Asian Test Championships: Committee to suggest playing conditions (28 December 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/)