The rules are complex enough that if you ask a random person if they know how the game works, many of them will answer “no”. If you ask people who bet on sports if they like to bet on cricket, they won’t answer “yes” very often. And there are plenty of ways it could change in future.

More closed roof stadiums

The Docklands Stadium in Australia, is the only closed roof cricket stadium in the world. Cricket is a game at mercy of rain and sun, and there are many games suspended due to bad weather or lack of proper light. The problem is keenly felt in the motherland of cricket, England, where weather can change drastically and frequently.

If every ICC Full Member had their own closed roof cricket stadium, fewer games would be cancelled or suspended, something which irritates viewers. Imagine calling your friends, buying beer and popcorn, betting on which team will win, settling in front of the TV only to read that the match is off. It’s a feeling all too familiar for cricket fans around the world.

More broadcasting online

Radio live broadcasting is an ancient way of keeping up with sports events. TV live broadcasting only during the actual match isn’t always the answer, since if a cricket match is played during the daytime, people are often at work, and they can’t watch it. In the evening, there are various other sports such as soccer, basketball or baseball to compete with, so a schedule change might not be the answer. If the cricket leadership invest in online broadcasting for every game, it could be good for the sport. Ideally, the viewer can watch the game whenever they want and skip forward or back on the recording.

Cameras, cameras, cameras

If you have ever watched a football match, you may notice how many angles their camera shows to the spectator. They invest a lot of money to engage their fans in the game as much as possible. If cricket heads follow their lead, they will find out how great it is to show their fans every action in the game from every possible vantage point. It is far more exciting to watch.

VR for cricket? Why not!

If we have a bunch of cameras, we can transmit their recording to a central place and combine them into one virtual stadium with real-time action. A person with a VR kit somewhere in the world can connect to the broadcast and enter the stadium like they are there in person. It would be quite an experience and people will love it.

Synthetic pitches

A natural pitch is great until there are rain showers day after day, and your pitch becomes a swamp. Or the grass doesn’t want to cooperate and grow properly. With a synthetic pitch, the teams will not have these problems. Moreover, experts can design the artificial grass the way that will suit the desired style the best. The surface can be slippery, the ‘grass’ can be longer or shorter, and it will never die due to drought or too much water.

Make the game shorter

There are those who feel that cricket is too long. Nowadays, we are surrounded by plenty that is entertaining, and it is fast, full of action, and energetic like football or tennis. There is always action, and there are no periods with little happening in these games. The Hundred, English cricket’s new 100-ball competition, could be a hint of the way cricket is going.

Skill vs luck optimisation

There are many cricket features, like the toss, that are based on luck which can decide a contest. This makes this sport hard to bet on, and betting can be something to keep a fan interested. People like to feel the risk and put the stake on what team will win. If the outcome in a sport is based on luck, they will be more careful, bet in other sports, or if they like chance more than skill, they will play in the casino because prizes are higher. If cricket rules change and get rid of some luck-based features, it will lure sport betting activities toward the game, and it will only bring it popularity, and make the game fairer too.