Climate change and cricket: This is what Boards are doing to ensure we have full games

Earlier this month, a series of thunderstorms and dust storms left a lot of destruction in five north Indian states. A number of factors including unusually high temperatures in Rajasthan, western disturbances, and cyclonic circulation over Haryana, just to name a few were the main factors. While people have said that it was a freak accident, experts say that climate change will likely fuel more such storms. Climate change has had adverse effects on our lives, and in the process, has also affected the way we play sports. A report by Climate Coalition, a UK-based group that studied climate change, examined its impact on a range of sports. The report adds that recreational cricket is most at threat due to fixture disruption and damage to facilities.

Citing Glamorgan Cricket Club in Cardiff, the report says that since 2000, they have lost more than 1300 hours of cricket – equivalent to 217 days or at least 20,000 overs. "Across the whole County Championship, at least 175 days - around 16,000 overs - have been lost in five of the last ten years," the report adds.

For Glamorgan, taking climate change seriously means serious action to reduce its own environmental impact. Following a full inspection and analysis of its operations, the club has taken measures to improve sustainability across suppliers and caterers, electricity and gas use, water and waste management, and away-day travel.

In a blog written by Betway, a UK-based betting site, which DNA has access to, Steve Birks, head groundsman at Trent Bridge said that the officials are always dealing with wet conditions. "Last year it was very wet at times. The rain is getting tropical, it is getting heavier. We’re getting thunderstorms more often when it rains," he said.

However, Birks says that the drainage at Trent Bridge is second to Lord's. "It can take up to 25mm an hour, in most places on the square. There's just one little weak spot between where the drainage starts and stops and where the square stops, but apart from that it drains very well and it can take most storms we've had so far.

Birks is happy with the schedule of India's Test tour of England, saying that July and August are the best times to play cricket in the country. "End of June to end of July is perfect for me. Because of the weather, and you have to protect it all summer. If you have it too early it can get scarred up if you don't cover it. It's a case of getting decent weather. You have got decent weather normally in July/August and June so you should be alright," he said.

Closer to home, state cricket associations with the aid of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have seen the need to install state-of-the-art facilities on grounds to ensure that matches don’t get washed out. Speaking to DNA, Daljit Singh, the BCCI’s chief curator said that in the past few years, particularly since the advent of T20 cricket, the board has invested in drainage systems to ensure that the shortest form of the game isn't washed out. "During this IPL, when several parts of North India witnessed thunderstorms, we didn't wash out any game. The shortest game was a seven-over match," he said.

Singh added that the BCCI has made investments to ensure that matches aren't compromised due to adverse weather conditions. "Earlier, grounds were managed by the local gardener, but now we have special curator courses that we are expected to take even during the off-season (non-cricket playing period) to hone our skills," he explained.

When asked about the amount of water required to maintain grounds, Singh said that cricket stadiums use modern irrigation systems to ensure minimal water wastage. "Grounds also require less water than gardens because flooding a pitch can affect the playing conditions," he said.

While the ECB and the BCCI, have managed to battle the ever-changing weather conditions, all eyes are also on South Africa, given that Cape Town has declared that it will have zero water by 2019. Earlier, the fear was that the city would turn dry by last month, but that has not happened as yet. Although international and first-class cricket is continuing, school and club cricket has been cancelled.

With a Virat Kohli-led side going to England to play this summer, all eyes will be on the Indian batsman – particularly Kohli – who will be working to improve their playing record there. And while climate change will not impact the ground conditions because of the facilities present, we hope that matches aren’t washed out due to incessant rain.