Jay Shah reveals the reason behind India's reluctance to host Pink Ball Test matches

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah recently revealed the reason behind India's reluctance to host day/night Tests with pink balls.

Jay Shah highlighted that pink-ball matches may not offer value for money to the audience, as day/night Test matches often end in two to three days.

India last hosted a day/night Test in 2022 against Sri Lanka at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Since then, the Board of Control for Cricket in India hasn't shown interest in hosting pink-ball matches.

The BCCI didn’t conduct any pink-ball Tests in their recent Test series against Australia and England.

Overall, India has played four pink-ball Test matches. The Men in Blue played three home matches against Bangladesh, England, and Sri Lanka, and one away in Adelaide against Australia.

None of these matches lasted into the fourth day. It’s worth mentioning that two matches ended before the third day.

I Am Slightly Emotional About This - Jay Shah

Jay Shah revealed why India is not keen on hosting pink-ball Tests, adding that these matches often conclude within two to three days. Shah highlighted that fans pay for a five-day game but witness only two or three days of play.

“You buy a ticket for a five-day match, but the game ends in 2-3 days…There is no refund. I am slightly emotional about this,” Shah was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

The BCCI's stance on pink-ball Tests has changed. Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly celebrated the event as a major milestone when India played their first pink-ball Test against Bangladesh in November 2019 at Eden Gardens. Ganguly described pink-ball Tests as a positive step for Test cricket.

We Do Not Want To Give Any Signal - Jay Shah

Jay Shah said that the BCCI declined the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) request to host the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup. Shah noted that India will host the 50-over Women's World Cup next year and added that India does not want to host back-to-back World Cups.

"Next year, we'll host the 50-overs women's World Cup. We do not want to give any signal that we want to host consecutive World Cups," Shah said in the same meet.

There have been concerns about the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Bangladesh due to ongoing civil unrest. The situation has worsened with a sudden government change, and several senior BCB officials have left the country. The World Cup is scheduled to be played across two venues starting October 3.

The International Cricket Council is currently monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and will decide on the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 soon. Media reports suggest that the ICC is exploring alternative host countries with similar time zones, such as Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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