Eastern Eye (UK)

VAUGHAN PITCHES FOR ICC ACTION

-

FORMER England captain Michael Vaughan last Friday (26) said the more India was allowed to “get away” with producing pitches not deemed good enough for Test cricket, the more “toothless” the ICC (Internatio­nal Cricket Council) would look.

England last Thursday (25) suffered a 10-wicket defeat in the third Test against India on a spinfriend­ly Ahmedabad track to go down 1-2 in the four-match series. The game ended inside two days, with the pitch drawing flak from former players including Vaughan, though Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar credited the country’s spinners for the win rather than blaming the surface.

“The longer powerful countries like India are allowed to get away with it, the more toothless the ICC will look,” Vaughan wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

“The governing body are allowing India to produce whatever they wish and it is Test cricket that is getting hurt,” he added.

Vaughan, who led England from 2003 to 2008, felt broadcaste­rs asking for their money back if a match finishes too soon may help change things.

“Perhaps it will take broadcaste­rs to ask for refunds for things to change. They accept Tests finishing early because the players are not good enough, but not when home boards produce such poor pitches. They are left with three blank days but are still having to pay for production... and might think twice about good money for Test rights,” he said.

Vaughan called India’s triumph “a shallow victory” but admitted that the home team was much better equipped to deal with the conditions.

“India won the third Test but it was a shallow victory. In fact, there was no winners from that game at all,” Vaughan started his column with these words.

He added, “Yet, India showed their skill. We are not being fair if we do not accept that their skill levels in those conditions are far better than England’s. But the good of the game needs to be looked at and as ex-players it is our duty to call it out.”

Vaughan said the pitches in the last two Tests have not been fair to the players. “We have to recognise that these players are battling for their careers, and over the last two weeks they have been let down by the surfaces.”

He also blamed England’s rotational policy and said they deserved to be in the position they were in at the moment.

“The disregard they showed by sending Jonny Bairstow home to walk his dogs for two weeks and then go back and bat at three against Ravi Ashwin has bitten them on the backside.”

 ??  ?? UNHAPPY: Michael Vaughan
UNHAPPY: Michael Vaughan

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom