AUS vs ENG: ECB Calls For Schedule Flexibility, Reserve Days After Manchester Test Washout

The Manchester Test of Ashes 2023 ended in a draw after only 30 overs of play were possible on day four and day five completely washed out, denying England an opportunity to win the match from a favorable position.

ECB Chairman Richard Thompson said that he will hold a meeting with ICC Chairman Greg Barclay “to ensure that schedules can be more flexible” after hopes of England reclaiming the Ashes were dashed due to rain.

Former skipper Joe Root proposed flexibility in playing conditions which should be introduced to ensure that more overs are bowled in cases where rain plays spoilsport. Speaking to the Today program on BBC Radio 4, Thompson also spoke about the idea of proposing reserve days in Test matches saying that “It’s a debate that we need to have.”

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“I will talk to Greg Barclay, the chair of the ICC, for sure, just in the sense of him understanding what England has done to Test cricket. We’ve elevated that format and reinvented the way Test cricket has been played now,” ECB Chief Richard Thompson said.

“There’s significantly more excitement and interest around Test cricket now, and this is part of that broader conversation, to ensure that schedules can be more flexible to accommodate this type of strange eventuality. But we need to have that conversation” he further added.

Speaking to the reporters on the final day of the Manchester Test, Joe Root questioned the lack of flexibility in the hours of play in England, where the vast majority of Tests start at 11 am regardless of the situation.

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Why Not Start Earlier? Joe Root Afer Manchester Test Washout

“In England, it doesn’t get dark until 10 pm,”. “Why not start earlier? Root told the BBC’s Test Match Special proposing an early start in Test matches.

According to ICC’s Test match playing conditions, the home board determines the match timings and the playing conditions. He proposed that the schedule can be changed based on the timings.

Having A Reserve Day Would Be A Great Idea: ECB Chairman Richard Thompson

“You could have a look at the schedule, in terms of the times you play,” Thompson said. He concluded by saying that the idea of having a reserve day is great but whether it can be made for every Test match is a different debate altogether.

“We are in the entertainment business. You want people to leave happy and entertained. Having a reserve day – as there was in the World Test Championship [final] – would be a great idea but you’d need to do that for each Test. That’s another five days you’d need to find in the schedule. There will be a lot of debate after this series” the ECB Chief concluded saying.

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