket for test cricket to survive."