KARACHI: The final of Pakistan's premier first-class domestic cricket tournament will be played for the first time with a pink ball under floodlights later this month.

The final of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, named after the founder of the country Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, will be played between Habib Bank and Pakistan International Airlines in Karachi from January 13-17.

For the first time a domestic final will not be played with the usual red ball and will be a day-night affair, Pakistan Cricket Board announced Monday.

“The new playing format is expected to herald a major change in the domestic cricket structure as it would be the first time that day-night cricket will be used in the longer version of the game and it be played with a pink ball,” PCB said in a statement.

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the sport's oldest club which is also the guardian of the laws of the game, has been experimenting with the pink ball in various matches to avoid problems with the colour flaking off the white ball, normally used in limited overs matches since 1978.

An English county match between MCC and Durham was played with a pink ball in Abu Dhabi last year. The MCC concluded that some work was still required to continue with the pink ball in domestic matches.

Orange balls have also been used in domestic matches in Pakistan and Australia in the recent past.