ICC Champions Trophy: Incessant rain washes away Australia vs South Africa match

It was supposed to be a battle to remain unbeaten as Rawalpindi braced to host Australia and South Africa on Tuesday. However, the weather in the region derailed the whole course of the game. Rain in Rawalpindi forced the Australia vs South Africa ICC Champions Trophy clash to be abandoned without any play. The drizzle that surrounded Rawalpindi ahead of the toss turned heavy, preventing even the toss from taking place. Now, both Australia and South Africa will share one point each as action in Group B heats up for the semi-final qualification. In their campaign opener, Australia had beaten England in a stunning batting display, where the Steve Smith-led side chased down 351.

ICC Champions Trophy: Australia vs South Africa washed off due to rain

South Africa, meanwhile, registered a dominant 107-run victory over Afghanistan to launch their campaign at the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Australia, hampered by the absence of their primary pacers, managed to script a massive victory. Bowling without their regular skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, Australia leaked 351 runs to England in the opening innings. However, the chase was powered by a scintillating ton from Josh Inglis that outweighed the 165 scored by Ben Duckett for England. With a 69-run support from Alex Carey, Inglis led Australia to register the highest successful chase ever recorded in an ICC tournament.

Now, as Australia, led by Steve Smith, were set to collide with South Africa, who were in sublime form themselves, the contest would have likely projected a frontrunner for qualification from Group B. India and New Zealand from Group A have already booked their ICC Champions Trophy semi-final spots, while defending champions and hosts Pakistan, along with Bangladesh, have exited the semi-final qualification race. Group B, meanwhile, also includes England and Afghanistan, who are scheduled to play their second respective group-stage game against each other on 26 February.

Meanwhile, the management at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium has come under scrutiny for its handling of the rain-affected game. As rain engulfed the venue after a slight drizzle at the scheduled time of the toss, it was observed that the outfield remained bare. Despite the continuous drizzle, the management did not cover the entire ground, much to the chagrin of onlookers. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif tweeted about the issue, criticizing the lack of preparation. Well before the abandonment, Kaif noted that if the rain were to stop anytime soon, the Rawalpindi ground would still take significant time to dry enough for play to resume.

"It's a shame that the Rawalpindi ground isn't fully covered. Such an important match - SA vs Aus - might go down the drain because no one addressed this issue. Was the ICC money utilised wisely by hosts?" Kaif wrote on X.

Kaif highlighted that even if the rain allowed room for the Australia vs South Africa fixture to start, the outfield's condition would have led to abandonment. However, his prediction did not entirely come true, a slight relief for the PCB, as the incessant drizzle alone was enough to wash out the match altogether. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is the first tournament that Pakistan is hosting solely. Moreover, the marquee event marks the first ICC tournament in 29 years to be held in the country. Shortly before its commencement, Pakistan was scrutinised for lapses in preparing the three venues, National Stadium in Karachi, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and Rawalpindi Stadium, on time.

Now, while the renovations appear complete, Pakistan's approach to handling unfavorable weather conditions has raised concerns. The decision to cover only the pitch will not be sufficient if similar situations arise in the future. Group B has three more matches left to be played in Pakistan. Additionally, Pakistan and Bangladesh, though already ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy, are scheduled to play their last group-stage clash against each other in Rawalpindi.

In another update, the washout has intensified the race in Group B, as Afghanistan and England now have an advantage in qualification. The winner of the Australia vs South Africa clash would have earned a virual qualification for the semi-finals. However, with the points of this match now being shared apiece each due to the wash off, alll thr teams from Group B still retain a direct chance at the qualification.