Michael Vaughan has slammed the umpires’ decision to halt the second day’s play of the third Test match between Australia and Pakistan due to bad light, calling it one of his “bugbears with Test cricket”.
With Australia at 2-116 midway through the second session, umpires Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth made the call to direct the players off the ground, citing poor light in overcast conditions.
The Pakistani players, led by skipper Shan Masood tried to plead their case, but it fell on deaf ears and Vaughan understood their frustration.
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“The umpires are out in the middle having a chat, you just wonder if they are talking about the light, I hope not. Yeah they are, here we go,” Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.
“Seriously, is it that dangerous? Come on.
“Australia have lost two wickets, is it that dangerous? One of my bugbears with Test match cricket is that we just seem to find a way of getting off the pitch at any opportunity.
“T20 cricket, 50 over cricket, you just stay out there and go through with it. It’s an entertaining business.
“There’s no threat to the batters. Alright, you might get out, you might play a poor shot. I haven’t seen one delivery where Marnus or Steve Smith has sort of looked like they haven’t picked it up out of the hand.
“I just can’t stand this happening in the game of Test match cricket, the greatest format. The game continues to have these kind of moments.”
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Co-commentator and Pakistani great Wasim Akram was in agreeance, lamenting that this is “Test cricket in this day and age”.
Adam Gilchrist went on to reveal on the broadcast that the on field umpires told Masood that play could only continue under the provision that Pakistan would only bowl spin.
“(Masood) wanted to keep bowling (fast bowler) Aamir Jamal,” Gilchrist said.
“I agree with Masood. Why should he have to bowl only spin,” Akram added.
Vaughan suggested an idea the ICC should implement when situations like this one arise.
Australia will play the West Indies in a day/night Test match beginning on January 25 where a pink ball will be used, and Vaughan wondered why a pink ball couldn’t be used when poor light plays havoc in a red ball Test match.
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“It’s so frustrating. In a couple of test matches we will be using a pink ball in Brisbane. Can’t we just carry on? Don’t you have a box of pink balls of certain ages and you get one out that is 47-50 overs old and just carry on with the pink ball and the game,” he said.
“I just can’t have with Test cricket that we have so many moments like this.
“There’s a good crowd in, we have a tight test match and now the cameras are going to be looking at players on the balcony doing nothing.”
Mark Waugh added: “I like that, but my solution is even simpler.
“I think we’re getting mixed up with the line between not perfect light and dangerous light. There’s no way it’s dangerous out there.
“We saw Steve Smith play a hook shot off Jamal about 20 minutes before they went off. The light was very similar.
“I think the level that it’s set at is too much in favour of not playing. We should be playing, it’s not dangerous out there. No way in the world.”
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