Joe Root calls for law changes after England frustrated in Pakistan draw

The second Test against Pakistan came to a fittingly flat finale on Monday evening as the home side finished on 110-4 replying to Pakistan’s 236, a total made across four interrupted days.

A paltry total of 134.2 overs were bowled in the match, including little more than 10 over the weekend, with time lost to a killer combination of poor visibility, showers and a saturated outfield – the smallest amount of on-field action in this country since 1987.

The plentiful delays created a space that was filled with plenty of debate and conjecture, with the light issue generating most heat. Some advocate pulling forward the ring-fenced 11am start, others want the pink ball to be used as it already is in day/night Test cricket and others have called for teams to play on regardless if stadium floodlights are of a suitable specification.

Crucially, though, Root absolved umpires Richard Kettleborough and Michael Gough of any fault amid suggestions that the pair’s decision to call stumps on Sunday at 3.50pm had drawn widespread disapproval within the game.

“I think it’s hard to blame the umpires here. There’s something bigger that needs looking at higher up the chain,” said Root. “This is way above my pay grade, but there are different things that could be trialled to avoid similar scenarios in future. It’s frustrating, it’s been a huge talking point and I think it needs to be addressed somewhere, somehow.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game be affected by bad light as much as this. I’m not exactly sure what the answers are to be honest, so I don’t want to comment too much on it, but maybe there’s got to be a minimum standard of floodlights and play on throughout.

“Maybe with a slightly brighter red ball rather than a dark Dukes ball. You don’t necessarily have to start every day at 10.30am but maybe if you need to make time up, that’s something you can look at throughout the game too so that light isn’t as much of an issue.

“But until those things change from the ICC, the umpires have to follow the rules that are in front of them and as players we have to do as we are told. I think both teams did that to the best of their ability and luckily we got some cricket on.”

Match report: Page 23