ICC should consider three changes to bad light ruling for Tests: Clark

Sydney, Dec.9 (ANI): Former Australian fast bowler Stuart Clark has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to consider three fundamental changes with regard to light. In an article for the Sydney Morning Herald, Clark said that in first instance, the ICC, rather than making decisions from Dubai, should go out and ask the players from around the world about the reality of what is happening. "They should not just sit in their ivory tower and make decisions based on statistics, reports or history," he said. Second, the measurement of when the umpires can remove the players from the field needs to be altered. It should now be based solely on the probability of a batsman getting injured because he can't see the ball. Why not allow the option of using slow bowlers in fading light? Third, there needs to be clarity around the use of lights and whether they are suitable for use with the red ball, " Clark says. He further goes on to say that the recently held Brisbane Test reinforced the ridiculous situation in regard to bad light rulings, the use (or at times non-use) of the light towers, and the umpires, on instruction of the ICC, continuing to rob the fans who paid to watch cricket. "The light saga is nothing new in Test cricket. In years gone by it was the batsmen who usually decided when they would go off: if the batting team had a chance to win they would stay out there and risk life and limb, but if they were a chance to lose, then their whingeing and whining about the lack of visibility could be heard miles away," says Clark. To remove these tactics, the ICC has now given the umpires full control of the light in an attempt to eradicate the subjective use of lighting to advantage one team. They will not take into account the situation of the game, but rather just the visibility and make independent assessments from there. The usual line of thinking from the umpires in these situations is if they feel the light is disadvantageous to either team then they will choose to go off. However, whether or not this is good for Test cricket is another story. Test cricket is in the entertainment business and it needs to start ensuring it gives the fans the full Test cricket experience, Clark concludes. (ANI)