Pak rules out six-day Tests against India

LAHORE—Pakistan has ruled out the possibility of six-day tests against India next year to overcome the problem of bad light reducing the number of overs in matches. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of Cricket Operations, Saleem Altaf said India would play five-day Tests despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) saying it was ready to consider six-day games in Pakistan during the winter.
The current test series against England has been badly hit by poor light conditions at the end of the day resulting in loss of overs. “We can talk to the Indian board and have a mutual agreement to have six-day tests. But it is not practical now since the itinerary has already been finalised,” Altaf told newsmen.
“Secondly the tour schedule is already very tight and we are not in a position to have extra days and we don’t think even the Indians would agree to such a proposal at this stage,” he said. Altaf said, however, that Pakistan would definitely be taking up the issue with the ICC to find a solution to the problem of matches being affected.
Zimbabwe and West Indies are due to tour next November and December, the time of the year when the winter season sets in Pakistan. “For six-day tests to be allowed in Pakistan obviously changes will have to be made to the future tours program of the ICC and I don’t see that happening without consent of all other boards and before next year,” Altaf added. India are scheduled to tour Pakistan from January 1 and play tests in Lahore and Faisalabad, two venues where England have faced problems.—Agencies