Throwing his support behind the first day-night Ashes Test next year, Australia skipper Steven Smith has said one day-nighter is enough for the iconic Test series.
The comment came after the Australian captain had previously expressed his reservations over experimenting with arguably the most fiercely-fought series in world cricket.
“I think it works pretty well with the red ball. It’s been around for years and I think playing against England we always get the viewers and the crowds out,” Smith had said in June.
“So I don’t think there is any issue there. But I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” he added.
His England counterpart Alastair Cook was also not in favour of a day-night Ashes Test. He had said:“A lot of the games have really good attendances, so I don’t think that’s a series where you need to do it at this precise moment in time.”
But Smith, it seems, has now changed his mind as he is firmly behind the cricket boards’ decision to endorse the latest innovation in the longest format of the game.
Speaking before the first Test against Pakistan, which will be the maiden day-night Test at Brisbane’s Gabba ground, Smith said:“I’m happy with just the one.”
The day-night Test cricket is seen as the potential measure to attract crowd for Test matches which has seen a steady decline in its popularity in recent years. But Smith insisted popularity has never been a problem for the Ashes series but expressed his delight that pink ball cricket is making a progress.
Smith said:“I think crowds, TV ratings and things like that are never an issue in the Ashes.You can just look and see how the last two Adelaide Tests have gone, they’ve been great spectacles, just good games of cricket.
“I think it’s great that we’re going to play an Ashes pink-ball Test there next year. I’m happy for it to just stay with one,” he added.
The Aussies have played two day-nighters so far and have won both of them comprehensively. The first one was the inaugural day-night Test against New Zealand that they won by three wickets inside three days. The second one came during the recently-concluded series against South Africa that they won by seven wickets.
On the other hand, England are yet to open their account in the day-night format. They’ill play their first ever pink-ball match ahead of next year’s Ashes against the West Indies at Edgbaston in August.
Meanwhile, Australia will look to start their upcoming series against Pakistan on a winning note when they take on the subcontinental giants at Gabba from Thursday.