PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan today said that the West Indies cricket board has agreed to play a day and night Test in the ‘home’ series planned in the UAE in September-October.
“I haven’t seen their letter as yet but yes apparently they have said yes to playing one day and night test with the pink ball in the UAE,” he said.
It would be the first day and night test for Pakistan and West Indies.
The PCB had proposed that one of two Tests to be played as a day-night affair. Besides the Tests, the West Indies are set to play five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20s against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in October.
The day and night Test would allow Pakistan important match practice with the pink ball as they gear up for their ‘pink-ball’ Test against Australia in Brisbane in December.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also said that there are hurdles in the way of tainted cricketers, Salman Butt, Muhammad Aamir and Muhammad Asif getting visas to tour England with the Pakistan team this summer.
Shaharyar Khan told the media in Lahore that they had got indications that while the UK authorities might adopt a soft stance on giving Aamir a visa to visit England he could not say the same about Butt and Asif.
“But let us wait and see. First let the national team be selected for England and see if they are selected. Only then can we cross the bridge,” he said.
The three players all served five-year bans from the ICC for spot fixing which expired last September.
But since they were found guilty of spot fixing during the Pakistan team’s tour to England in 2010 they also faced a criminal trial in London and served varying terms in jail before returning home.
Under immigration laws of the UK after having served jail terms in the country the trio can’t be issued visit visas until ten years have passed since they were first sentenced. Butt and Aamir are seen as certain selections for the full tour to England which begins in late June and includes four tests and five one-day internationals.
Aamir stands a good chance of getting a visa since he is married to a British national girl.