BCCI’s Jay Shah explains why India will no longer host Pink Ball Tests

Jay Shah, Secretary of the BCCI, explained why India has discontinued hosting Pink Ball Tests at home.

He pointed out that these day-night Tests often conclude within two days, which disappoints both spectators and broadcasters who expect longer matches.

"Spectators and broadcasters are losing out," he explained. "Ultimately, we have to look at their sentiments also. As a fan if you are buying a ticket for five days and if the match ends in two days, there is no refund. I am very emotional about that issue."

He acknowledged that while some day games also end quickly due to poor opposition performance, it is not a frequent occurrence.

"It's not happening often. If it happens once in a while and if the opposition plays badly, how can I help? When our players do well, I can't tell our players to ensure the match lasts longer," he said.

Regarding women's Test matches and a potential World Test Championship for them, Shah indicated that global participation in Test cricket needs to increase beyond a few nations like India, Australia, and England.

"It can happen only when all countries start playing Test cricket. The problem is, apart from India, Australia and England, other teams are not playing Tests. New Zealand and South Africa have started playing Tests lately. Things will progress when all countries start playing Tests," he said.

He advocated for a dedicated fund for Test cricket's sustainability, discussing ongoing ICC discussions on this matter, as he serves on the ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs committee.

"I am a member of F&CA (Finance and Commercial Affairs) of the ICC. I have suggested there should be a dedicated fund for Test cricket. It's very expensive to host Test matches. If the (ICC) Board approves, we can do that. We're trying to create a special fund for Test cricket.