MUMBAI: Test cricket, which has been fast losing its popularity to the shorter version of the game, is going to experiment with the day and night format to attract prime time television audience.

In a significant development, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Committee has agreed to maintain the impetus with regard to day and night Test cricket and recommended that should the competing countries in a bi-lateral series agree that they wish to try this out, this request should be accommodated.

The Committee also agreed that the trials at domestic level should continue.

Market research has recognised that the appeal of day and night Test cricket might be better suited to certain markets, particularly India, New Zealand and South Africa, and the trials revealed certain cricket balls retained their colour and performed better than others.

The ICC Cricket Committee had earlier received reports of the ongoing trials and considered the reports involving the development and feasibility of using different colour balls in multi-day formats in day and night conditions. They also considered a report from John Stephenson of the MCC on the experiences of their annual games in Abu Dhabi, reports from Australia, England and Pakistan as well as spectator feedback.

The encouraging change over the late years is that the value of Test cricket has fallen at a time when the level of competitiveness has intensified and matches have started yielding more results.

Statistics from David Kendix demonstrate that over-rates are at their highest in five years in Test cricket and that the average frequency of no-balls has dropped sharply. There is also a reduction in high scoring draws and that spin bowlers are being deployed more often in all forms of the game.

Kendix, who supplied these statistics to the Committee, also highlights that Test cricket is as competitive now as it has been for many years with five teams being separated by only eight rating points.

The committee, thus, feels that there is a need now, through the Targeted Assistance Performance Programme (TAPP) and the Future Tours Programme (FTP), to improve the competitiveness of some of the lesser performing countries.

Twenty20 strategy: With the popularity of this format of the game fast rising, the ICC Cricket Committee feels that it is wise to let the status quo prevail.

The ICC Cricket Committee supports the World Twenty20 being held every two years; the World Twenty20s should continue to be joint men?s and women?s events; and World Twenty20 should be 16 men?s team event from 2014 in order to encourage the development of the game.

The Committee does not think there is need to have an ICC World U19 Twenty20.

The Committee?s views are, thus, in line with those of the ICC Board and the Chief Executive Council?s which have already agreed that the ICC World Twenty20 would remain a joint men?s and women?s event and that the men?s teams should increase from 12 to 16 teams from 2014 onwards.

International cricket, being the lifeblood of the world game, needs the ICC to play a leadership role to protect and promote international cricket. Recognising this, the committee believes that the ICC and its member boards need to proactively ensure that the attraction of international cricket is primary and not only maintained but enhanced.

MUMBAI: Entertainment programming giant, Endemol, has announced the closure of its international sports business exactly three years after it was launched in January 2009.

Under the restructuring announced by the company on Wednesday, Endemol?s sports content will be brought in line with all other output and managed locally by its operating companies around the world.

The company will continue to pursue further growth in sports entertainment and current productions around the world.

"The reorganisation will bring Endemol?s sports content in line with all other output, coming under the direct management of the group?s operating companies around the world, at local level," the company said in a statement.

Consequence to the restructuring, Endemol Sport managing directors Gregg Oldfield and Lawrence Duffy will leave the company to pursue new ventures.

"Endemol Sport launched in January 2009 and under the management of Gregg and Lawrence has helped establish Endemol as a significant international player in sports entertainment.," the statement added.

The group?s projects around the world currently include the Dutch Premier League ?Eredivisie? channel in the Netherlands, the English Premier League channels for Abu Dhabi Media in the Middle East, The Guinness Football Challenge Pan Africa, TV7 Sport channel inKazakhstan and numerous international media partnerships with sports bodies and football clubs.

Commenting on the restructuring, Endemol Group chief financial officer Just Spee said, ?Endemol?s Sport?s output has grown to a level where we need to bring it in line with how we develop and produce all our other content internationally. This new structure will allow us to continue building our business in this genre whilst delivering the best service to our clients at a local level."

Gregg and Lawrence commented: ?We have enjoyed a fantastic 3 plus years at Endemol and created a valuable and successful sports media business from a standing start. The re-structuring makes sense and we are leaving behind major, award winning sports channels and format productions in Abu Dhabi, Kazakhstan and Africa, as well as genuinely talented sports teams within The Group. We are hugely grateful for the support of our many sports federation clients and we expect to make a further announcement about our future plans shortly.?

MUMBAI: CNN International is gearing up to launch a new prime time business show ?Global Exchange?. Starting 7 November, the show will air every Sunday - Thursday live from Abu Dhabi as the network continues to expand its business programming portfolio.

The hour-long show will focus on the emerging markets looking at how market news is framing the new world order.

?Global Exchange? will report, analyse and interpret the events, players, trends and indices that are impacting and influencing the global financial community, at a time when business has never been a more significant part of the news agenda.

CNN International senior VP, GM Katherine Green said, "CNN is constantly looking to anticipate its audience?s needs, and dynamic, relevant business output has long been core to the news mix we offer. Now we?re going a step further. There is no question that understanding the impact of emerging markets on your business is key to unlocking future success in the global marketplace.

"Global Exchange will provide the information and context that matters to keep our smart, forward-looking audiences right on top of the emerging market news they need to know. The international spread of our correspondents and contributors makes us perfectly placed to cover the countries and markets that really matter."

Anchored out of Abu Dhabi, ?Global Exchange? will draw on CNN?s network of international correspondents to provide a vantage point on the new dynamics at play in today?s business world. The show is presented by emerging markets editor, John Defterios, with Robyn Curnow and Errol Barnett in South Africa, Luis Carlos Velez across Latin America, Shasta Darlington from CNN?s soon-to-open Brazil bureau, Mallika Kapur in India, Ramy Inocencio in Hong Kong and Richard Quest from the UK, bringing audiences the stories and interviews that matter from Brazil to China, Russia to India, Africa to Central Asia and beyond.

?Global Exchange? also includes the ?GX20?, a global hotlist of some of the world?s biggest economic thinkers. The GX20 will be drawn from the key emerging markets from across India, China, Russia and South Africa contributing daily to the show and bringing an added dimension to the business stories that count. There will also be a dedicated look at Generation Xchange, the youth who make up the real foundation for future growth.

The show also features ?Along the Silk Road?, a weekly five minute bespoke segment that will explore the burgeoning trade and investment links from the Middle East to Asia - Beijing, Mumbai, Istanbul, Kabul, Moscow, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Dubai.

The series surveys the export driven economies, countries with vast capitals of reserve and natural resources, which economic forecasters pinpoint as the ringleaders of growth for the next quarter of a century. ?Along the Silk Road? will be a blend of polished feature reports and high profile interviews with newsmakers - those at the cutting edge of this geo-political shift.

The new show will have a dedicated webpage featuring the latest facts and figures from emerging markets, plus expert analysis from contributors and presenters.

Audiences can also follow the show on Twitter at @CNNGlobalEx for the latest show news, guest information and more.

?Global Exchange? is an addition to CNN?s vibrant portfolio of business programming, a fresh complement to the successful ?Quest Means Business? show, the recently expanded ?Marketplace? franchise, and the long-running popular World Business Today strand, at a time when business stories continue to set the world news agenda.

CNN International Europe/Middle East/Africa VP, managing editor Deborah Rayner said, "?Global Exchange? is part of the growing roster of programme production coming out of CNN Abu Dhabi. It highlights the increasing importance of CNN?s Middle East newsgathering, broadcasting and production hub to CNN?s global operation. We are excited to be offering even more content from the region for our global audiences."