Rain break rules should follow T20: Lehmann

Darren Lehmann has urged the international game to follow the lead of Twenty20 cricket and be more proactive when it comes to rain delays, saying there would have been more play in Australia’s washed-out match against Bangladesh had it been a T20 game.

Australia's ICC Champions Trophy campaign has been hit hard by bad weather and Lehmann says the game needs to adopt a more liberal approach and play in conditions that might not be ideal, but are still safe.

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The Aussies were four overs short of a comfortable victory against Bangladesh at The Oval on Monday, the equivalent of just 16 minutes of play, when players left the field.

The rain stopped for around 30 minutes at one stage after the initial delay, but there was no further play and Australia were denied a deserved victory.

Captain Steve Smith said ground staff "perhaps could have shown a bit more urgency" in preparing the ground when the rain had stopped, but added the umpires had the final say on when play would resume.

Lehmann, a member of the ICC's influential Cricket Committee that recommends changes to the game's rules and playing conditions, says the issue of rain delays has been discussed at meetings before and he believes more needs to be done to ensure players get back on the field as soon as possible.

"The game of cricket is there for the fans and you want to play as much as you can," he said.

"Obviously I sit on the Cricket Committee for the ICC and we're all about trying to play as much cricket as you can.

"It's always a tough one. The ground staff and the umpires do the best they can, but we just have to play.

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"As soon as (rain) stops in this day and age, you have to be able to get back on. The ground staff are working tirelessly to get back on, I think we've just got to be more liberal to play some cricket. The fans want to see a result.

"Especially this time of year in England, you can get (wet) weather. So it's a case of if it's not raining or it's drizzling, we should just play."

Lehmann applauded the approach sometimes used in T20 cricket, where play continues during light rain or slightly slippery conditions, as an example of putting the fans first.

"If (the game against Bangladesh) was a T20 game, a packed house at The Oval or a packed house at the MCG, I'm sure there would have been play somewhere," he said.

"My view is simple – play as much cricket as you can, where you possibly can.

"You have to consider the safety of the players. That's important and umpires and match referees take that into account.

"But we've played games in the past, I can think of a T20 game in South Africa (in 2014) where we had sand or sawdust on the ground to play. As long as you give it your best effort to play, that's the main thing.

"Players and administrators have to move the game forward in the best way for the fans. Because we've got to grow the game."

In his exclusive column for cricket.com.au, former Australia ODI and T20 captain George Bailey agreed that the game needs to be more adaptable when it comes to rain.

"Player safety is important but I think if there's just a bit of discomfort, you should play," the Tasmanian wrote.

"Conditions don't have to be perfect out in the middle and I think the players would be on board with that, particularly in a tournament like this."

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The game in South Africa Lehmann referred to came in Durban three years ago, when Australia triumphed in a seven-over-a-side match despite both teams expressing safety concerns about a wet outfield.

And in the 2015-16 Big Bash League, Brisbane Heat secured a win over Sydney Thunder at the Gabba despite rain falling for the final seven overs of the run chase.

Speaking to cricket.com.au's Umpire's Verdict after that match, Umpire Mike Graham-Smith said the ground was safe despite the wet conditions.

"Our primary concern is always going to be player safety," he said. "Provided we think it's safe for the players to continue playing out there, we will stay out there as long as we possibly can.

"It was uncomfortable at times, but we have to determine if it was dangerous. And we're at a distinct advantage in T20 cricket ... (where) we know we've got an end point. As long as we can get to that end point, we can keep the game going. Which is what we did."

Sydney Thunder coach Paddy Upton also praised the umpires for their persistence, despite saying his bowlers had bowled within themselves due to the slippery conditions.

"It was probably one of the wetter games I've been involved in, but I think for the spectacle of the game of cricket, cricket would have been a loser if we'd come off in the 12th over when the rain was pretty heavy," Upton said.

"All things being equal I think it's really good for the game and the spectators that an exciting game got to be played."

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

Squads: Every Champions Trophy nation

Schedule

1 June – England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

2 June – New Zealand v Australia, No Result

3 June – Sri Lanka lost to South Africa by 96 runs

4 June – India beat Pakistan by 124 runs

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, No Result

6 June – England beat New Zealand by 87 runs

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)