'Test captains turned down light offer' - ICC

An offer for Test teams to continue playing under floodlights, in order to avoid the farcical scenes at the end of Abu Dhabi Test on Saturday, was made by the ICC in the wake of a similar finish at The Oval in 2013 but rejected across the board by the Test match captains, including those of England and Pakistan.

England were 25 runs short of victory in the opening Test against Pakistan as they chased 99 in 19 overs, of which only 11 could be bowled before the umpires took the players off despite the floodlights being in use. Two years ago, in the final Ashes Test at The Oval, England were also close to victory when play was aborted despite the presence of lights.

Neither England captain Alastair Cook or coach Trevor Bayliss were especially critical of the umpires' decision, although Cook did question whether there was the element of danger that is required for umpires to suspend play. However, it was a far-from-ideal image for a format that is struggling to retain relevance.

David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, said: "We have attempted in the past to say to the players that if we have floodlights and they are good enough to use for Test cricket that we should just bite the bullet, and, even if conditions are not as good as they might be, that we should play, finish the day or finish the match. However, that approach wasn't accepted by any of the teams as they felt it could lead to unjust finishes."

One of the major sticking points remains the red ball used for Test cricket and how it becomes difficult to pick up under floodlights, which is why the current regulations state that once artificial light takes over from natural that play should stop.

The inaugural day/night Test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide next month will feature the use of a pink ball. Reservations remain among the players but they have reluctantly accepted that they will be used as guinea pigs as part of the bigger picture.

Richardson was reported in the Times on Monday saying that there was consideration being given to developing a "greeny yellow" ball in Test cricket that would be suitable for normal and day/night hours of play. During an ICC event in Dubai, he confirmed that an alternative Test ball was being considered but said "too much" had been made of his initial comments.

"It just came to mind, I was thinking of the tennis ball which they changed to a green-yellow colour. I think too much has been made of the comment [that] we should think of a green-yellow ball. We have trialled pink and orange, and I think green-yellow has also been trialled but has been found wanting.

"We are pinning some hope on developing a different coloured ball which we can use for day/night Test cricket and, if it's good enough quality, long term, that we can use that for all matches which will help solve the problem."

On the broader subject of maintaining the relevance, and primacy, of Test cricket, Richardson said that there remained a chance of a Test Championship being created in the future. However, it would likely be using a league structure based over a period of years and series rather than the semi-final and final concept - based on the current Test rankings - that had been due to be held in 2017. For commercial reasons, that plan was shelved in favour of the rebirth of the Champions Trophy.

The revamping of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) - which was taken out of the hands of the ICC during the Big Three carve up - is due to take place, and the context of bilateral series will be high on the agenda.

"We are optimistic we can develop something for Test cricket more along the lines of a proper Test Championship, more than just random Test series," Richardson said. "A Test league, at the end of which you can crown a champion, is something we'd like to consider quite seriously but there's a long way to go and we need to consult widely."

Currently, the ICC Test mace is presented on a rolling basis to whichever country is top of the rankings on the April 1 cut-off, along with a relatively modest US$500,000 prize.