Kiwis against day-night Tests

"An attempt to play cricket's first day-night test match between Australia and New Zealand later this year may fail because many New Zealand players oppose the concept.

New Zealand Cricket Players Association chief executive Heath Mills said his organization surveyed the country's 20 nationally contracted players on the issue and the response was "overwhelmingly not supportive of playing day-night test cricket."

Mills told Fairfax newspapers that the union had been asked by New Zealand Cricket to gather feedback from players on a proposal to play a day-night test in Australia in November. The survey found that 17 of the 20 players opposed day-night tests which some described as "gimmicky" and designed purely to make money.

Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket have been working closely to try to ensure one of New Zealand's three tests in Australia later this year is played under lights. The match, in November, will likely be played in Adelaide, Brisbane or Hobart. Cricket Australia has indicated that day-night test matches have the potential to boost revenue due to the prime time TV audience.

The New Zealand players' overwhelming opposition to the concept, based partly on their concerns about the development of the pink ball which will be used in day-night tests, will be taken into account by their board. But their reservations won't necessarily stall further moves to play a day-night test match this year and Mills agreed the players would likely take part if directed to do so.

"We surveyed the players pretty comprehensively a month or so ago and they're not keen to play a day-night test at the moment," Mills said. "It's pretty compelling."

He said the New Zealand players consider the matches in Australia "as a pinnacle test series, like our Ashes. We don't get to play Australia very often and the (players) are confident."

"They're looking forward to it and don't want this test series devalued by playing at night with a pink ball that none of them have any experience with.

It just feels rather gimmicky," Mills said. New Zealand, currently third in the world test rankings, hasn't played a test series against Australia since 2011 and Mills said the players were determined to enjoy the opportunity. He hoped the players' voices would be heard.

"There only seems to be one country pushing day-night test cricket at the moment so it'd be great if there was more stakeholder buy-in and the ICC led some sort of review or process that involved all stakeholders," he said.