On no-balling the Day-Night Test match
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has shot down a suggestion by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to engage in the first ever Day-Night Test match when the teams meet in the UAE, for a three match series in December and January.
SLC argues that Sri Lankas top cricketers arent in favour of playing a Day-Night Test match as they have not had any experience of playing with the pink or the orange ball. The players concerns are understood. They dont want to take a Test match lightly and after agreeing to play a Day-Night Test, if they lose the game, they will come in for some flak.
The players also must be desperate to make sure that they win the upcoming series against a very good Pakistan side, for they want to improve on their pathetic ranking in Test cricket. Some of the well-respected critics too have had their reservations about playing Day-Night Test matches and their arguments make a lot of sense.
But we should be practical as well. The ICC has given the go ahead for Day-Night Tests after much consideration, and some of the keen students of the game like Rahul Dravid have endorsed Day-Night Tests.
Historically, we have had men running Sri Lankan cricket on and off the field who were forward thinking.
It was Sri Lanka who introduced the method of going after the bowling from the word go in ODI cricket and that revolutionized the sport. Day Night Tests too will revolutionize the game soon.
If the players needed to get some practice, there was provision for that. Remember that just before the national team went for the Champions Trophy, they played a triangular tournament in Kandy as a warm-up for the competition. The fact that several leading players didnt take part in that competition because they had to sit on the bench during the Indian Premier League is a different matter.
Those running SLC clearly have played a political game here. Instead of making the decision themselves and arranging for enough preparation, SLC has passed the ball onto the players court. The players in return chickened out.
Mind you, no one asked the players for their opinion when several Test series were cancelled. It was done according to the whims and fancies of those two clueless men at SLC Upali Dharmadasa and Nishantha Ranatunga.
Suppose lets say India asked SLC to play a Day-Night Test match. The SLC bigwigs would have jumped and said yes, without asking for the views of the players. If the players had expressed any concerns against playing without any practice, they would have silenced those players as well.
As for the players, we are made to understand that they are thorough professionals, and didnt need such practice. One remembers the incidents that took place during Sri Lankas tour of England in 2011. Sri Lankas top cricketers refused to play a warm-up game ahead of the Test matches, as they were busy earning Indian Rupees in the IPL. They came to England unprepared and were thrashed by an innings in the opening Test, in Cardiff. One senior player went through the entire Test series without scoring a half-century.
Another interesting point to note is that Sri Lanka is going to play the Test series without any warm-up games. The last time the Sri Lankans were in the UAE to play Pakistan in 2011, they committed the same blunder, and paid a heavy price.
It is true that this time the limited overs games are to be played prior to the Test matches and the players would have spent adequate time adjusting to conditions. However, players change for Tests and its better to play a warm-up game prior to an important Test series.
SLC has argued that since the UAE is only Pakistans adopted home, our hosts will find it tough to field a team for a warm-up game. This is where SLC bigwigs need to use their contacts.
Remember what England did? When they went to the UAE to play Pakistan, they were adamant that they played a warm-up game before the series and in the end the ICC, whose home is Dubai, arranged a first class game for the Englishmen, forming a team comprising members of non-Test playing nations. Despite such preparations, England went onto lose the Test series 3-0.
If SLC bigwigs cannot convince the ICC, they should note that there are plenty of Sri Lankan expatriates living in the UAE and among them are some excellent cricketers who are now representing the UAE national team. A game against them at least should be considered, because the upcoming Test series is an extremely crucial one.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has shot down a suggestion by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to engage in the first ever Day-Night Test match when the teams meet in the UAE, for a three match series in December and January.
SLC argues that Sri Lankas top cricketers arent in favour of playing a Day-Night Test match as they have not had any experience of playing with the pink or the orange ball. The players concerns are understood. They dont want to take a Test match lightly and after agreeing to play a Day-Night Test, if they lose the game, they will come in for some flak.
The players also must be desperate to make sure that they win the upcoming series against a very good Pakistan side, for they want to improve on their pathetic ranking in Test cricket. Some of the well-respected critics too have had their reservations about playing Day-Night Test matches and their arguments make a lot of sense.
But we should be practical as well. The ICC has given the go ahead for Day-Night Tests after much consideration, and some of the keen students of the game like Rahul Dravid have endorsed Day-Night Tests.
Historically, we have had men running Sri Lankan cricket on and off the field who were forward thinking.
It was Sri Lanka who introduced the method of going after the bowling from the word go in ODI cricket and that revolutionized the sport. Day Night Tests too will revolutionize the game soon.
If the players needed to get some practice, there was provision for that. Remember that just before the national team went for the Champions Trophy, they played a triangular tournament in Kandy as a warm-up for the competition. The fact that several leading players didnt take part in that competition because they had to sit on the bench during the Indian Premier League is a different matter.
Those running SLC clearly have played a political game here. Instead of making the decision themselves and arranging for enough preparation, SLC has passed the ball onto the players court. The players in return chickened out.
Mind you, no one asked the players for their opinion when several Test series were cancelled. It was done according to the whims and fancies of those two clueless men at SLC Upali Dharmadasa and Nishantha Ranatunga.
Suppose lets say India asked SLC to play a Day-Night Test match. The SLC bigwigs would have jumped and said yes, without asking for the views of the players. If the players had expressed any concerns against playing without any practice, they would have silenced those players as well.
As for the players, we are made to understand that they are thorough professionals, and didnt need such practice. One remembers the incidents that took place during Sri Lankas tour of England in 2011. Sri Lankas top cricketers refused to play a warm-up game ahead of the Test matches, as they were busy earning Indian Rupees in the IPL. They came to England unprepared and were thrashed by an innings in the opening Test, in Cardiff. One senior player went through the entire Test series without scoring a half-century.
Another interesting point to note is that Sri Lanka is going to play the Test series without any warm-up games. The last time the Sri Lankans were in the UAE to play Pakistan in 2011, they committed the same blunder, and paid a heavy price.
It is true that this time the limited overs games are to be played prior to the Test matches and the players would have spent adequate time adjusting to conditions. However, players change for Tests and its better to play a warm-up game prior to an important Test series.
SLC has argued that since the UAE is only Pakistans adopted home, our hosts will find it tough to field a team for a warm-up game. This is where SLC bigwigs need to use their contacts.
Remember what England did? When they went to the UAE to play Pakistan, they were adamant that they played a warm-up game before the series and in the end the ICC, whose home is Dubai, arranged a first class game for the Englishmen, forming a team comprising members of non-Test playing nations. Despite such preparations, England went onto lose the Test series 3-0.
If SLC bigwigs cannot convince the ICC, they should note that there are plenty of Sri Lankan expatriates living in the UAE and among them are some excellent cricketers who are now representing the UAE national team. A game against them at least should be considered, because the upcoming Test series is an extremely crucial one.
