CAB to Use Pink Ball in League Final to Bid For Day/Night Test
The Cricket Association of Bengal is going to try pink ball in its first division tournament's final in a bid to get hosting rights of India-New Zealand Test series
Highlights
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CAB will use pink ball in its 1st division league final
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India and New Zealand likely to play pink ball Test later this year
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Australia, New Zealand played the 1st pink ball Test in November, 2015
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is all set to use pink ball under floodlights during its first division Inter-Club championship at the Eden Gardens.
The news was confirmed by CAB joint secretary Avishek Dalmiya. The final will be held sometime in June. It is the idea of CAB president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who wants to check out how pink ball day/night game shapes up before he can present his association's case for the day-night Test match that BCCI is planning against New Zealand.
"As a preparatory measure, the CAB is contemplating to trial pink Kookaburra ball in day-night conditions in its local competition, preferably the final of the CAB League tournament," CAB joint-secretary Dalmiya said.
"Sooner or later, Eden Gardens would obviously be a venue to play D-N Test match. The purpose of doing this exercise is to ensure it acts like a dress rehearsal before day and night Test matches are played here.
"Prior to hosting such Day and Night Test Matches, we would ideally want to take the feedback from the players during and after such game at local level and address the concerns, if any," he added.
Normally, the CAB league cricket is a two-day affair with each team batting one innings but Ganguly in his bid to improve the performance of Ranji team has suggested a separate eight-team 'Super League' which will be a longer affair, testing temperament of players. The final will be a four-day affair under floodlights and pink kookaburra will be used.