Lights, cameras, action!

The use of floodlights in Test cricket got the go-ahead on Monday, when the International Cricket Council formally approved the proposal first put forward by the Australian Cricket Board with support from the United Cricket Board of South Africa.

Thus, the upcoming tour of Australia by South Africa is set to create history, when for the first time the lights will be turned on the longer version of the game. And with that, the phrase "Bad light stops play" will become an anachronism as far as cricket reporting, and record books, are concerned.

ICC chief executive David Richards, briefing the media on the outcome of Monday's deliberations, said, ``Providing both countries agree before a test series, artificial lighting may be turned on in conditions of adverse natural light to assist play to continue within the normal hours of play."

As it stands, the rule makes eminent sense. Given that lights are available, why not use them in situations where failing light threatens to bring play to a premature end? The use of lights in such situations, thus, will help ensure that games are not drawn because of light, and related, factors.

Richards added a codicil that, for now, has important connotations. "The hours of play will not be altered to allow day/night Test cricket." What this means, in effect, is that you won't have a situation where a Test begins late in the afternoon and continues into the night. Rather, Test matches will begin in the morning, and the lights will be turned on only if natural light begins to fade to an extent that makes play untenable.

However, day-night Test cricket could well become a reality a year from now, when the ICC reviews the position at its annual conference in June 1988. Calls for Test cricket to begin late in the afternoon and extend into the night have been raised by the UCBSA and the ACB, and with the ICC management headed, today, by the business-oriented Jagmohan Dalmiya, the advantage of playing Test cricket at night and thus wooing the office-going fan could well tilt the scales in favour of the idea.

And this, in turn, will introduce the white ball, black sightscreen and coloured clothing into that last bastion of conventionality - the five day game.

Another major decision taken on Monday, as an aftermath to the meeting of captains of the nine Test playing nations at Lord's on June 11, was to allow umpires to call for the third umpire to adjudicate, via the television replay, on catches that hold an element of doubt.

It will be recalled that in the just completed third Test of the ongoing Ashes series, Australian batsman Greg Blewett's edge was snapped up by Engalnd's Nasser Hussain in the slips. Officiating umpire S Venkatraghavan of India consulted with square leg umpire George Sharp, and ruled the batsman out. Television replays however indicated that the ball may have touched the turf before being caught. As per the new ICC guidelines, in the case of similar instances in future, the umpires on the ground will signal for the third umpire to adjudicate, as is done today in the case of close stumpings and run outs.

``Only if both umpires are unable to make a decision, can a replay be sought using the normal TV replay signal," explains Richards. "The third umpire will signify his decision by the red/green light system.''

Some concern is being expressed in cricket circles over where this trend could be headed. Will, for instance, the ICC ultimately decide that close LBW decisions, bat-pad catches and such be decided on by the third umpire?

Possibly. Then again, where lies the harm? After all, if the technology exists then why not use it and eliminate, as far as possible, the human error factor from umpiring?

The extension of the use of television replays, currently only in operation for run-outs and stumpings, should help to reduce the number of cases of potential controversy over whether a fielder has taken a catch cleanly or not.

Richards said: ``If the umpire at the bowler's end is uncertain as to whether the ball carried he will follow the normal practice of consulting the square leg umpire.

``Only if both umpires are unable to make a decision, can a replay be sought using the normal TV replay signal. The third umpire will signify his decision by the red/green light system.''

A rather trickier decision was the one that retains the two-bouncers-per-over rule in Test cricket. In fact, bowling captains such as Wasim Akram of Pakistan and Courtney Walsh of the West Indies argued in favour of scrapping the rule altogether, and going back to the earlier practise of allowing the bowler full freedom to decide on the number of bouncers he will bowl.

This, however, was opposed by the other captains - it is, after all, a batsman's world. Ultimately, the consensus was in favour of retaining the two-an-over rule - which is not quite as iniquitious as it sounds, given that the quota of 90 overs in a day, two bouncers per over, actually permits the bowlers to deliver 180 short-pitched stuff.

Richards said: ``The countries felt that the experimental regulation, of a maximum of two bouncers an over, has been a success. It has therefore been confirmed as an on-going condition as regards to Test cricket.''

The ICC are also concerned about the volume of international cricket being played and Richards said the issue would be raised with the various cricketing boards as ``a matter of priority.''

Interestingly, the system of fining teams for slow over-rates has been reviewed at the instance of the captains who felt that over-rate fines imposed even on teams that bowled the opposition out was unfair.

``Over rate fines will not from here on be imposed if a side is dismissed in 50 overs or less in a Test match, or 35 overs or less in a one-day international," Richards explained.

``This new rule recognises the difficulty of meeting the average of 15 overs per hour, with only fast bowlers in operation through such short innings. It also takes into account the delays that occur when batsmen are out in quick succession - the time for a new batsman to come in, for the field to be repositioned and such. It was felt that to penalise a bowling side for getting batsmen out quickly, as was the inadvertent effect of such over-rate penalties, was unfair.''

Thus, the penalty will now be levied only in the case of innings that last more than 50 overs in the case of Tests - in other words, when an innings lasts four hours or more.

The foremost item on the agenda, as far as the Test captains were concerned, was an excess of cricket.

``In 1996-97, 41 Tests and 101 one-day internationals were played," said Richards. "The captains felt this was an excessive number, and the ICC is inclined to agree. "We have reached a decision to limit each country to no more than 10 to 12 Tests and 25 to 30 one-day internationals, per year.

``The programme should ideally include an eight-week break to allow players to recharge mentally and overcome minor injuries," Richards added.

However, these are merely broad guidelines. The details will be ironed out at the executive board meeting of the ICC in December, Richards added.

And oh yes, one other important decision was taken by the ICC on Monday - to wit, that the captains of all Test-playing nations will meet once a year, to liaise with administrators on all matters relating to the conduct of the game.