Australia vs. Pakistan Test Day Two: Play halted by ‘gut feel’ call, after Umpires stuck with a broken light meter

Thirty thousand disgruntled cricket fans were sent home early after umpires took players from the field due to bad light, despite not having a working light meter with them to gauge an accurate reading.

Thirty thousand disgruntled Test cricket fans were sent home early on a ‘gut feel’ by umpires, after a broken light meter triggered outrage at the SCG.

This masthead can reveal that umpires took players off the field due to bad light midway through day two, despite not having a working light meter with them to gauge an accurate reading.

Umpires aren’t supposed to suspend play for bad light unless they’ve performed an official reading, but the on-field officials on Thursday were forced to make a Judgement call after their light meter broke.

Play has been abandoned.

We’ll commence at 10am tomorrow 🏏 pic.twitter.com/W7lcJkUQUF

— Sydney Cricket Ground (@scg) January 4, 2024

Test cricket greats Michael Vaughan and Mark Waugh savaged International Cricket Council administrators for not doing more to prioritise fans over upholding antiquated traditions of the game, at a time when many around the world feel Test cricket is in crisis.

Waugh was adamant conditions on day two were not dangerous and believes umpires are too reactive in suspending play for light that might not be perfect, but is part of the game.

Pakistan were asked by umpires if they were prepared to bowl two spinners, but when captain Shan Masood declined, play was suspended – despite it being another 40 minutes until rain arrived.

It’s understood match officials later located a light meter that was working, but by that time players were already off the field and never returned.

A day that started all abuzz with excitement over David Warner’s potentially last Test match innings, ended in an all too familiar malaise as 30,038 fans were robbed of seeing another ball being bowled after 2.23pm.

Test cricket greats Michael Vaughan (far right) and Mark Waugh (right) were critical of the ICC on Day two at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Picture: Getty Images

Former England captain Vaughan slammed the International Cricket Council for not doing enough to protect Test cricket.

“My issue with Test cricket, it’s like a grade two listed building,” Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.

“It’s almost as if you can’t touch it, you can’t do anything with it.

“Those administrators, the ICC, all the boards around the world they have to realise that the afternoon we’re seeing now where the players are walking off for light, it just shouldn’t happen.

“This is the real frustration of Test cricket that they’ve not found a solution [to bad light]. There’s a huge amount of people in here today, so many young kids watching Test cricket. It could be their first day watching Test match cricket and they’re seeing two teams sat in the dressing room.”

Australian star Usman Khawaja defended umpires for the decision to walk off the field, while Pakistan refused to comment on the controversial call.

Fellow Fox Cricket commentator Waugh is adamant the benchmark for when bad light is called needs to be changed.

“We’re getting mixed up on the line between not perfect light and dangerous light,” Waugh said.

“There’s no way it’s dangerous out there.

“We saw Steve Smith play a hook shot off [Aamir] Jamal about 20 minutes before we went off, the light was very similar.

“I think the level it is set is too much in favour of not playing. We should be playing, it’s not dangerous out there.”

Usman Khawaja defended the umpires for the decision to walk off the field. Picture: AFP

One potential solution regularly floated with light delays is flexibility around being able to use a pink ball in all Test matches.

While there are questions raised about the impact on the integrity of the match, Vaughan believes it’s a step the ICC must look at to ensure more days of cricket aren’t lost.

“Just go straight to a pink ball, have a box of balls, get one that is 47 to 50 overs and get on with the game,” Vaughan said.

“If you’ve spent a huge amount of money for this day and all your young kids are with you and you’re seeing this – Test cricket it has to come up with a better solution, we should be playing.”

Khawaja said he fundamentally disagreed with the concept of a pink ball being introduced mid-match to prevent bad light calls.

The Australian star said Test cricket relies on its integrity and that critics needed to keep in perspective that there are five days to get a result.

Originally published as Australia vs. Pakistan Test Day Two: Play halted by ‘gut feel’ call, after Umpires stuck with a broken light meter