Ravichandran Ashwin feels matches at the ODI World Cup at home later this year should begin earlier in the day to reduce the effect of dew.

Dew has affected matches in the subcontinent for long, providing the teams chasing an unfair edge. The prospect of the dew effectively means the captain winning the toss decides to field.

“My suggestion — or rather my opinion — for the World Cup is to look at what venues we are playing in, and at what times. Why shouldn’t we start matches at 11.30am during the World Cup?” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

In India, day-night ODIs usually begin at 1:30pm.

The 36-year-old feels the difference between the quality of teams is not visible because of the dew. He gave the example of the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka to prove his point.

Batting first, India had scored 373/7 while Sri Lanka had managed 306/8.

“India batted beautifully... Still they ended up having to fight tooth and nail,” he said. “The quality difference between the teams isn’t coming through — dew is narrowing that gap if you lose the toss.”

Spotlight on BBL rule

Adam Zampa. Getty Images

Melbourne: A controversial Big Bash League (BBL) rule came under the spotlight during Saturday’s Melbourne derby after two batsmen were each awarded six runs on hitting the roof when they could have been caught instead.

The Renegades beat the Stars by six runs, but the chasing team was let off twice when Joe Clarke and Beau Webster hit the roof and saw the ball land inside the 30- yard circle.

Under BBL rules, a ball that hits any part of a stadium’s roof structure leads to a six, leading many to call for the reintroduction of the old rule where it would be adjudged a dead ball. Stars skipper Adam Zampa said the rule was “bizarre”. “As a bowler, you expect to deceive a batsman and be in with a chance of getting a wicket,” Zampa said. “Maybe build the roof a bit higher.”

Written with Reuters inputs