Home teams must be given the ticket to decide at least one day-night Test, says James Sutherland

05/02/2018

James Sutherland has proposed that the host nation, independent of interference, should have the option to add a Day-Night Test in the ICC Test Championship. While admitting that it might not be possible to implement it against India, he went on to claim that it is the way forward for the format.

Australia have made it a point to play a Day-Night match whenever they host a Test series at home with Adelaide being the preferred ground. Both South Africa and England have played pink ball cricket at the Adelaide Oval in the last two years much to the satisfaction of the Cricket Australia.

However, when the idea of hosting India for their first ever Day-Night Test arose, the BCCI shut down the suggestion quickly. But, Sutherland is of the opinion that playing pink ball cricket might be the only way to save the longest format of the game while adding that it could be a blessing for the ICC Test Championship that begins in 2019.

"I think personally the home country should have the right to schedule matches as it sees fit and start them at whatever time of day they want," James Sutherland said in an interview with SEN Radio.

"The Adelaide Test match in the day-night format has been a huge success. It's been a great story in terms of attendances, crowds and atmosphere but also television audiences. It's also the way of the future."

While all the Day-Night Tests that have been played at the Adelaide Oval have ended with the same conclusive result wherein Australia winning, Sutherland believes that it could be the main reason for India’s reluctance to play the format. The CA chief went as far as to assert that it would be the way forward for the Test cricket.

"India may or may not come around to that idea for this tour but I still believe it's the way of the future. I think everyone in world cricket knows that," the 52-year-old said.

India will go on to tour Australia for 3 T20Is, 4 Tests and 3 ODIs, which is scheduled to be played from November 21 to January 19.