Daily Times

SYDNEY: The Australian cricketers’ players union on Thursday urged the sport’s national governing body to ensure conditions for this year’s two pink ball Tests are upgraded to produce high quality matches. South Africa this week overcame their reservations and agreed to play a day-night pink ball Test against Australia in Adelaide in November, while Pakistan are scheduled to experience the new concept in Brisbane in December. Australian Cricketers’ Association chief Alistair Nicholson said he had stressed to Cricket Australia (CA) the need for significant work to get the revolutionary format right after last year’s inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand finished inside three days. Players from both teams complained about the pink ball’s movement and durability, as well as the difficulty batsmen faced seeing it under floodlights. “The concerns of the players run deep, and with (England captain) Alastair Cook’s comments we see they also run internationally,” Nicholson said in a statement. Cook said on Wednesday there was no need for day-night Tests to be introduced for the next Ashes series in Australia in 2017-18. Nicholson said when the best players in the world were all expressing concerns they must be listened to and have them addressed.