Day-night Tests on its way: ICC president

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ICC president David Morgan on Monday said he is hopeful of day-night Tests being played in either Australia or India in the near future.

The ICC chief said it "won't be too long" before day-night Tests will see the light of day and he also said a "context" for Test and one-day international matches was on its way.

"I talked to administrators in Australia whom I expected to be so conservative as to be against day-night Test cricket but they are very much for it and I believe it won't be too long before we see day/night Test cricket in Australia or India," Morgan said.

One complaint is that too many Tests, as well as One-dayers, lack "context". Although the ICC has introduced a Test table, its complex rating system has so far failed to excite much interest.

Morgan, a former chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said: "Our chief executives' committee has been looking at producing a context for both ODI cricket and Test match cricket so watch this space.

"Enriching ODIs and Tests are two major opportunities, and I have little or no doubt the game will embrace those fairly quickly."

Morgan added the biggest regret of his term as president, which expires within weeks, was Pakistan becoming a no-go area for international cricket following the armed attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore last year.

"I feel sad for the people of Pakistan and for the cricketers in Pakistan," he said.

"Pakistan has produced some of the most stylish cricketers in the last couple of decades - Imran Khan [ Images ], Javed Miandad [ Images ], Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram [ Images ].

"It's a country we need to continue to be producing fine cricketers, a bit like the Welsh (rugby union) 'outside-half factory," the 72-year-old Welshman added. "When these things cease to flow, the game is a great deal poorer."

 

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Night Tests: BCCI not too enthused

Mumbai: David Morgan has foreseen Test cricket under lights in the near future in India and Australia but one gets to understand that the Board of Control for Cricket in India is not too enthused by the idea.

“I talked to administrators in Australia whom I expected to be so conservative as to be against day/night Test cricket but they are very much for it and I believe it won’t be too long before we see day/night Test cricket in Australia or India,” the outgoing president of International Cricket Council has said.

“Our chief executives’ committee has been looking at producing a context for both ODI cricket and Test match cricket so watch this space.”

But sources within the BCCI claim that there is no immediate proposal to have a Test match under the lights in India. “We’re not aware how David Morgan is saying that. You should ask him but we’ve not yet given a thought to that idea yet. The ICC seems to be in a hurry to tamper with the formats,” said a very senior BCCI functionary. When asked for his comment, BCCI secretary N

Srinivasan said he has not been spoken to by Morgan.
For two days from Thursday, the ICC Cricket Committee, chaired by Clive Lloyd, will discuss the matter at its annual meeting in Lord’s. The issue is part of the official agenda of the meeting. “The two-day meeting will discuss the Decision Review System (DRS), research into the use of coloured balls for floodlit Test cricket...,” an ICC statement said.

At the meeting, there will be two representatives from BCCI. Ravi Shastri is part of the committee as a representative from the media. The other candidate is Gary Kirsten, who is a new addition to the committee. The South African replaces compatriot Mickey Arthur as the full member team coach representative.

Players may be let off with warning

The Indian cricket board is unlikely to go too far against the six players whom it has showcaused for indiscipline. Sources reveal that the Board may let the players off with reprimands. Which means, the BCCI may not refer the matter to disciplinary committee, which is the next logical step after a showcause.

“Let the players reply first. We will see,” said the Board official. The players have been given seven days to reply. Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Piyush Chawla, Ravindra Jadeja, Ashish Nehra and Rohit Sharma are the six players who were served with showcause notices for their involvement in a brawl in a St Lucia pub last Wednesday.