Cricket world fumes over 'crazy' farce as players taken from ground in SCG Test
Bad light halted play on day two at the SCG, resulting in a chorus of boos to ring out around the stadium.
At a time when Test matches are under great threat from the monster that is T20 cricket, farcical scenes at the SCG have underlined the challenge the longest form of the game faces. Players in the third Test between Australia and Pakistan were taken from the field midway through day two after the umpires deemed the light not good enough to continue.
That's despite having the SCG's giant light towers on full beam and the not-out batsmen – Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne – in no obvious discomfort. The big crowd booed as the players left the ground, leading to heavy criticism from some of the game's biggest names.
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Former Australia opener and coach Justin Langer led the way, labelling the decision "crazy". He told Channel 7: "It is crazy that these guys aren't playing cricket.
"They've got a big crowd. They've come here for David Warner's last game. It's the Pink Test. It's a competitive, combative Test match yet we're walking off the ground. It's not great for the game of cricket that this is happening right now.”
Damien Fleming added: "Quite rightly, the crowd are booing. Because they want to see cricket. The lights are on. Let's keep playing!" Former England captain Michael Vaughan has been a longtime critic of cricket's antiquated laws surrounding bad light and rain and was left stunned by the decision.
"Seriously, is it that dangerous? Come on," the Fox Cricket commentator declared. "One of my bugbears with Test match cricket is that we just find a way to get off the pitch at any opportunity. T20 cricket, 50 over cricket – you just stay out there and go through with it. It’s an entertaining business.
"There's no threat to the batters. Okay, you might get out, you might play a poor shot but I haven’t seen one delivery where Marnus or Steve Smith has looked at the ball and thought 'haven’t quite picked that out of the hand'.
"I just can't stand this happening in the game of Test match cricket – the game's greatest format. The game continues to have these moments."
Shan Masood refuses umpire's request to bowl spin
Pakistan captain Shan Masood was reportedly given the opportunity to continue with a spinner operating at one end but rejected the offer. Former international umpire Simon Taufel explained: "What's going through the umpires' mind is safety, safety of the players and also safety of themselves and, two, maximising playing time.
"I imagine Shan Masood has said ‘I don't want to bowl my pace guy from the other end’. That left the umpires with no option but to take the players from the field until the light improves." Australia was 2-116 in reply to Pakistan's first innings total of 313 when play stopped.
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