ICC Women's T20 World Cup
Women's T20 World Cup final was played between Australia and India (Source: Twitter)

The ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup landed in controversy due to the manner in which England exited the competition. Their semifinal against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.

India made it to the final ahead of England because of finishing higher in the group stages. India won all four games to top Group A while England came in second behind South Africa, the team they lost to in their Group B opener at the WACA in Perth.

Unlike the men’s 50-over World Cup last year, there was no reserve day for the semifinal of the ongoing T20 World Cup and thus England paid a big price. The ICC has maintained that the T20 World Cups (for both men and women) are short, sharp events with reserve days factored in only for the final. Also, all the teams knew of the playing conditions and did sign on it much before the tournament began.

“Allowing for any other reserve days would have extended the length of the event, which isn’t feasible. There is a clear and fair alternative should there be no play In any of the semi-finals with the winner of the group progressing,” a spokesperson had said on the eve of the game.

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But despite the rules in place, the ICC did face criticism from all around with some big names like Michael Vaughan and Stuart Broad also criticising it. All eyes are now on the final between hosts Australia and India. The much-anticipated game will take place on Sunday (March 8) at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

What if rain plays spoilsport in the final:

Unlike the semifinals, there is a reserve day for the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Thus, if rain interrupts play on Sunday, officials will start to reduce overs (a minimum of 10 overs per team is required to constitute a match) before resorting to bringing back both teams on Monday.

If the reserve day is required, the match will resume under the same conditions under which the final ball of the first day was played. Here is an example to make things clear.

If the match is interrupted on Sunday by rain and then play resumes as a 15-over-a-side game on the same. If rain returned to ruin the rest of Sunday, the game would continue on Monday as a 15-over-a-side match. However if that same match did not resume on Sunday after the original rain disruption, it would revert to a full T20 on Monday.

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