HEAT COULD STOP PLAY

CRICKeTeRS could be taken off the field in extreme heat to avoid a repeat of the day which saw Joe Root hospitalised with dehydration during the fifth Ashes Test. While umpires already have the power to stop play if conditions compromise the safety of players, the MCC World Cricket committee is proposing a standardised rule for internationals. Root was hospitalised in Sydney with gastroenteritis but the temperature — which reached 57.6°C in the middle — contributed to his condition on a day in which recreational matches in the city were suspended. Similar to top-level tennis, grade cricket is halted if the thermometer hits 40 degrees. Committee member Ricky Ponting said: ‘Joe’s thing wasn’t completely a result of how hot it was but having one or two players go down seriously ill is a dangerous precedent to ignore.’ Cricket Australia already has extreme heat guidelines in place, and they could now be adapted for use around the world on the recommendation of MCC. The MCC also called for uniform technology to be used for DRS decisions when the World Test Championship begins next year, suggesting it was the only way to guarantee the integrity of the competition.