Rain has hurt the ICC tournaments a lot in recent times. In almost every tournament except the T20 World Cup 2021 which was hosted by UAE and Oman, there have been instances of rain spoiling the match. When the rainfall is extreme, the ICC has no other option but to cancel the match and split the points.
Sometimes, the organizers have to bring the D/L method in place. In such situations, the teams end up having a disadvantage. The best example was the IPL Final between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, where CSK’s target was reduced to 171 in 15 overs instead of 215 in 20 overs because of rain in Ahmedabad.
In this listicle now, we will look at the three smart ways the Interational Cricket Council can tackle the rain problem in cricket matches.
1. Build retractable roof in as many stadiums as possible
ICC earns millions of dollars from the mega events it conducts every year. The board can invest that money in building a stadium with retractable roof at the major 5 to 6 cricketing centers in the world. It would save them from embarrassment when the big tournaments happen.
When ICC World Test Championship Final happened in 2021, a majority of the viewers had lost their interest in the match due to heavy rains in Southampton.
2. If retractable roof not possible, ICC should reschedule match as per rain forecast
Nature is unpredictable and no one can predict when it will start or end. The only reliant way is the rain forecast, which is accurate on a majority of the occasions. Perhaps, ICC can reschedule the matches or change the timings in such a way that the matches are played fully.
3. Cut down on meaningless breaks, cover ground fully and focus on cricket
Only a few stadiums in the world have the facility to cover the entire ground instead of just the pitch, which leaves the outfield wet. ICC can at least invest that much money for the venues.
Another way to resume match quicker would be to have the toss in a room instead of going out in the middle and using 8 to 10 minutes for it. Once the toss is done, the match can start immediately. Also, they can cut down things like timeouts and innings break in such matches.
