PCB proposes D/N Test
While the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is still awaiting the green signal from the government to tour Pakistan for a three-match T20I and two-match Test series scheduled for January, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed at least one day-night Test match in Karachi, ESPNCricinfo reported.
The BCB is yet to confirm the tour but have received a draft itinerary including two Tests and three T20Is slated for January-February from the PCB.
“We may ask Pakistan to split the Test and T20I series. The issue of day-night Tests will be decided later because it depends on the government’s security report and whether we will tour Pakistan or not. If we don’t get the green signal for some reason then we have to discuss playing at a neutral venue. If we get the green signal then it’s different,’’ said BCB cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan.
According to sources close to the BCB, the board is willing to play longer-version cricket away from Pakistan considering the length of the series, reasoning that it would be mentally exhausting for cricketers to play under strict security for such a long period of time.
Akram added that they were not under any pressure to visit Pakistan and said that it had nothing to do with Sri Lanka’s recent tour -- one that saw Test cricket return to Pakistan after 10 years.
Meanwhile, the PCB proposed at least one day-night Test on the tour.
“The idea behind encouraging day-night cricket and offering Bangladesh is to counter the problem of dwindling crowds. We intend to add at least one day-night Test in our home itinerary. The benefit, other than better crowds, is that we have an opportunity to extend our cricketing season. Like in Pakistan if the season ends in the mid-April or earlier, we can extend it by having day-night games to fill in an empty window,” PCB chairman Ehsan Mani told Cricinfo.
Bangladesh played their first day-night Test in India last month, which was also the first day-night match in the subcontinent. Pakistan have already played four Tests under lights, and are on the verge of hosting their first pink-ball Test at home against Sri Lanka later this week.
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