Misbah-ul-haq : The future belongs to day-night Tests
By Gaurav Banerjee, SportsCafe Editor
Misbah-ul-Haq believes that day-night Test cricket is where the future lies. The 42-year-old, who became the first Pakistan captain to lead his side to the No.1 spot in the ICC's Test rankings, believes that the issues with the pink ball would only be sorted by playing more cricket under lights.
"Future belongs to night Tests and this should be played frequently. It's a good thing that PCB increased the number of [first-class] day-night games in domestic cricket, and each team will be getting two games or so this season. If future is with day-night Tests, then we have to play it more often and we have to start embracing it quickly. Like we play one-day cricket with white ball, and this pattern had been adapted everywhere in domestic and even in club cricket.
"Meanwhile, there are problems, whether it's a pink or orange ball, for batsmen and fielders so far. These issues can only sorted by playing more cricket under lights with pink balls. Since the game is played for the fans and for the audience, this night cricket is the future and it's definitely good for cricket. The more frequently we play under lights, it will give more exposure and allow players to get used to it," Misbah told ESPNcricinfo.
Pakistan are set to play their first-ever pink-ball Test, slated to be held between October 13 to 17, against West Indies in Dubai next month. The World No.1 side will also play a day-night Test against Australia in Brisbane in December later this year.
"We will have six to seven days before the first Test, so we have to train maximum under lights with pink ball, and try to understand the conditions. We have to adjust to the timing of the sessions, understand how the ball will travel under lights, how much the ball will swing under lights, and how much the dew factor will be affecting it. If you see, the major chunk of the Test is innight, so it basically isn't really a day-night Test. So we have to start working from scratch," he said.
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