Angry and frustrated after the Duckworth-Lewis system cost them a win over West Indies in the Twenty20 World Cup in Providence, Guyana, England captain Paul Collingwood has demanded that rain rules be revised for the shortest format of the game.
"There's a major problem with Duckworth-Lewis in this form of the game," Collingwood said after the eight-wicket loss to the hosts.
England had set a mammoth 192-run target for Chris Gayle's men but a rain disruption, that washed out over an hour of the match, led to the target being revised to 60 in six overs which the hosts chased down easily.
"I've got no problem with it in one-dayers, and I know it's made me very frustrated because I've come off the losing captain, but it's certainly got to be revised in this form," Collingwood said.
"Ninety-five per cent of the time when you get 191 runs on the board you are going to win the game. Unfortunately Duckworth-Lewis seems to have other ideas and brings the equation completely the other way and makes it very difficult," he fumed.
The man who benefitted from the system too agreed with Collingwood. West Indies captain Chris Gayle said one team cannot be disadvantaged the way England were last night due to rain.
"I think it's something they're going to have to look into," he said.
"I would support what Collingwood just said. I could have been in the same position as well. It's something that can be addressed so it can be even stevens for both teams in the future. I'm happy but it's just unfortunate for England," he added.
But that was hardly a consolation for Collingwood for whom the result is yet to sink in.
"I'm trying to take the emotion out of that defeat to be honest with you," he said.
"It's the second time it's happened to us against West Indies so it's very frustrating for the boys because we've played a near-perfect game and still lost," he added.
Collingwood said he has no clue how the system can be adjusted to Twenty20 but it has to at the earliest or else teams would continue to suffer.
"I'm not a mathematician, I don't really know what the equation should be, but your backs are certainly against the wall when it's like that." PTI
