Asif Iqbal wants the ICC to stop D/N Tests

With the numerous changes in the modern era of cricket, the purest format of the game, Test cricket also underwent a massive change with the introduction of Day/Night Test matches. In the D/N Test matches, pink ball is used instead of the traditional red balls to increase the ball’s visibility under flood lights during the night. However, many cricketers have criticised this new format of Test cricket and former Pakistani skipper Asif Iqbal is the latest addition to the list.

England are currently engaged in a D/N Test series with the Windies and the first Test got over in just three days, owing to a completely lackluster performance from the Windians. Very recently, India whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in a Test series and interestingly, not a single match saw the fifth day of the Test. The steep decrease in competitiveness in Test cricket is a reason to worry for the 74-year old former cricketer and he wants ICC to stop experimenting with Test cricket any further.

“I do believe that Test cricket should not be tampered too much and this pink ball and D/N Test cricket should also be stopped. Test cricket is vintage cricket. We have seen the likes of Bradman and Ponting, Hutton and Cook, Richards and Lara, Hanif Muhammad and Younis Khan, Gavaskar and Tendulkar, Sangakkara and Jayawardena, Pollock and Smith, Turner and Williamson and so on and on performed in Test cricket, created records playing 5 day Test cricket,” said the fuming Andhra Pradesh born man while speaking to Pakistan Observer.

He also stated that ICC shouldn’t be comparing the financial revenue generation of today’s Test cricket with yesteryears’ Test cricket, as during the past generations Test cricket didn’t face tough competition from ODI and T20Is. “It is still very popular and I think if the fear is that financially it is not making the kind of money. it used to then don’t forget in the past it was not competing with ODI and T20 cricket,” said ‘Jimmy’.

“Also television is demanding more of result oriented cricket and they are getting lots of it. This is making money for the ICC and the Cricket Boards. My suggestion is to use that revenue to subsidise Test cricket, reduce gate money prices to attract crowds and stop playing games with test cricket,” he further added.

Asif contradicts against 4-day Test matches

With the recent Test matches failing to see off a final day and coming to the conclusion before it, there have been talks of reducing the length of a Test match from 5 days to 4 days. But the owner of 53 Test wickets is completely against it and feels only the two teams who are very recently given Test status, Ireland and Afghanistan should engage in 4-day Tests.

“The recent series between India and Sri Lanka and the recent series of West Indies should not be used as an excuse to reduce their series to 4 day Tests. To start with, I suggest that Ireland and Afghanistan should play only 4-day test cricket,” he signed off.