Ravi Shastri claims India team wonât oppose Day-Night Tests if ICC want to pursue it
Ravi Shastri has stated that India isn't against the idea of playing Day-Night Tests while adding that they needed at least 12-18 months to prepare for it. Since the ICC has shown no support to the concept, India's maiden Day-Night Test against West Indies, in October, has also been cancelled.
In an effort to give Test cricket a boost, ICC recently announced the Test Championship, which is included in the ICC Future Tour Program (FTP) 2019-2023. Interestingly, ICC hasnât included any pink ball or D/N Tests in the Championship, which has alerted the BCCI. Keeping this in mind, the Indian Cricket Board had decided to cancel the D/N Test match against West Indies, which was to be played in October in India, and has also declined Cricket Australiaâs proposal to play a D/N Test on their tour to Australia.Â
According to reports from Cricbuzz, Indian cricket team Head Coach, Ravi Shastri, recently had a meeting with Committee of Administrators (CoA), who are overseeing the affairs at the board, and conveyed that the team requires time to prepare for the Tests under light but they were not against the concept if ICC wants to pursue it. However, the coach also stated his concerns that there wasnât enough time to prepare for the matches, as the World Cup is just over a year ahead. He said that the team would at least require 12-18 months to prepare for the Tests under lights. TOI had already reported before that D/N Tests are not anywhere near BCCIâs top priority.Â
Reports also mention that Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has termed Indiaâs refusal to play D/N Tests as a âdesperation to win down underâ. Sutherland took up the issue in an e-mail to the BCCI, however, BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary was told by CoA to express their denial for the concept. Â
On Thursday, in an e-mail to Choudhary, TOI reported CoA head Vinod Rai writing, "The CoA had a discussion with the head coach of the senior men's team on April 12, during which he apprised the committee that whilst the team and the management are not averse to playing Day-Night Tests, they want sufficient preparation time."