PCB should continue holding QEA Trophy matches in ‘day and night’ format: Raza
By ANITuesday, January 18, 2011
KARACHI - The Pakistan Cricket Board should continue holding future Quaid E Azam Trophy matches in the ‘day and night’ format, Habib Bank Limited captain Hasan Raza has said.
Playing under floodlights, Habib Bank saw off PIA by five wickets in the five-day encounter at the National Stadium in Karachi to lift the 2011 Quaid E Azam Trophy.
“It was a really good experience, all of the boys really enjoyed themselves and I hope that this is not a one-off. I really do hope that this idea is continued for next season and further into the future,” PakPassion.net quoted Raza, as saying.
“We started practicing with the orange ball and pink ball two days ahead of the match, so it gave us all an opportunity to adjust to the light and the colour of the ball. The PIA captain, Kamran Sajid, and I in discussion with our teams decided that the orange ball would be better, and I really do hope that future matches in the Quaid E Azam Trophy are played under lights with the orange cricket ball,” he added.
Raza was of the view that Test cricket played under lights was not only enjoyable for the players but also a pleasant experience for the spectators at the stadium.
“The fans seemed to be having a good time watching the game and got behind the teams. I think if you asked the supporters they would definitely say they prefer day/night cricket compared with day cricket,” he said.
Raza, who made his Test debut for Pakistan at the age of 14 and has recently passed 12,000 first class runs, was widely predicted as an immense talent, but failed to meet the expectations. He feels that Misbah ul Haq’s return to the Test side can prove to be an example for him.
“I’m a much more responsible individual now and have had the responsibility of captaincy with me for the past few years. I’ve been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and I look at Misbah ul Haq’s example as someone who can make a strong comeback into test cricket. I have faith in my ability and know for sure that I can do a job for Pakistan,” said the HB skipper. (ANI)
