Pakistan reject Australia's proposal to play 2 day-night Tests, claims PCB official

Pakistan has rejected Cricket Australia's proposal to play two day and night Tests later this year at Brisbane and Adelaide, a Cricket Board (PCB) official claimed Monday. The two Tests scheduled for November-December are part of the ICC's World Test Championship and Cricket Australia had proposed to host both the matches as day-and-night affairs.

But the PCB has indicated that it is not interested in the proposal after Australia's refusal to play one or two matches of the just concluded ODI series in Karachi or Lahore, the official claimed. "The official reason being given for Pakistan not being willing to play both the Tests under lights is that since it is a ICC event all teams should be playing under a uniform system," the PCB official said.

"Officially, PCB's plea is that all bilateral series of the World Test Championship should be governed by similar regulations and system. "The PCB is not happy with the Australian response as even the High Commissioner of Australia in Islamabad had said that the sort of security arrangements being offered by the PCB were very encouraging and security situation in Pakistan had improved in recent times," he added.

Pakistan's first three series of the World Test Championship are against Sri Lanka, Australia and Bangladesh after the World Cup and the PCB is hopeful that Sri Lanka might agree to play the two Tests in Pakistan slated for September-October. Pakistan has played all its home series in the UAE since March, 2009 after militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.