Pakistan experiment with lights and coloured ball

Saturday, 15 January 2011 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan hosted its maiden first class match under lights with a coloured ball on Thursday in a bid to attract crowds and raise the profile of its domestic cricket. International Cricket Council general manager of cricket affairs Dave Richardson flew from Dubai for the start of the five-day Quaid-e-Azam trophy final at the National stadium between the country’s two top teams, Habib bank and Pakistan International Airlines.

A pink ball has been used in trials in England, Australia and West Indies which would enable players to wear white clothing under floodlit conditions with white sightscreens. The traditional red ball is difficult to see properly under lights.

White balls are used successfully in day-night one-day matches but the players wear coloured clothing and black sightscreens are employed.

Former test captain Javed Miandad, who is the director-general of cricket in the Pakistan Cricket Board, said with the advent of Twenty20 cricket it was necessary to take steps to make first class cricket more interesting for the spectators.

“If this experiment is successful we plan to have more of our first class cricket under lights and with the coloured ball,” he told reporters.