SCG show interest in going pink in taking on day/night Test but ‘won’t be actively pursuing it’
Cricket Australia is comfortable with the MCG and SCG remaining as day-time matches but with Brisbane, Adelaide and now Perth already in the fold, a high-profile night-time venue could be on the way.
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The Sydney Cricket Ground is open to the prospect of a pink ball Test but won’t actively campaign for it.
Cricket Australia has indicated in the past that it is comfortable with the two marquee Tests at the MCG and SCG remaining as traditional day-time matches.
However, with television ratings and crowd numbers all pointing towards pink ball Tests becoming more prevalent, SCG Chairman Tony Shepherd says the famous ground is open to discussing a landmark change to the scheduling of its New Years’ Test.
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“We’d be interested in discussing it,” Shepherd told News Corp Australia.
“We’re not out there promoting it. We’d be interested in it.
“It’d be entirely up to Cricket Australia. We’re not actively pursuing it.”
Shepherd said no discussions with Cricket Australia have yet taken place.
If CA were open to the prospect of expanding its pink ball empire to the country’s biggest market, it’s likely the SCG would look at it positively.
However, Shepherd said the SCG would have to also weigh up the potential ramifications of moving away from the traditional red ball format, particularly given the Sydney Test falls in the heart of school holidays.
Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth are now all preferring day-night fixtures, with the only apparent obstacle to a pink ball revolution being the reluctance of some opposing nations to play in them.
BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly has indicated India will only agree to one pink ball game in Australia next summer, while it’s unknown how England would react to an Ashes schedule with more than one pink ball match.
WACA chief Christina Matthews said that night-time cricket was the future, and certainly hopes it can become a regular event for Perth.
“Over time, as we’ve seen with one-day cricket and footy, night sport is what people eventually want to go to,” said Matthews.
“I think that will continue with Test cricket.
“It will be interesting to see what (CA) do against England in terms of more than just Adelaide (as a pink ball venue). As time goes by we will see more and more of them.”
Originally published as SCG show interest in going pink in taking on day/night Test but ‘won’t be actively pursuing it’