Quote:Australian cricket’s new jewel in the crown is under threat with South Africa’s players refusing to play a day-night Test in Adelaide this summer.

The stand-off is causing massive headaches for Cricket Australia which is planning to unveil the fixtures for the Test tours by Pakistan and South Africa tomorrow.

Last year’s inaugural day-night Test against New Zealand was considered a resounding success with record television ratings and attendances.

There were concerns, however, that the pink ball was difficult to see and a grassy pitch prepared to protect the ball caused the game to be finished inside three days.

The vast majority of Australian and New Zealand players complained after the match about the ball, its visibility and the changed conditions.

The South African senior players spoke directly to the Australians when they were there for a T20 series in May to gauge their feedback first-hand.

***

South African players do not want to play the day-night match because they argue they have no experience with a pink ball or a five-day game under those conditions and will be at a disadvantage in an important series.

Their objections are being backed by their players’ association and board.

Australian players have played last year’s Test and a number of Sheffield Shield games with the pink ball under lights and are expected to have further exposure before the Adelaide game.

“Our players are not in favour of playing the game under those conditions,” South African players’ association chief executive Tony Irish told The Australian.

“The main reason is we feel disadvantaged. Not one of our players who will compete in that Test has played Test match cricket or any cricket with a pink ball.”

Cricket Australia is offering the South Africans a chance to play a day-night tour match to adapt to the conditions, but this has not satisfied the visitors who say that if reservations remained after the game it would be too late to withdraw from the Test.

“The reluctance to play is a sign of how much importance the South African players place on the series against Australia,” Irish said.

Quote:According to a report in The Herald Sun on Friday (June 3), South African players have "changed their stance on pink-ball cricket" to ensure there will be two day-night Tests in the upcoming Australian summer. South Africa had been reluctant to play in the day-night fixture because of ongoing concerns over visibility of the pink ball in twilight hours.

An official announcement from Cricket Australia (CA) is expected imminently. CA said discussions with Cricket South Africa were ongoing. "We remain optimistic that the Adelaide Test match will be played as a day-night match," a Cricket Australia spokesman was quoted as saying. "After the success of last summer's Adelaide Test, the anticipation in that market is huge."

The breakthrough means Adelaide Oval will stage a day-night Test in November (against South Africa) before another pink-ball match is played at the Gabba to open the three-Test series between Australia and Pakistan in December.