Sydney, Sep 11 (ANI): The idea of day-night Test between England and Bangladesh next year is unlikely to proceed because a suitable ball is yet to be developed.
The idea of day-night Tests was floated by the lawmakers of the game, the MCC, at a World Cricket Committee meeting at Lord’s in July to enhance the profile and appeal of the long format.
There is no indication to suggest that how much time it would take to develop the right ball, even as the England and Wales Cricket Board and Bangladesh Cricket Board would be happy to play the first ever day-night Test.
Researchers have been working on balls that could be used for day-night Tests, although testing on a pink version has uncovered excessive movement and grip issues that have made prototypes too dangerous to trial in matches, while the colour also wears off quickly.
With England’s domestic season concluding this weekend, there will be little opportunity to trial a day-night Test ball before the series against Bangladesh next year. And the ICC will not allow a ball to be used in a Test before it is used successfully at domestic level.
Other issues also remain unresolved, such as the colour of players’ uniforms and how playing conditions could be affected by the changes in light, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. (ANI)
Butt vows to continue fighting for 2011 World Cup hosting rights
Lahore, July 16 (ANI): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ijaz Butt has said he will continue to fight for Pakistan’s right to host the 2011 World Cup.
Butt said he would meet International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan in Dubai later this month and discuss the issue of Pakistan being denied hosting rights of the quadrennial event.
Commenting on the PCB’s absence from the World Cup 2011 Central Organising Committee (COC) meeting, Butt rejected the allegation that Pakistan had boycotted the meeting.
“We did not boycott the meeting. But since it is a legal matter I do not want to make any comment on that, but I can tell you that we are still trying to solve the matter through talks,” The News quoted Butt, as saying.
The COC has redistributed games that were to be played in Pakistan to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The COC awarded eight matches to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, irked by Pakistan’s absence, the COC has removed Butt from the committee.
Butt has been replaced by Mahbubul Alam of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). (ANI)