Ian Chappell Criticizes Test Cricket's Slow Pace Amid T20 Craze

The T20 craze has put Test cricket in jeopardy, but Australian great Ian Chappell believes that the "abysmal pace of play" is also harming the red-ball game.

Chappell accused the batsmen of squandering too much time in the middle of the ball in his ESPNcricinfo essay.

"Test cricket matches go at an extremely slow pace. Every day it slows down, and nothing is being done to make things better.

He had said, "On the one hand, Ben Stokes genuinely strives to improve the entertainment quotient of Test cricket but he's being undermined by the administrators' lack of initiative," and then posed several important queries.

"Why are hitters not penalized for meeting mid-pitch during overs to talk about who knows what? Why do batters not get told that when a bowler is about to throw, they should be in their stance at the crease according to etiquette?

"Aside from severe heat, why permit alcohol consumption at periods other than scheduled breaks? Why are glove replacements so frequent? "Surely, this is more superstition than necessity," he inquired.

The DRS has also contributed to the slow tempo of the game, says Chappell."Have administrators heard that players and umpires shouldn't dispute calls? So why do those same administrators permit players to challenge umpire rulings, so encouraging argumentation? Replays are taking too long, and the amount of tactical reviews is becoming out of control.

"Why are athletes free to attack referees without facing consequences while they are appealing? I was horrified to witness Australian athletes engaging in such reprehensible behavior during the recent SCG Test."

NZ wins, Pakistan chokes in the chase

Hamilton: In the second Twenty20 International (T20I) on Sunday, New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 21 runs, establishing a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, despite losing their skipper in a late-inning collapse.

After trailing 111/1 after ten overs, the Black Caps batting first failed to build on the momentum of the first half of their innings, finishing 194/8. After skipper Kane Williamson left the game with a sore hamstring after 10 overs, the batting collapse ensued.

Pakistan was dismissed for 173 in the twentieth over after faltering in the second half of their innings as well.

After suffering a severe knee injury, Williamson is gradually recovering, and any delay to his recovery would be concerning to New Zealand. Williamson did not field, but he was still warmed up and seemed ready to bat as the New Zealand innings came to a finish.

In the early stages of the New Zealand innings, Finn Allen's 74 off 41 balls set a blistering pace.

“It was a good surface which we've come to expect here at Seddon Park and the way Finn Allen and the boys at the top set it up was very pleasing,” New Zealand's stand-in captain Tim Southee said.

Adam Milne (4/33) was the top bowler for the hosts.

In brief, the scores were Finn Allen 74, Haris Rauf 3/38, and New Zealand 194/8 in 20 overs. Pakistan 173 in 19.3 over (Adam Milne 4/33; Babakhar Zaman 50, Babbar Azam 66). New Zealand prevailed by 21 runs.

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