Rain in cricket is probably more dreaded than Don Bradman or Sachin Tendulkar’s mighty willow or Shoaib Akhtar’s deadly bouncers. The blessing from the rain god has spoiled many a cricket matches, much to the frustration of players as well as spectators.
The effect of rain is perhaps more felt in the United Kingdom than any other place. Recently, several games were affected due to showers in the Champions Trophy and with the next World Cup scheduled to be played in England too, rain can also play spoilsport in that tournament. However, rain spoiling a game could be a thing of the past in the coming days as England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) are reportedly in talks to introduce roofs over stadiums to negate the rain effect.
English news outlet, The Telegraph has reported that tests are being done on new technology that could see mesh canopy placed over cricket grounds to allow play to continue if it rains. The test is still at a very early stage but has already impressed ECB which has reached out to MCC to help partner any research into the project.
The English cricket board was recently approached by United States-based company which offered a proposal to help solve the rain ‘problem’. And for that, the company has suggested a unique and never seen before innovation. According to them, a lovely, transparent mesh would be held up by wires suspended from floodlights with a hot air balloon in the centre to lift it up which will make the stadium look like a tent.
“We would look at any new technology and ways to get games on and more people playing cricket,” an ECB spokesman was quoted as saying by the news outlet.
Meanwhile, there are still some serious roadblocks which need to be sorted out before the latest proposal become a reality. The run-off water and safety in the high wind are two of the major barriers, and the report claimed that the technology needs at least a couple of years to become a reality.
Guy Lavender, the chief executive of MCC, while admitting that rain is an enormous issue for the game, revealed that discussions are going on between MCC and the ECB to solve the problem.
“There is some interesting technology around trying to create protection from rain and keep the game on in wet weather,” Lavender told The Telegraph. “It is an enormous issue for cricket. When you think about the impact of the weather on cricket in the UK we have a part to play, as a leading club in the game, in thinking about how those new technologies develop and are tested.
“This is part of the conversation we are having with Tom Harrison [ECB chief executive]. How can we help? What would you like us to get involved in? The good thing about the MCC is we have the ability to make choices about where we seek to invest and influence,” he added.