T20 World Cup 2022 has been a frustrating tournament for some teams because of persistent rainfall. Inaugural champions India have been lucky that none of their matches have been impacted by the rain so far. However, Afghanistan have not been able to play any cricket in the last three days due to rain in their matches against New Zealand and Ireland.
Even Ireland missed out on a chance to play against Afghanistan, while South Africa were denied a big win against Zimbabwe because of rain. Another big match that was abandoned due to rain was the battle between the Australian cricket team and the England cricket team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Fans are naturally disappointed with the way rain has impacted T20 World Cup 2022. While stopping the rain is not in anyone’s hands, here are two ways ICC can counter the rain factor and conduct the matches in a better way.
1. ICC should move all the matches of T20 World Cup 2022 to Docklands Stadium
Rainy season in Australia .. Stadium in Melbourne with roof on .. !!!!! Wouldn’t it have been sensible to use it ??? #JustSaying #ICCT20WorldCup2022
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 28, 2022
There is only one cricket stadium with the facility of a retractable roof in the entire world. Ironically, it is just near the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The stadium is known as the Docklands Stadium. However, for some reason, the ICC has not decided to allot any matches of the tournament to the venue.
The roof can stop the rain from entering the field, allowing the tournament to progress smoothly. Even the spectators can enjoy a full T20 match. The best way ICC can counter the rain factor is to shift all the matches to the Docklands Stadium, if possible.
2. ICC should conduct only 5-overs-a-side matches and increase cut-off time
The minimum number of overs to be bowled to determine a winner is 5. However, if there is no rainfall, ICC conducts 20 overs matches and then starts reducing the number of overs. If it rains at the official start time of the match, ICC should straightaway announce it as a 5-over match.
For example, the match between Zimbabwe and South Africa could have been completed if Zimbabwe were given five overs to bat instead of nine. Also, there can be a provision to increase cut-off time and resume the game even at 12:00 AM if both the teams are willing to play.
