ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 organisers have had a stiff time with controversies over scheduling, bails that don’t go off, coverage inside the home country, gloves going unchecked and above everything, little cricket to cover all that up. With the washed out game between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on 11 June in Bristol, there have been three matches rained out – an unwanted record in the history of the 50-over event.
India take on New Zealand on Thursday in their third match of the Cricket World Cup and weather prediction doesn’t look kind. As per Accuweather, Trent Bridge (West Bridgford in Nottingham) is expected to see variable clouds and showers with the thermometer reading high of 13 degrees Celsius and low of 9 degrees Celsius.
The match is not expected to start off as per schedule (10.30 am local or 3 pm IST) with the prediction of showers up until 1 pm local (5.30 pm IST). The rain is expected to die down around this time but only briefly before reappearing an hour later. On the whole, it is expected to be a wet affair with precipitation chances hovering from 49 percent to 64 percent.
With matches getting washed out leading to frustration for fans and teams, ICC has defended having no reserve days.
“We put men on the moon so why can’t we have a reserve day?” Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes said in frustration.
“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.”
ICC chief executive David Richardson said, “Factoring in a reserve day for every match would significantly increase the length of the tournament and, practically, would be extremely complex to deliver.”
“It would impact pitch preparation, team recovery and travel days, accommodation and venue availability, tournament staffing, volunteer and match officials’ availability, broadcast logistics and very importantly the spectators, who in some instances have travelled hours to be at the game.”
“Up to 1200 people are on site to deliver a match and everything associated with it including getting it broadcast and a proportion of them are moving around the country so reserve days in the group stage would require a significant uplift in the number of staff.”
“There is also no guarantee that the reserve day would be free from rain either.”
South-east England received just 2mm of rain in June 2018 but 100mm fell in this week, said the international cricket board further in its defence.
