The second Test between England vs Pakistan was more of rain vs bad light competition than actually a real Test in Southampton. The match was badly affected because of adverse weather which halted the game for extended intervals and subsequently frustrated players. A total of 92 overs were bowled in Pakistan’s first innings which carried on until day 3.
Thus, England’s head coach Chris Silverwood believes that there is no harm to begin the match early from the scheduled time to make up for the lost time when the weather doesn’t support.
As Pakistan and England now head to play the third Test, the weather in Southampton remains adverse. So, the suggestions have been passed to start the match 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled time.
Currently, all Test matches in England start at 11 am with the provision of adding time at the end of the day’s play.
Chris Silverwood is not against the suggestion and had said that there will be no complaints from them if the Test matches start early. However, there has been no official statement given by the board.
“What is the harm in starting at half-ten? That was mentioned on commentary and in the papers. We have a period we could use at the start of the day, but we lump it all on the end when we know light is probably going to be an issue again,” Silverwood told reporters.
“So to me the earlier start time would be perfectly acceptable. It makes perfect sense. I’ve had no official word it’ll happen. I know there are chats going on around it. There will be no complaints from us if it happens,” he added.
Chris Silverwood suggests using light colour ball:
Chris Silverwood had also given other solutions to overcome the bad light. He has said that the colour of the ball can be changed though he is not sure that pink ball would be the correct replacement. The head coach added that floodlights and light enhancing glasses can also be used as the option to continue with the play even in a bad light.
“There’s a lot of chat going on about possible solutions. There’s a few things we can look at. A possible change in the colour of ball is one of them. Whether pink is the answer I’m not sure, but could we use a lighter shade of red instead of the real dark reds that bowlers like because they swing more,” Chris Silverwood said.
“Could we get to a stage when floodlights offer a minimum standard of light? I’m not an expert, but could that be achieved? And are light enhancing glasses an option as well? We all want to play as much as possible. That’s what we’re here for,” Chris Silverwood concluded.
Meanwhile, England is leading in the three-match Test series with winning the first Test while the second Test ended in a draw. The visitors will have to toil hard in the third Test match to level the series. Notably, Pakistan has never lost a series against Pakistan for over a decade.