CHANGE OF MIND

South Africa agree to play day-night Test in Australia: Report

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

The latest development means Australia will get to host two day-night Tests towards the end of 2016 © Cricbuzz

A reticent South Africa have agreed to play with a pink ball in a breakthrough for the proposed Adelaide day-night Test slated for November 2016.

According to a report in The Herald Sun on Friday (June 3), South African players have "changed their stance on pink-ball cricket" to ensure there will be two day-night Tests in the upcoming Australian summer. South Africa had been reluctant to play in the day-night fixture because of ongoing concerns over visibility of the pink ball in twilight hours.

An official announcement from Cricket Australia (CA) is expected imminently. CA said discussions with Cricket South Africa were ongoing. "We remain optimistic that the Adelaide Test match will be played as a day-night match," a Cricket Australia spokesman was quoted as saying. "After the success of last summer's Adelaide Test, the anticipation in that market is huge."

James Sutherland, CA chief executive, had been confident a breakthrough would eventually ensue. "I had some separate conversations with colleagues from Cricket South Africa and the South African Players' Association and I maintain my position that I continue to be optimistic about the Adelaide Test match being played as a day/night Test match," he said in April.

After last November's overwhelming success where record crowds and enormous television ratings ensured the Australia -New Zealand day-night Test in Adelaide was a major hit, CA has been keen to schedule two pink ball matches for 2016-17 Australian summer.

The breakthrough means Adelaide Oval will stage a day-night Test in November (against South Africa) before another pink-ball match is played at the Gabba to open the three-Test series between Australia and Pakistan in December.

© Cricbuzz

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