Cricket Australia unveiled plans on Wednesday for day-night Tests against South Africa and Pakistan, but admitted player concerns about the experimental format which 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 South Africa’s players had refused to commit to a similar fixture in Adelaide.
Read more: PCB disappointed with West Indies’ refusal to play in Pakistan
“Understandably, there is some concern from the South African players,” said Sutherland, 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.
Read more: South African players reluctant to play day-night Test against Australia
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:
Australia – South Africa Test series:
1st Test: Nov 3-7 at Perth
2nd Test: Nov 12-16 at Hobart
3rd Test: Nov 24-28 at Adelaide
Australia – New Zealand ODI series:
1st ODI: Dec 4 at Sydney
2nd ODI: Dec 6 at Canberra
3rd ODI: Dec 9 at Melbourne
Australia – Pakistan Test series:
1st Test: Dec 15-19 at Brisbane (day-night)
2nd Test: Dec 26-30 at Melbourne
3rd Test: Jan 3-7 at Sydney
Australia – Pakistan ODI series:
1st ODI: Jan 13 at Brisbane
2nd ODI: Jan 15 at Melbourne
3rd ODI: Jan 19 at Perth
4th ODI: Jan 22 at Sydney
5th ODI: Jan 26 at Adelaide
Australia – Sri Lanka T20I series:
1st T20I: Feb 17
2nd T20I: Feb 19
3rd T20I: Feb 22
