Joe Root keen for ICC changes after rain and bad light ruin second Test

The England captain added that he wouldn’t be against the possibility of starting earlier than 11am in order to make up time for overs lost on other days

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The nature of the playing conditions that led to several long delays in England’s draw with Pakistan in the second Test should be looked at by the ICC, believes Joe Root.

Just 96.2 overs were possible across the first four and a half days’ play at the Ageas Bowl, until England faced 43.1 overs on the final afternoon before shaking hands on an inevitable result.

Even on the final day, the rain had stopped in the morning but play only resumed at 3.20pm. On the previous afternoon, play was abandoned for the day at 3.45pm, before rain and bad light were replaced by blazing sunshine.

“We found ourselves in a very strange position this week with bad light playing a major factor,” Root said after the game’s conclusion. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game be affected by bad light as much as this, which is very frustrating. But also, the weather as well. It’s been very wet throughout the week.

“The groundstaff have done everything they can and thankfully we got some cricket today. I do think it’s hard to blame the umpires here. I think it’s something bigger that needs looking at higher up the chain. I’m not sure what the answers are, to be honest, so I don’t want to comment too much on it.

“Maybe there has to be a minimum standard of floodlights and play on throughout with a slightly lighter red ball rather than a dark Dukes ball. But until those things change from the ICC, the umpires have to follow the rules that are in front of them and as players we have to do as we’re told.”

Bad light and rain are part of the game but cricket must be more proactive in overcoming delays

He added that he wouldn’t be against the possibility of starting earlier than 11am in order to make up time for overs lost on other days, though questioned whether such a move would be allowed to come in for the final Test of this series, which begins later this week.

“You don’t necessarily have to start every day at 10.30am,” he suggested, “but maybe if you need to make time up, that’s something you could look at throughout the game so light isn’t as much of an issue. It’s a possibility, I suppose. Something to maybe look at.

“I just think that there are different things that might be able to be looked at and trialled, and see if there are other ways that we could potentially do things in this country in particular to avoid similar scenarios in the future.

“I do think this week has been very unique. It’ not very often that you’ll lose so much time to bad light in a five-day game. It is frustrating and it’s obviously been a huge talking point here, but I do think it needs to be addressed somewhere somehow.”

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