Former Australian pacer Brett Lee doesn’t mind the ICC exploring ways to popularise Test cricket but says it’s “ridiculous” to see players wearing names and numbers on their white flannels.
Lee’s critical opinion comes a day after Adam Gilchrist, the42-year-old’s former teammate, called the latest innovation “rubbish”.
Earlier this year, the International Cricket Council (ICC)allowed Test-playing nations to have the players sport their names and numberson their jerseys.
While the move found many takers, a few did not seemconvinced. “For what it’s worth I’m strongly against the players numbers &names appearing on the back of test cricket shirts! I think it looksridiculous. @ICC I love the changes you’ve made to cricket in general, but onthis occasion you’ve got it wrong,” Lee tweeted.
“In fact, I’ll take my apology back. The names and numbersare rubbish. Enjoy the series everyone,” Gilchrist said on Thursday whilewishing the players luck for the Ashes series.
In another tweet, the former wicketkeeper-batsman said,”Outstanding. We are underway. Sorry to sound old fashioned but not liking thenames and numbers.”
Out of favour Indian off-spinner R Ashwin also took anindirect dig on the decision.
“Should the sweaters have numbers on them too??#ashes2019,”Ashwin tweeted. The ICC move is aimed at popularising the longest format of thegame. England and Australia became the first two cricketing nations to wearnames and numbers on their jerseys for the first time in the 142-year historyof Test cricket.The English county sides as well as theAustralian state sides playing the Sheffield Shield are used to wearing whiteswith names and numbers on the back. But this will be an altogether newexperience for the Indian team, which will play the matches of the World TestChampionship against the West Indies wearing white shirts with their names andnumbers printed on them.