Australian cricket's summer schedule is set to be announced on Wednesday but with a "notable TBC affixed to it as a result of the opposition of South Africa's players about featuring in a pink ball Test," according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. A "shake-up" to the Test fixture list for the '16-17 season will lead to the int'l summer beginning in Perth and not Brisbane "for the first time in more than 20 years." The "real intrigue" is around the timeslot for what Cricket Australia wants to be the first of two pink-ball Tests this summer. The Adelaide Oval was the site of the "commercially successful" first day-night Test last year between Australia and New Zealand, and CA's "desire is for the much-anticipated series against the Proteas to wind up under lights there again." However, the South Africans' "resistance to participating in the CA venture has thrown a spanner in the works, meaning that only the dates of the Adelaide Test are likely to be announced on Wednesday, with the starting time of play to be finalised further down the track." A A$1M ($780,000) purse, with 60% to the winner and 40% to the loser, "eventually helped get New Zealand players over the line." The South Africans' objection, though, "may not be swayed by financial inducement." South African players' association CEO Tony Irish said that they "believe they would be disadvantaged in day-night conditions and are unlikely to accept even with CA's offer of a pink-ball warm-up match" (SMH, 4/19).
