Chris Silverwood joins calls for earlier Test start times in England

Chris Silverwood has joined the chorus of voices calling for earlier start times to Tests in England to make up play lost to bad light or rain.

Silverwood, the England coach, believes starting at 10.30am would make "a lot of sense" and confirmed there would be "no complaints from us" if the change was introduced for the final Test of the series against Pakistan starting on Friday.

Poor weather limited the second Test to just 134.3 overs; the fewest in any Test in England since 1987. There were periods of bright sunshine just before the scheduled start time on a couple of days, however, which resulted in calls for more flexibility within the game. At present, in England, time can be added on to the end of a day's play, but the start time remains rigid at 11am.

Conversations on the issue remain on-going, but it currently looks probable that the third Test will see the playing regulations adapted to allow 10.30am starts where bad light or rain has reduced the amount of play earlier in the game. It is a solution that has been used effectively elsewhere in the world and does not require ICC permission.

"The earlier start time makes a lot of sense to me," Silverwood said. "What is the harm in starting at half-ten? That was mentioned on commentary and in the papers. We have a period we could use at the start of the day, but we lump it all on the end when we know light is probably going to be an issue again. So to me the earlier start time would be perfectly acceptable. It makes sense.

"I've had no official word it'll happen. But in my opinion it would be a good idea. I know there are chats going on around it. There will be no complaints from us if it happens.

"Yes, it should be straightforward. We're all here anyway. It's not like any of us are travelling. It wouldn't be very difficult to make it happen."

ALSO READ: 'I'd love to go and visit Pakistan' - Root

One of the stumbling blocks to such an initiative in normal times is communicating such a change to spectators. But with no spectators present, that is a non-issue. Instead, it is understood there are complications surrounding the global broadcast deals but progress has been made over the last 24-hours and there is increasing confidence a solution is at hand.

So relentlessly poor has the weather been, there is a possibility the third Test will be played on the same pitch used for the second. While the intention of all involved is to use a fresh surface, the groundstaff are struggling to prepare the pitch amid the deluge. If it is a used surface, it could affect the selection of both sides with the possibility that spinners could enjoy what could be, by the end, a surface that is effectively six-and-a-half days old.

Silverwood also called for more research on other solutions to the bad light issue, including brighter balls and improved floodlights.

"There's a lot of chat going on about possible solutions," he said. "There's a few things we can look at. A possible change in the colour of ball is one of them. Whether pink is the answer I'm not sure, but could we use a lighter shade of red instead of the real dark reds that bowlers like because they swing more.

"Could we get to a stage when floodlights offer a minimum standard of light? I'm not an expert, but could that be achieved? And are light enhancing glasses an option as well? We all want to play as much as possible. That's what we're here for."