India unlikely to play day-night Test in Adelaide

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India will most likely not play a day-night Test during their 2018-19 tour of Australia. Cricket Australia still hopes the first Test in Adelaide, which is scheduled to start on December 6, will be a pink-ball, day-night game, but ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI is not in favour of the idea and has made its position clear to the Australian board.

CA announced the schedule of Australia's home summer on Monday without confirming a start time for the Adelaide Test. Since November 2015, Adelaide has hosted one day-night Test every year.

"It is our preference that we play India in a day-night Test match in Adelaide, but we are still working through this detail and hope to have an answer on this in the coming weeks," chief executive James Sutherland said.

Women's international cricket will bookend the summer, with Australia playing three T20Is against New Zealand in September-October - which leads into the women's World T20 in the West Indies in November - and then a three-match ODI series against the same opponents in February-March. In between, the Australia men's team will host a South African limited-overs tour in October-November, and full international tours by India and Sri Lanka that stretch from mid-November to early February.

Australian Cricketers' Association CEO Alistair Nicholson welcomed the increased scheduling of women's cricket.

"On the back of last years' ground-breaking gender equitable MOU which the players fought for, it is right that our female team continues to get the exposure they deserve," he said.

"We have some of the best players in the world and I think the fans will appreciate the opportunity to see them on one of the biggest TV days of the year being AFL Grand Final night. Going forward the players are interested in exploring more long-form cricket opportunities, particularly after such a successful Ashes Test last year."

South Africa will play three ODIs from November 4 to 11, and a one-off T20 on November 17, which is the first ever international game at the Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast.

India will begin their Australia tour with a three-match T20 series from November 21 to 25, and then play four Tests in Adelaide (December 6-10), Perth (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7). The newly built Perth Stadium will make its debut as a Test venue when it hosts the second Test.

The Tests against India will be followed by three ODIs from January 12 to 18.

Brisbane will host first Test against Sri Lanka, a confirmed day-night game, from January 24 to 28, and the Manuka Oval in Canberra - also a first-time Test venue - the second Test from February 1 to 5.

CA has yet to confirm the dates of the domestic season, but it is likely to include an expanded Big Bash League season of 43 games. The 16-day gap between the fourth Test against India and the first Test against Sri Lanka - filled by only three ODIs - could give Australia's international players a window to take part in as many BBL games as possible, while the tournament's closing stages could be held after the end of the Test season.

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New Zealand weighing up offer to play in Pakistan

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NZC is weighing up a request from the PCB to play in Pakistan later this year. Pakistan are currently scheduled to "host" New Zealand for a full tour of the UAE, comprising most likely of three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is, in October-November.

"NZC has received a request from the PCB chairman for New Zealand to play in Pakistan," a spokesman for the New Zealand board said. "At the moment NZC is doing due diligence on the request and consulting with security providers, the government, and the players. We will respond to the PCB when this process has been completed."

New Zealand have not played Test cricket in Pakistan since their tour in 2002 ended in dramatic and tragic circumstances. Scheduled to play a two-Test series, the tour was cut short after one Test. On the morning the second Test was due to start, a massive bomb blast outside the hotel the teams were staying at killed 15 people, including 11 French engineers. The New Zealand team was not thought to be a target.

The tour was immediate cancelled, with the team flying back home that very day. New Zealand did, however, come to Pakistan the following year to play an ODI series.

They were also scheduled to tour in December 2009, but the terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March that year put paid to that. The attacks led to Pakistan cricket moving away from the country - a situation that remains largely unchanged. Cricket has begun to trickle back to the country, amid presidential-style security in Lahore and Karachi.

Since Zimbabwe visited for three ODIs and two T20Is in 2015, Pakistan has played host to four Pakistan Super League matches, three T20Is against an ICC World XI, one T20I against Sri Lanka and three T20Is against the West Indies last month.

Pakistan are also due to host Australia in the UAE this winter for a limited-overs series, but a CA spokesman confirmed no part of that series would be played in Pakistan. "The safety and security of Australian players is our number one priority," he said. "From an Australia team perspective, we are not contemplating moving our current bilateral-tour arrangements from taking on Pakistan in the Middle East, when they host the next series."

New Zealand and Australia are the two Full Member sides who have gone longest without touring Pakistan. Australia last arrived in Pakistan two decades ago in 1998, playing three Tests and five ODIs. New Zealand have not visited the country since their limited-overs series in 2003.

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Malinga asked to play domestic games for national recall

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Lasith Malinga's international future has been put in further doubt after SLC told the 34-year old fast bowler that the only way he could get back into the team was by playing domestic cricket.

Malinga was up for selection in Sri Lanka's domestic Inter-Provincial one-day tournament, which is set to begin on May 2. However, prior to the announcement of squads, he stated that he would not be returning to the island until the end of the IPL, where he is serving as Mumbai Indians' bowling mentor.

"The selectors wanted him back, and he has to play domestic cricket according to them," SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala said. "We're playing our white-ball tournament, and 50-over and T20. I'm sure before the next international engagement which is South Africa and then the Asia Cup and so forth, he needs to play T20 games and 50 overs. If Lasith is not playing a domestic tournament, the selectors will have to make a call."

Despite performing well in T20s domestically over the last few months, picking up 17 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 11.35, Malinga was overlooked for the Nidahas Trophy in March. In fact, he hasn't played for Sri Lanka since last September, having returned from a lengthy injury layoff at the start of 2017.

Since then, his ODI form - 10 wickets in 13 ODIs at an average of 62 - has been patchy. He has had a good run in T20s, picking up 12 wickets in six games at 16.50. Malinga believes this, along with his domestic form, warrants a return to the national team starting with Sri Lanka's home series against South Africa in July.

SLC CEO Ashley De Silva assured Malinga was still in the minds of selectors, but said that his future inclusion hinged on the fast bowler proving himself domestically.

"He has made himself available for selection and selectors have also picked him to play in one of the provinces," de Silva said. "He hasn't given any indication that he would be retiring, neither have the selectors given him an indication that they would not be considering him. So therefore if he performs well domestically he will be considered."

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Joe Denly scores hundred as Kent, Pakistan play out draw

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A rain-hit game in Canterbury between Kent and the visiting Pakistan side meandered to its inevitable conclusion, the sides playing out an uninspiring draw. Pakistan had been shot out for 168 on the opening day, and Kent ended day one at 39 for 1. Following that, no play was possible the following two days of the four-day game, rendering the match as a competitive contest redundant.

The early part of day four was unable to have play owing to a wet outfield, leaving the Kent ground staff with the thankless task of drying a pitch that was never going to produce a result. When play finally began, Sean Dickson and Joe Denly, captaining Kent in Sam Billings' absence, took the opportunity to bat against a quality bowling line-up, seeing off the pace trio of Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and Rahat Ali. They combined for a 160-run partnership, and Denly finished unbeaten on 113, hitting 14 fours and three sixes along the way. Dickson was dismissed to legspinner Shadab Khan after reaching 74 and another couple of wickets fell soon, before the sides shook hands after 49 overs of play.

Pakistan's next tour game takes place in Northampton from May 4 to 7, before they take on Ireland in the latter's first ever Test in Dublin from May 11.

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