Asian Test Championships: Committee to suggest playing conditions (28 December 1998)
KARACHI, Dec 27: A three-member committee of former stalwarts would propose the playing conditions of the inaugural Asian Test championships tentatively scheduled to start in March next year
28-Dec-1998
28 December 1998
Asian Test Championships: Committee to suggest playing conditions
By Our Sports Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 27: A three-member committee of former stalwarts would
propose the playing conditions of the inaugural Asian Test
championships tentatively scheduled to start in March next year.
The committee comprises Sunil Gavaskar (India), Asantha de Mel (Sri
Lanka) and Majid Khan (Pakistan).
The committee would suggest to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) how to
run the event which is to be organized on single league basis.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Majid Khan said on
Sunday that since the ACC governing body is based in Sri Lanka, it
would finalize the date and venue of the meeting of the technical
committee.
But the meeting is unlikely to be held oon as Sunil Gavaskar is
presently in New Zealand with the Indian cricket team and is not
expected to return until the Indians conclude their tour.
However, the former Pakistan captain said that the committee would be
evaluating the domestic structures of all the three Test playing
countries and would pick the best points from the three systems.
"I don't know about the structure of India and Sri Lanka. But when
the committee would meet, it would study all the structures," stated
Majid from Lahore.
Majid said there were several methods to decide the fate of the match
in case of draw. He said there can be batting, bowling and first
innings leads points. He said bonus points can also be included in
case a team achieves an outright victory.
He was, nevertheless, unsure if the first innings of the matches
would be restricted to a certain number of overs.
Pakistan had retained the format of batting and bowling points for
years but later scrapped them after reports that teams were favouring
the opponents to save them either from relegation or putting them
into the knock out stage. Presently, only two first innings lead
points or 10 match win points are awarded in Pakistan's domestic
cricket.
"The proposal which will be workable under the conditions would be
applied in the Asian Test Championship," said Majid.
Majid Khan said the ACC would decide when the second championship
should be held. "The ACC would decide whether Asian Test Championship
should be an annual event or held after every two years."
However, Majid said the teams would be clashing on alternative
venues. "If Pakistan is facing India at Calcutta, the next time the
match would be held in Pakistan. Similarly, Sri Lanka would face
India in the next championship while Pakistan would travel to Sri
Lanka."
The prospects of next Asian Test Championship is expected in 2000
when India tour Pakistan for three-Test matches in October. In the
same year, there is a suggestion of Sri Lanka visiting Pakistan.
Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)