Pakistan, Sri Lanka set to play day-night Test match in Dubai in late September

Karachi: Pakistan and Sri Lanka have agreed to play a day and night Test match with pink ball in Dubai in the upcoming series between the two countries. This will be Pakistan’s second day and night Test in Dubai as last year also they had played against the West Indies and won the encounter. “The two cricket boards are still finalising the itinerary for the series of two Tests, five ODIs and three T20 matches. The Sri Lankans have requested the series to start earlier in late September instead of early October,” a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told PTI. [caption id=“attachment_3039566” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Getty[/caption] He said the Sri Lankans are scheduled to tour India after the Pakistan series and that is why they wanted the series in UAE to start in late September. The source said that itinerary for the series with Sri Lanka would be announced this week. “We had asked them to play a day and night Test and they have agreed because we both feel it is a good attempt to bring crowds to Test matches and add more colour to the format,” he said. Pakistan had also played a day and night Test match on its last tour to Australia last winter in Brisbane. The source said that although the Sri Lankans had turned down a request to play two T20 matches of the series in Lahore but the PCB had still not given up hope. “We are still talking to them and trying to convince them how important it is for Pakistan cricket to host some international matches at home,” he added. Top Test teams stopped touring Pakistan since March, 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.