This raises the question: Can the referees intervene if it gets too hot? Referees will continue to review heat ratings. If it gets too hot, they can even stop the game. Some of you may remember that England’s Joe Root had to be hospitalized during the 2018 Ashes in Sydney when temperatures reached 47.3 degrees Celsius. Then Ricky Ponting was quoted: “Australian star Ricky Ponting, a member of the committee, said: “He probably had a viral illness too, but for one or two players to become so seriously ill is a dangerous precedent that should simply be ignored .” “I attended a match in Sharjah where the air temperature was 55 degrees and it became dangerous.”

Is it because of the provisions of the cricket laws?

Existing Law 2.7.1 authorizes referees to stop play if conditions are inappropriate or dangerous.

How will they measure discomfort?

Cricket Australia already has extreme heat guidelines in place, using the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index to measure the level of inconvenience based on weather conditions.

What is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index?

WBGT is an experimental forecasting tool that indicates the expected heat stress on the human body when exposed to direct sunlight. It estimates the influence of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation on humans using a combination of temperatures from three thermometers:

🔴A wet bulb measures the temperature measured by a thermometer covered with a damp cloth. As water evaporates from the cloth, the evaporation cools the thermometer. This reflects how the human body cools itself with sweat.

🔴A black ball is used to measure solar radiation. Solar radiation heats the globe and the wind blowing over it cools it.

🔴A dry bulb calculates the air temperature measured in the shade. It is the temperature you would see on your thermometer outside.