A chemical, already employed in the farming industry, will be used at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali on Wednesday in an attempt to reduce the amount of dew that forms on the outfield during day-night matches.
APSA-80, manufactured by Indian company 'Amway', will be sprayed on the outfield ahead of the match between New Zealand and Pakistan on Wednesday.
The chemical will not eradicate the dew completely, but it is expected to reduce it significantly. The procedure should not have any effect on the ball.
"Dew and the effect it has on day-night cricket has been something that everyone is conscious of. And although it has not played a major role in the ICC Champions Trophy so far we are keen that should remain the case for the rest of the tournament and that every match should be a fair contest between bat and ball," said ICC manager (Cricket) David Richardson in a statement.
With the temperature taking a dip in Chandigarh in the past few days, a heavy amount of dew is expected on the outfield during the second part of the match. The bowlers, especially spinners, will be hampered to a great extent as it will be difficult to grip the ball.
This is not the first time that chemical spray is being been used to reduce the amount of dew. Trials in South Africa have taken place at both domestic and international levels since the 1999-2000 season. The one-day international between South Africa and India in October 2001 was among the matches where chemicals were used on the outfield.
Richardson said the tournament Technical Committee, which he chairs, approved the measure, and if it proves successful it is likely the spraying procedure will be used at other venues where dew is expected to form.
"A great deal of work has already been done on the subject of dew reduction in South Africa; we were made aware of that work and that led us to APSA-80," Richardson said.
Richardson added the spraying is one of a number of measures that could be taken in the run-up to a game to reduce the amount of moisture in the ground.
"We will also be ensuring that outfields are not watered on the day of a match and that they are cut shorter to reduce the amount of grass that is available for dew to cling to," he said.
The Technical Committee of the Champions Trophy 2006 comprises: David Richardson (chairman, ICC representative), Campbell Jamieson (IDI representative), Ian Bishop (independent nomination), Rameez Raja (independent nomination), M P Pandove (BCCI representative) and Prof. Ratnakar Shetty (tournament director).
