More games are better than less: Cricket needs a dose of common sense

It rains in England in the summer. Cricket is played in the summer. The two will inevitably collide. Common sense would suggest that cricket practice would reduce time lost to rain, as what annoys both players and spectators is a break in the rain when the ground (with good drainage) looks suitable for play, but things like lunch and tea take priority.

There was a brief period on the final day of the Test at Old Trafford when it was announced that play would resume, but not before a 40-minute lunch break. Phil Tufnell spoke for the frustrated when he said on the radio: Let’s skip lunch today, boys. Get yourself a boiled egg and tomato and get on with it.

Doing it has never been a priority in a sport that breaks for tea. The start time of 11 a.m. seems sacred to England. The slow premium rule was modified midway through the series, so there’s no reason not to make a change here as well.

At the mercy of nature

This is not unique to England. Post-rain restarts have been unnecessarily delayed in cities from Bengaluru to Auckland. One of the charms of cricket is that apart from being a game of bat and ball, it is also a game where nature is involved, slows spoil, pitches are not of standard size, conditions vary, players may run into a storm or an attack of bees. Above all, it’s raining.

It’s possible one team will be praying for rain, as Australia’s Josh Hazelwood admitted he did in England’s dominant three days at Old Trafford.

The guards The book about the coverage of the 2005 Ashes is called, Is it cowardly to pray for rain? Of course, the rain doesn’t take sides, and in the long run things even out, the teams that failed in one test get through in the other.

The rain itself isn’t the problem, it’s how the game handles it. Here in England it doesn’t get dark until 10pm in the summer, so why can’t we just play until we bowl the games? asks Joe Root. At every opportunity, you should look for ways to pass the exam. More games are better than less, but this realization has not dawned on cricket administrators.

Even golf is doing better. A few miles from Old Trafford, where the British Open was being played, there was heavy rain on the course (it may have been part of the same thunderstorm), but the tournament continued. The golfers are getting on with it. While you can’t play cricket in the rain (imagine facing Mark Wood) for fear of injury, when there is good drainage at the break, there can be little excuse.

Over-management

If rain management is one problem, the other is over-management. Being heavily fined after winning a Test does not make sense, Usman Khawaja pointed out. The same lack of common sense can be seen here.

According to one statistician, after the first three days of the fourth Test, 26 overs were lost to slowdown. When England complain about being robbed, they should remember the lack of urgency when the bowling (as opposed to the urgency of the batting) could have almost cost them a session.

It is harsh to deduct points that might affect their final position in the World Cup. it kept Australia out of the final for the first time. Punishing players who have secured exciting results also feels harsh. In England, as Root pointed out, play can go on.

If you have to bowl 30 overs in each session, perhaps the breaks could be reduced. When the game produces a result, it means that the lack of overs has not affected the result and there should be no penalties at all.

When the West Indies were at their peak, they bowled 11 or 12 overs an hour, but still finished many games in four days or earlier. It would have been silly to fine the team then.

Adjusting these things doesn’t require much intellectual effort. Just common sense.