PINK BALL FREEDOM

Hosts should have more freedom to schedule Day-Night Tests: Sutherland

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

"India may or may not come around to that idea for this tour but I still believe it's the way of the future" - Sutherland © Getty

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland believes the home nation should have the freedom of scheduling Day-Night Tests without the consent of the visitors when the ICC Test Championship begins in 2019.

This comes after a few countries expressed their reluctance in the past with CA over playing the pink ball Test, with India being the latest, preferring to play the traditional red-ball Test at the Adelaide Ovallater this year in December.

"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, " Sutherland told SEN Radioon Tuesday.

"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," he said.

Australia have won all the day-night Tests played at the Adelaide Oval, defeating New Zealand, South Africa and England. Sutherland opined that their great record with the pink ball could be a reason for India's hesitance.

"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.

"To be frank, I think they want to come out here and beat us. There's a sense, or a reality, that Australia has won each of the pink-ball Test matches that have played in Australia and there may be a sense that it gives us a bit of an advantage," he added.

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

Currently, there is no mandate given by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the scheduling of the bilateral series with the kind of games to be played. Sutherland voiced that a regulation from the cricket governing authority will help the concept of Day-Night Tests grow.

"It hasn't really got to a stage where there's agreement or regulation around the table at ICC level for the home countries to be able to schedule that. We're hoping there will be some sort of regulation in there (the Test Championship) that will allow home teams to fixture at least one day-night Test match," Sutherland noted.

The nine-team Test championship begins in July 2019 with the Ashes in England. The championship will be spread across two years with a final to be played in June 2021.

© Cricbuzz

TAGS