No six-day Tests against India

Pakistan have ruled out the possibility playing six-day Tests against India in January 2006 to solve the problem of bad light curtailing play.

Inspite of the ICC's willingness to consider six-day Tests in Pakistan, Saleem Altaf, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director of cricket operations, said that Pakistan and India would play five-day Tests due to logistical problems posed by the extra day.

"We can talk to the Indian board and have a mutual agreement to have six-day tests. But it is not practical now since the itinerary has already been finalised," Altaf told The News. "Secondly, the tour schedule is already very tight and we are not in a position to have extra days and we don't think even the Indians would agree to such a proposal at this stage.

"For six-day Tests to be allowed in Pakistan obviously changes will have to be made to the Future Tours Programme (FTP) of the ICC and I don't see that happening without consent of all other boards and before next year."

England's current winter tour of Pakistan has been severely affected by bad light. West Indies and Zimbabwe are scheduled to tour Pakistan in November and December 2006.