New Delhi: Cricket Australia’s new chief executive, Todd Greenberg, has said that the game must look for a solution to the bad light stoppages faced around the globe in matches across formats. He stressed that the fans who come out to the stadiums by paying for tickets need to be put at the forefront. In the first round of ICC meetings held in Harare, Greenberg has been involved, since replacing Nick Hockley at CA last month.
Greenberg carried a range of pertinent issues to the meeting and highlighted the issue of players walking off the field when the light starts to fade, which doesn’t sit well with him. As it is understood that cricket is competing for attention on a global stage, Greenberg’s outcry seems valid.
“My view has always been we are in the entertainment business and so if we’re in the entertainment business that means we’re trying to make sure as many fans can enjoy their cricket as possible,” Greenberg told the Daily Telegraph, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“The frustration that goes when we walk off with bad light is we may be one of the last industries left that would do that. We need to find ways to innovate and figure out solutions so that doesn’t happen in the future,” he added.
Solution?
Poor visibility has been an issue and has gained more attention in the era of day-night Test cricket, which is played with pink balls. To combat poor lighting, several solutions have been thought of and analysed, including switching between balls of different colours, although it has generally been considered too far of a step.
The traditional Tests held during the daytime can continue under the floodlights where they are available. This has seen more play getting possible, but umpires would still ask the players to go off the field when artificial light takes over too much from natural light. A rough guide that is often used by the umpires is checking the shadows of the light towers to see if they are clearly visible on the field.
Greenberg also acknowledged that the players would have to be a key part of the discussion over finding a solution or a new approach to poor lighting. He said that he does understand why the play gets stopped and the difficulties surrounding it, but insisted that he, as a part of the entertainment business, wants to give the best experience to the fans.
“There is nothing more frustrating than having to go off for bad light, particularly in an environment where we can play under lights, be it with different coloured balls or different technologies. I’m a realist to know that it won’t be solved overnight, but geez, it’s 2025 and we can play in different conditions, I’m certain we can come up with a way to solve some of those challenges,” Greenberg added.
Several Test matches around the globe face halts due to bad light, sometimes even leaving the game’s result hanging in balance. Cricket Australia CEO has pushed for a solution to this rising issue. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
