FIVE-DAY cricket remains the ultimate format for Australia fast bowling great Glenn McGrath, who believes day-night Tests are the way forward for the format to survive in the age of the shorter Twenty20 version.
The future of the longest format has been the subject of debate since the rise of popular T20 leagues over the last decade coincided with dwindling crowds at Test matches outside cricket hotbeds Australia and England.
Officials view day-night Tests as having the potential to reverse the trend.
"I am a big fan of test cricket, to me Test cricket is still the ultimate and we've got to keep the game fresh, people enjoying it," McGrath told reporters after a Tourism Australia event to attract more Indian visitors.
"T20 has taken the world by storm, it is bringing a lot more people to cricket and that is brilliant and hopefully that will filter into Test cricket."
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport's world governing body, is also set to discuss the idea of reducing test matches by a day to free up a crowded international calendar.
But McGrath, who took 563 wickets from 124 matches, is not in favour of having four-day matches.
"We have got to keep Test cricket alive and moving forward and positive and people coming to the game. And, to me, the way to do that is day-night Test cricket. I'm big fan of it. I'm not a big fan of four-day Test cricket," he said.
"I'm very much a traditionalist - five days that's Test cricket to me. But if we can bring something new that keeps people coming to the game, then that's brilliant. Day-night cricket is that, it brings different challenges."
India have traditionally been reluctant to embrace innovation in cricket but after much heel-dragging they finally experienced a day-night Test when they faced neighbours Bangladesh in Kolkata last year.
The game's most influential nation have also agreed to play a day-night Test in Australia during their tour later this year, having declined Cricket Australia's offer of a pink ball test during their most recent tour Down Under in 2018/19.
Virat Kohli's men won the Test series 2-1 on their last visit but McGrath said Australia will be a different opposition with the return of batting aces Steve Smith and David Warner, who were serving bans due to ball tampering last time.
"Australia are playing a pretty good brand of cricket. They've got Steve Smith back and David Warner back and both playing well," said the 50-year-old McGrath.
"Having back a batsman like Dave Warner and a quality batsman like Steve Smith, it's a totally different game.
"It's going to be tougher for India. That's not to say they can't perform well. I think it's going to be a really good series this year."
UK life sciences sector contributed £17.6bn GVA in 2021 and supports 126,000 high-skilled jobs.
Inward life sciences FDI fell by 58 per cent from £1,897m in 2021 to £795m in 2023.
Experts warn NHS underinvestment and NICE pricing rules are deterring innovation and patient access.
Investment gap
Britain is seeking to attract new pharmaceutical investment as part of its plan to strengthen the life sciences sector, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said during meetings in Washington this week. “We do need to make sure that we are an attractive place for pharmaceuticals, and that includes on pricing, but in return for that, we want to see more investment flow to Britain,” Reeves told reporters.
Recent ABPI report, ‘Creating the conditions for investment and growth’, The UK’s pharmaceutical industry is integral to both the country’s health and growth missions, contributing £17.6 billion in direct gross value added (GVA) annually and supporting 126,000 high-skilled jobs across the nation. It also invests more in research and development (R&D) than any other sector. Yet inward life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 58per cent, from £1,897 million in 2021 to £795 million in 2023, while pharmaceutical R&D investment in the UK lagged behind global growth trends, costing an estimated £1.3 billion in lost investment in 2023 alone.
Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive, noted “The UK can lead globally in medicines and vaccines, unlocking billions in R&D investment and improving patient access but only if barriers are removed and innovation rewarded.”
The UK invests just 9% of healthcare spending in medicines, compared with 17% in Spain, and only 37% of new medicines are made fully available for their licensed indications, compared to 90% in Germany.
Expert reviews
Shailesh Solanki, executive editor of Pharmacy Business, pointed that “The government’s own review shows the sector is underfunded by about £2 billion per year. To make transformation a reality, this gap must be closed with clear plans for investment in people, premises and technology.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold £20,000 to £30,000 per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) — has remained unchanged for over two decades, delaying or deterring new medicine launches. Raising it is viewed as vital to attracting foreign investment, expanding patient access, and maintaining the UK’s global standing in life sciences.
Guy Oliver, General Manager for Bristol Myers Squibb UK and Ireland, noted that " the current VPAG rate is leaving UK patients behind other countries, forcing cuts to NHS partnerships, clinical trials, and workforce despite government growth ambitions".
Reeves’ push for reform, supported by the ABPI’s Competitiveness Framework, underlines Britain’s intent to stay a leading hub for pharmaceutical innovation while ensuring NHS patients will gain faster access to new treatments.
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