Cricket: Kiwis still wary of risks at night

"You're going into the unknown," says Trent Boult of the day-night test.

Cricket's first day-night test complete with pink ball looks set to be confirmed but the Black Caps remain reluctant to be lab rats in the "bizarre" concept.

New Zealand and Australia look set to be the first international sides to experiment with the innovation, likely to play with a pink ball and under lights in the third test at the Adelaide Oval in November.

The timing of what is essentially a trial run has caused much consternation among this country's cricketers, believing a crucial three-test series against their transtasman foes could be marred by entering into the unknown.

But with the final arrangements to be ironed out at the International Cricket Council's annual conference in Barbados next week, the day-night test seems set to get the go-ahead.

Players' association boss Heath Mills had previously suggested the Black Caps were "overwhelmingly not supportive" of the concept, with one internal survey finding 17 of 20 contracted players opposed to being part of a day-night test.

Trent Boult, back in the Bay of Plenty while recovering from a back injury, told Newstalk ZB he was worried about being handed a foreign ball and thrust into action against the second-ranked test side in the world. Boult was introduced to the ball after the second test against England at Leeds earlier this month and his initial impression was one of vexation.

"I had had a look at it and it's different, that's for sure," he said. "I haven't had any experience with it so that's the only thing I'm really worried about. You're going into the unknown."

With a congested international calendar unlikely to allow for a chance to test the pink ball in a warm-up match, net practise will be the only avenue for New Zealand's bowlers to gain a feel for how it behaves.

And even then, with the mooted test set to see play start in the mid-afternoon, it will be difficult to ascertain how the ball reacts in completely different conditions near the close of play.

"Unless the nets are at 9 o'clock at night and we get a good feel for it, it's going to be pretty bizarre, that's for sure," Boult said. "It's not ideal at all."

Manufacturers Kookaburra said earlier in the week their pink ball was now ready for test matches, even if previous trials had proved the ball unreliable. Australia's top players, unlike their counterparts, could receive another chance to test the ball, with Cricket Australia keen to schedule a pink-ball round early in the 2015-16 Sheffield Shield season.

But for Boult and the Black Caps, it could be a case of wait-and-see, left to contend with what appears to be a revenue-generating gimmick while they bid to rise from third in the world test rankings.

"You're not sure if it swings or if it seams," Boult said. "I can't really see a pink ball shining up too well, as well. There are just too many unknowns from my point of view.

"And to go straight into a test match, you're going into a totally different game pretty misunderstood and pretty fresh. I'm not really too sure about it, to be honest. Once again, it's in the hands of New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia too see what happens with it. But it could be a bit of an experience."