Quote:[size=12pt]Preparations for the inaugural day-night cricket test will kick up a notch on Sunday, when the Nine Network runs a series of pink-ball tests at the MCG.

Australia's next home test series is against New Zealand starting in November, when the two governing bodies want to shed new light on the sport's oldest format.[/size]

Quote:"It's fair to say our players are nervous about the day-night Test. It's uncharted territory and because of that there will be uncertainty and apprehension," Mills said. "However, whilst the players have reservations about the concept, they can see the bigger picture in the new agreement, and the greater good it brings to all levels of the game."

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"One of the global challenges with Test cricket is that most of the matches outside holiday periods are played on week days, in the middle of the day when people are at work and kids are at school," Sutherland said. "By shifting the playing times each day's play can go into the evening and allow people to come in after work or after school to attend the last few hours of play, but also when they get home in other parts of the world or other parts of the country, they can watch the game on TV.

Quote:"It goes soft pretty quickly ... it definitely reacts very, very differently to the red ball.

    It goes soft pretty quickly ... it definitely reacts very, very differently to the red ball. I couldn't see the thing at night on the boundary. I couldn't see the ball.
    Mitchell Starc

"Gurinder (Sandhu) swung it a little bit when it was brand new, but not for many overs.

"I don't know whether it's the leather or the lacquer - we didn't see much reverse-swing at all.

"I'm yet to be convinced. I can understand why it's happening ... I guess time will tell to see whether it works or not."

A candid Starc did not stop there.

"I couldn't see the thing at night on the boundary. I couldn't see the ball," he said.

"So I'm not sure how the crowd are going to see it."

Quote:I've actually been against it the whole time," Ponting said. "I mean I understand the reasons behind wanting to innovate and wanting to be different, but at the same time I think Test cricket is all about history and tradition as far as I'm concerned.

"But I guess the game has to go on and move forward. It will be interesting to see what the players make of it all and how much they enjoy the occasion. That's what it comes down to at the end of the day, the players have to want to enjoy it and have to want to be a part of it and want to make it something extra special and let's hope it works out that way."