Stewart calls for floodlights to be used in Test matches

Staff

December 15, 2000

One of England's heroes in their famous victory in the gloom of Karachi to clinch the Test series against Pakistan has called for floodlights to be used in Test matches to avoid games being curtailed by bad light.

Pakistan captain Moin Khan had tried to deprive England of victory by slowing down the over rate in the hope that the players would have to come off for bad light.

But umpire Steve Bucknor refused Moin's requests to leave the field, so giving England the time to reach their target.

Like everybody in the crowd and the fielders themselves, Alec Stewart had little idea where the ball went after Graham Thorpe secured victory with an inside edge as darkness descended.

But the England wicket-keeper/batsman feels that such a situation need not happen again - at least at grounds with floodlights.

Speaking exclusively to CricInfo, Stewart said: "We were offered the light at about a quarter past five but there was no way we were coming off. The game finished at ten to six in conditions you wouldn't expect to see too often in Test cricket.

"We've all played club cricket - I used to play in 15 eight-ball over competitions which used to start at about six o'clock and would finish about nine and we wouldn't have played in light like that for club games.

"If it was up to me I'd make it a rule now that if floodlights are at the ground they should be used, both for the benefit of the paying customers and for the players, whether they're batting or bowling. I think that's a law that will probably, or possibly, come in."

© Cricinfo

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