Inzamam renews call for six-day Tests

Inzamam-ul-Haq: 'It's difficult to pull crowds in stadiums with shortened days' © Getty Images

Inzamam-ul-Haq has renewed calls for Test matches in Pakistan to be extended to six days to reduce the impact of bad light and poor weather.

The suggestion was first made last season when play in Tests against England was severely limited by poor light at both ends of the day. The problem resurfaced during the first Test against West Indies at Lahore.

"We lost 15 overs a day because of poor natural light," Inzamam said. "I think now it is time that we should start playing six-day Test matches in those cities where sun sets early."

Heavy fog rules out an early start to play in Lahore and other Test venues such as Multan and Faisalabad in Pakistan's Punjab province, while bad light curtails play in the evenings. Last year the Pakistan Cricket Board also urged the ICC to consider six-day Tests and experimented with orange cricket balls in domestic matches to combat the problem of poor light.

"If we play a six-day Test match with 75 overs a day during the winter season it would be good for cricket and it won't put pressure on the teams," Inzamam said. "It's difficult to pull crowds in stadiums with shortened days."