Pakistan cricket authorities said Thursday they have proposed playing day-night Tests in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates in a bid to attract bigger crowds.
The International Cricket Council (ICC)
last year approved the idea of day-night matches played under floodlights as a way to stem dwindling interest in Tests in many countries.
No country has yet tried the new format and the ICC has left it to individual boards to decide when and how to experiment.
"We have proposed the idea of playing day-night Tests with Sri Lanka in December-January in UAE and their reply is awaited," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Nadeem Sarwar told AFP.
PCB staged the five-day final of its premier first-class tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, under lights in December 2011, an event appreciated by the ICC.
The challenge facing such Tests has been to find a ball that is clearly visible in both sunshine and floodlights, and Sarwar said a discussion on the colour of the balls to be used was under way with the Sri Lankan board.
"We have sent them a dozen cricket balls of pink and orange colour so that they can have further tests," said Sarwar. "Nothing has been finalised."