More attempts at killing test cricket in Kolkata this morning. Bad light stops play before lunch at Eden Gardens, a ground that has recently had massive amounts spent on it and could probably do with the revenue brought in by those people left who are still remotely interested in wanting to watch test cricket – and more importantly, a ground with floodlights..
I understand that Darren Sammy was only doing what was best for his team (in the short term) by deliberately bringing on his quick bowlers. What I can’t understand is why did he, as captain of West Indies, and MS Dhoni decide at the start of the series not too use the floodlights in the event of bad light?
It was reported in the commentary that both teams decided the lights wouldn’t be used. Was it actually a case of both captains deciding this, or is it a case that they couldn’t decide, so the default setting is that if a decision can’t be reached, the floodlights stay off?
What I really can’t understand though is why ICC haven’t taken this negative tactic out of the players hands and decided that they will make it mandatory that teams play under floodlights in bad light, obviously within reasonable conditions.
I’m sure if I search back through this blog, I will find numerous articles wrote by me on this subject, and there will no doubt be more until something is done and ICC decide to enforce this much needed rule change instead of letting test cricket slowly strangle any life it has left in it, out of itself.
