Australia plan pink-ball Tests for Pakistan and reluctant South Africa

Australia have released their home international schedule for 2016-17, with a day-night Test wrinkle thrown in for a series against Pakistan and, they hope, another against South Africa.

A view of the pink cricket ball used in day-night Tests, shown in November at the inaugural such match between Australia and New Zealand. Saeed Khan / AFP

Cricket Australia unveiled plans Wednesday for day-night 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, underlining CA’s argument that innovation was needed to reinvigorate Test cricket.

“Day-night Test cricket is all about the fans and a day-night 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.

South Africa, currently rated third in the world, will be aiming to replace Australia as the top-ranked Test team in the series, with the planned day-nighter in Adelaide looming as a potential decider.

The CA schedule also breaks with tradition by stripping Brisbane’s Gabba of its customary hosting rights to the first Test of the season.

Instead the first Test against South Africa will be held in Perth from November 3-7, with Brisbane hosting the opening Test against Pakistan from December 15-19.

Sutherland said holding a day-night Test in Brisbane during the school holiday would draw big crowds, while opening the Test season against the Proteas in Perth would attract the city’s large South African community.

In addition to three-Test series against South Africa and Pakistan, the schedule also includes five one-dayers against Pakistan, three against New Zealand and three Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka.

Fixtures

Nov 3-7: Australia v South Africa 1st Test in Perth

Nov 12-16: Australia v South Africa 2nd Test in Hobart

Nov 24-28: Australia v South Africa 3rd Test in Adelaide (proposed day-night)

Dec 4: Australia v New Zealand 1st ODI in Sydney

Dec 6: Australia v New Zealand 2nd ODI in Canberra

Dec 9: Australia v New Zealand 3rd ODI in Melbourne

Dec 15-19: Australia v Pakistan 1st Test in Brisbane (day-night)

Dec 26-30: Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test in Melbourne

Jan 3-7: Australia v Pakistan 3rd Test in Sydney

Jan 13: Australia v Pakistan 1st ODI in Brisbane

Jan 15: Australia v Pakistan 2nd ODI in Melbourne

Jan 19: Australia v Pakistan 3rd ODI in Perth

Jan 22: Australia v Pakistan 4th ODI in Sydney

Jan 26: Australia v Pakistan 5th ODI in Adelaide

Feb 17: Australia v Sri Lanka 1st T20 venue TBC

Feb 19: Australia v Sri Lanka 2st T20 venue TBC

Feb 22: Australia v Sri Lanka 3rd T20 venue TBC

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