Rain threatens to turn World Cup into a damp squib

The UK was hit by downpours and deluges this week, with railway lines flooded, sinkholes appearing on the M25 motorway, and at least 39 flood alerts being issued across the country. By Thursday, 13 June, four ICC Cricket World Cup matches had been abandoned, including South Africa’s match against West Indies in Southampton, and Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka in Bristol.

Bangladesh’s English-born coach Steve Rhodes’ face was like a thundercloud at the post-non-match media conference in Bristol. Although the ICC has factored in reserve days for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup’s two semifinals and final, the 10-team round-robin stage has no such safety net.

Rhodes couldn’t understand why.

“We put men on the moon,” he told the media conference. “So why can’t we have a reserve day, when actually this tournament is a long tournament?”

“I know logistically it would have been a big headache for the tournament organisers,” Rhodes continued. “I know that it would have been difficult, but we have got quite a lot of time in between games, and if we have got to travel a day later, then so be it. The games are spread out. I would say that it’s disappointing for the crowd, as well. They have got tickets to see a game of cricket, and you know it would be up to them if they can get there the day after.”

Bangladesh – who have already beaten South Africa, and who aren’t a bad shout for a semifinal spot – would have seen the Sri Lanka game as one they could have won. “We really targeted this sort of game to get two points, and I know that Sri Lanka would have fought very hard and been no pushovers at all, but we do see it as one point lost and that’s disappointing,” Rhodes admitted.

Compounding the issue is the ongoing dissatisfaction around how the results of rain-adjusted one-day cricket matches are decided. Until 1987, if ICC Cricket World Cup matches were affected by rain (or any other delays), the target score was determined by Average Run Rate. That method completely ignored the number of wickets the team batting second had lost, so in 1992 it was dropped in favour of the Most Productive Overs method. That (as South Africa learned the hard way) punished teams for bowling well in the first innings, so along came Messrs Duckworth, Lewis and Stern, with their convoluted (but better) mathematical method.

But even with DLS, Rhodes spoke for many when he suggested that a fairer way of determining the winner would be to simply take an extra day, and allow both teams a chance of batting and bowling their full 50 overs each.

After all, the 2019 Cricket World Cup runs over 45 days. It’s not as if there aren’t gaps between games.

Speaking after Rhodes, Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne was in two minds: “If they could put a reserve day it would have been fine. But it’s a major tournament and we’re all playing nine games. I don’t know if they can keep a reserve day for us. The next day you have to travel to a different venue, so it’s not easy. If they can put a reserve day, though, it’s going to be good for all the spectators and everyone.”

After four games, Sri Lanka have earned half of their tournament points from washouts.

Over the years, entire ICC Cricket World Cup campaigns – and careers – have been derailed by rain showers. South Africans know this as well as anybody, as memories of 1992 and 2003 still haunt the Proteas. Four years is a long time to wait for an ICC Cricket World Cup. Another day wouldn’t hurt anybody.

Four years is a long time to wait for a World Cup. An extra day wouldn’t hurt anybody. DM