05-14-2009, 08:45 AM
MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) concluded its two-day meeting at Lord’s with its committee considering the desirability of day and night Test cricket.
It agreed that this was an opportunity to be explored providing several factors were addressed.
These factors were:
Successful trials of an appropriate colour ball for use in such matches. The red ball currently used for Tests would not be of use at night and there remains an issue concerning the lasting qualities of the white ball.
Research – is day/night Test cricket something that spectators, broadcasters and commercial partners would want?
Successful trial matches at first-class level allowing any issues not yet considered to be experienced and addressed.
The concept would be explored further. This could involve the committee receiving an update at the start of 2010 ahead of an update to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and, if appropriate, a day/night Test could be trialled later that year.
ICC EO Haroon Lorgat says, “The committee recognised the need to promote Test cricket and was happy for talks on this matter to advance. However, before it gave the concept the green light it agreed that several aspects needed to be firmed up first.
“This included identifying an appropriate colour ball for use in such matches and trialling the game at first-class level beforehand. [Image: ICC-logo_Edited.jpg] The committee also wanted evidence that day/night cricket was what cricket’s stakeholders wanted because there would be no point in staging such matches if that was not the case.
“If those aspects can be addressed in the next few months then the committee could reconvene by teleconference, update the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and it may be possible to look at a trial day/night Test at some stage in 2010, although there is much to be done before we can say that is likely to happen.”
It agreed that this was an opportunity to be explored providing several factors were addressed.
These factors were:
Successful trials of an appropriate colour ball for use in such matches. The red ball currently used for Tests would not be of use at night and there remains an issue concerning the lasting qualities of the white ball.
Research – is day/night Test cricket something that spectators, broadcasters and commercial partners would want?
Successful trial matches at first-class level allowing any issues not yet considered to be experienced and addressed.
The concept would be explored further. This could involve the committee receiving an update at the start of 2010 ahead of an update to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and, if appropriate, a day/night Test could be trialled later that year.
ICC EO Haroon Lorgat says, “The committee recognised the need to promote Test cricket and was happy for talks on this matter to advance. However, before it gave the concept the green light it agreed that several aspects needed to be firmed up first.
“This included identifying an appropriate colour ball for use in such matches and trialling the game at first-class level beforehand. [Image: ICC-logo_Edited.jpg] The committee also wanted evidence that day/night cricket was what cricket’s stakeholders wanted because there would be no point in staging such matches if that was not the case.
“If those aspects can be addressed in the next few months then the committee could reconvene by teleconference, update the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and it may be possible to look at a trial day/night Test at some stage in 2010, although there is much to be done before we can say that is likely to happen.”