Lord's lights up but waits on night Tests
Chloe Saltau, writing in the Age , talks to Keith Bradshaw, the MCC’s secretary, about a quiet revolution at Lord’s.
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
Chloe Saltau, writing in the Age, talks to Keith Bradshaw, the MCC’s secretary, about a quiet revolution at Lord’s.
The sacred ground will host the Twenty20 final on Sunday under its new retractable floodlights but Bradshaw said Test cricket also needed to move with the times as interest wanes in many parts of the world. As the only truly independent voice in the game, given the International Cricket Council board is comprised of sovereign nations that vote along political lines, he believes the MCC is well-placed to influence those changes.
"At the MCC we are purists and traditionalists and we're doing whatever we can to promote Test cricket. We're looking to stage neutral Test matches, we're looking at the concept of day-night Test cricket," Bradshaw said. "As a purist I think (Test cricket) is the pinnacle, and for the players it is the pinnacle, so it's important that we preserve it and the fact is numbers and interest have been reducing. Whilst I don't think for one minute that Test cricket is in danger of dying, I think we need to look ahead and look at innovative ideas."
Peter English is former Australasia editor of ESPNcricinfo