World Cup 2023: Crucial Pak vs NZ match faces rain threat

BANGALORE: As the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match between Pakistan and New Zealand on Saturday faces a rain threat, the ground staff of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is confident that the venue is well equipped to prevent waterlogging in the outfield.

According to weather forecast agencies, Bangalore is likely to receive rain on Saturday from 1pm to 5pm. The radar suggests 50% chance of rain.

As the game is scheduled to start at 10:30am local time, the second half of the match is likely to be affected if there is rain.

However, the ground staff is confident that post-rain, the ground will be ready and fit for a match within 20 minutes.

An official of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium informed Geo News that they have a "SubAir System" installed in the ground which not only prevents the outfield from waterlogging but also drains the water 36 times faster than the natural drainage time.

"The SubAir System automatically kicks into action the minute it starts raining, thereby not allowing any buildup of water on the outfield. It quickly removes standing water (36 times faster than drainage by gravity) virtually eliminating the need for extended game delays or cancellations due to wet outfield conditions," says the official website of the system.

“The SubAir System automatically kicks into action the minute it starts raining, thereby not allowing any build up of water on the outfield. Water begins to get sucked out at the rate of over 10,000 litres a minute from the moment it begins to rain. The suction system gets activated through signals from the remote sensors embedded in the field," an official of SubAir System had revealed at the time of its installation at Bangalore's M Chinnaswamy Stadium.