"By introducing the Twenty20 competition in October or November with many games under lights, we are hoping to lure back the people to the grounds," Samiul Hasan, spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Tuesday.

The board has been worried by low turnouts for domestic matches and the Pakistan-India Test series in March and April.

Supporters of Twenty20 see it as a bold way of attracting a new audience. Critics of the three-hour games are less impressed.

In a separate development, the board has signed former Test players Greg Chappell of Australia and Barry Richards of South Africa as coaching consultants.