LAHORE, Pakistan, 1 December 2005 — Pakistan are set to propose six-day Tests in winter to prevent matches from being affected by the weather, a top cricket official said here yesterday.
“Our season runs from October to April and to avoid bad light and weather we may have to play six-day Tests. This seems to me the obvious solution,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said.
“We don’t want teams to suffer in the heat if we start our season in August or September, so we will go to the International Cricket Council (ICC) hoping the Tests in Pakistan in winters be extended to the sixth day. Test matches are held over five days all over the world.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the game’s governing body would give the proposal a serious consideration.
“I think it is a peculiarly Pakistan problem at this time of the year. It is not a new issue. It’s been around for some time. Perhaps, the solution is to get a six-day Test at this time of the year in Pakistan,” Speed said.
Nearly 70 overs were lost due to poor light in the drawn second Test between England and Pakistan at Faisalabad. The two days in the ongoing third and final Test here have also seen 32 overs lost due to bad light.
India-Lanka Third Test
Switched From Kanpur
In Madras, the third Test between Sri Lanka and India has been switched from Kanpur after local cricket officials said they would not be able to host it, an Indian cricket board official said yesterday.
“The state association expressed their inability to stage the match and we will decide on the new venue in our meeting over the weekend,” board secretary Niranjan Shah said. The three-Test series starts in Madras tomorrow with the second Test in New Delhi from Dec. 10 to 14 and the third between Dec. 18 and 22.
