World Cup 2019: Four factors to be considered to address weather interruptions 

India vs New Zealand was the 4th washout of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
India vs New Zealand was the 4th washout of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

#2 Lights, covers, and logistics support

The covers at Eden Gardens (L) and Trent Bridge (R)
The covers at Eden Gardens (L) and Trent Bridge (R)

These factors are the pre-requisites which must be readily available at a venue hosting any international game. Lights are essential to make play possible even in the face of dim conditions, while covers make it possible to prevent the pitch and outfield from any damage due to rain. Covers are also required to be supplemented by ground rollers, to ensure apt conditions for a game. Logistics, too, form an integral component, for the smooth flow of operations.

The abandoned game between India and New Zealand was devoid of the required paraphernalia, coming in as a shock to the cricketing fraternity. ICC had to face the chiding from experts and fans for their level of preparedness for the marquee event.

The covers were placed only on the pitch and surrounding area, and not the entire ground, unlike at Eden Gardens, wherein the entire ground was covered when rain had disrupted an India-Pakistan encounter in World T20 2016.

The irony is, as explained by former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, that these covers are manufactured in England, and imported by India. This was due to unavailability of logistics and labour in the county of Nottingham, which raised concerns as to whether labour could have been outsourced from other counties. These full length covers, though available in Birmingham, could not be procured from there, possibly due to inefficient logistics support.

For a major part of the time, the game could not take place due to a wet outfield, which could have been averted had there been the requisite equipment. Further, the ground was not covered in the days leading up to the clash, even when there had been heavy rain.

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Edited by Aditya Joshi