PAK vs ENG: Melbourne Rain Keeps The World Cup Men's T20 Final On Edge

Rain is expected to threaten the men’s T20 World Cup final between England and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, raising the possibility of the need for a reserve day and possibly even a shared trophy. This will cause some anxious stares upward in Melbourne over the coming days. 

There is presently a 95% probability of rain on Sunday, with 15 to 25mm of precipitation expected. “Very high likelihood of showers—nearly 100%. the potential for severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall, “As of Friday morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. 

The reserve day is scheduled for Monday, but that day’s prediction is likewise unsure, predicting rain with a 95% probability of falling between 5 and 10mm. 

Reserve Day To Be Used If 10 Overs Per Side Are Not Bowled On The Scheduled Day

In contrast to the group stages of the tournament, which only required five overs per side, the knockout matches required a minimum of 10 overs per side. 

If necessary, finishing a truncated game on Sunday will take precedence, therefore the number of overs will be decreased before the reserve day is used. The game will continue from where it left off on the reserve day if it was started on Sunday but cannot be finished. The game is regarded as live after the toss has occurred. 

The game will resume as a 20-over battle on the reserve day if it starts on Sunday with a reduction in overs but play cannot possibly resume owing to the weather. 

The reserve day of the final has two hours of extra time available with play beginning on Monday at 3 p.m. local time, but the original day of the final has only 30 minutes of extra time permitted. 

“If the reserve day is allocated, every effort will be made to complete the match on the scheduled day with any necessary reduction in overs taking place and only if the minimum number of overs necessary to constitute a match cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day,” the playing conditions read. 

“If the match has started on the scheduled day and overs are subsequently reduced following an interruption, but no further play is possible, the match will resume on the reserve day at the point where the last ball was played.” 

The trophy would be split if the two days weren’t long enough to get the required number of overs. Although a new game was started on the next day due to the playing conditions at the time, the 2002–03 Champions Trophy match between India and Sri Lanka ended in this manner.

Both games were called off at nearly the same time. India vs. New Zealand semi-final of the 2019 ODI World Cup was played over two days at Old Trafford. 

Melbourne Severely Affected By Weather In T20 World Cup 2022

Melbourne has been severely affected by weather during this event, with three Super 12 matches—New Zealand vs. Afghanistan, Afghanistan vs. Ireland, and Australia vs. England—being called off without a ball being played. Rain also caused the England-Ireland game in Melbourne to be postponed, although Ireland still won famously on DLS. 

The rest of the tournament has mostly avoided the rain during what has been a wet start to summer across the east and southeast of Australia, with the exception of the South Africa-Zimbabwe game in Hobart, which was also a no result. 

The prognosis was not good before the India-Pakistan game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), but it was cleared to allow a complete game, and the match ended up being one of the greatest T20 contests ever. The final will be hoped the organizers, participants, and fans to have the same good fortune. 

Also Read: IND vs ENG: Virat Kohli Becomes First Player To Complete 4,000 T20I Runs