ICC cricket panel recommends day-night Test matches
ICC Cricket Panel
Mumbai, May 18 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) cricket committee has recommended staging of Test matches that extend into the evening hours during its two-day meeting here, an ICC release said on Monday.
"Day-Night Test matches were discussed at length. The Cricket Committee also received a report from the MCC on the four-day First Class match played with pink balls in Abu Dhabi in March, and viewed the condition of the balls used in that match," said a release following the meeting that concluded Saturday.
"As a result of these discussions, there will be a strong recommendation from the Cricket Committee to member countries that they should identify opportunities to play Test matches that extend into the evening hours," it said.
The committee chaired by former cricketer Anil Kumble also deliberated on the concept of four-day Test match, but in the end, decided to stick to the usual five-day format.
"There was also discussion on the concept of four-day Test cricket, and while the committee was not of the view that Tests should be shorter than 5-days, it acknowledged that the game will need to be open to considering proposals in the future that look to enhance the public appeal of cricket's oldest format," the release said.
Regarding the players' code of conduct, the meeting discussed various issues at length.
"The committee supported the stronger stance being taken against inappropriate player behaviour, and was concerned at the increasing number of send-offs. It also encouraged referees to apply suspensions rather than fines, more specifically for repeat offenders and for the more serious offences, such as physical contact," it said.
"There was also strong support for the current practice of suspending captains for over rate breaches, as there were again concerns expressed about the pace of play in international matches," the release said.
The Cricket Committee's mandate is to discuss cricket-playing matters and make recommendations to the ICC Chief Executives' Committee and the ICC Board that will meet in Barbados during the ICC's annual conference week, from June 22-26.