Australia and South Africa, two semifinalists in the ongoing Champions Trophy, are uncertain about their travel plans due to the outcome of India’s match against New Zealand. Both teams are in Dubai, waiting to see if India wins, which would determine their semifinal opponents. Australia arrived from Karachi after their match with Afghanistan was rained out, while South Africa topped Group B after defeating England. Players express varied opinions on the situation, with some believing India has an advantage due to familiarity with local conditions. The ICC is managing logistics amid these uncertainties as teams prepare to train in Dubai.
It’s quite rare to see two semifinalists of a global tournament in the same city, uncertain about their travel plans, yet that is the current predicament for Australia and South Africa in the ongoing Champions Trophy. Including India and New Zealand, the other two teams from Group A, Dubai now hosts all the semifinalists. This situation has led to a split in opinions among players, both past and present, in the cricket world, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to navigate this complex scenario.
Australia traveled to Dubai from Karachi late Friday night after their match against Afghanistan was abandoned, securing their spot in the semifinals.
South Africa, having defeated England by seven wickets to amass five points, also boarded the flight to Dubai as the leaders of Group B.
Their stay in Dubai hinges on the outcome of India’s match against New Zealand on Sunday.
If India triumphs over New Zealand, they will top Group A and face Australia, the Group B runners-up, in the first semifinal on Tuesday.
Conversely, if India loses, they will play against South Africa, the Group B leaders, while Australia will return to Pakistan for the second semifinal on Wednesday in Lahore.
“The situation isn’t ideal. But that’s the nature of the draw, and the rain in Pindi (Rawalpindi) didn’t help, especially since both teams were impacted by it. On the flip side, they have an additional day in Dubai to acclimate to the conditions,” a source close to the matter told PTI.
The rain-abandoned match between Australia and South Africa further delayed the determination of the group leaders.
South African all-rounder Marco Jansen acknowledged that India might be more accustomed to the conditions but hesitated to consider Rohit Sharma’s team as having a significant edge.
“We’ll see how they perform against New Zealand, as that will dictate who we face in the semifinal (in Dubai). If we play in Dubai against India, they have had training and will be more familiar with the conditions,” Jansen mentioned during the post-match press conference following South Africa’s match against England.
“However, we’ve also played in Dubai, so it’s not entirely new to us. We handle spin very well. Thus, I don’t think it presents a massive advantage,” he added.
Meanwhile, Australian captain Pat Cummins, who isn’t competing in the Champions Trophy, expressed dissatisfaction with the scheduling, believing it gave India a head start over other teams.
If India wins their semifinal on Tuesday, the victor of the second semifinal will have to return to Dubai on Thursday (March 6) ahead of the March 9 final.
While this is less complicated than the current scenario, logistical planning required some last-minute adjustments, although provisions were made for such possible complications typical of multi-nation events.
In the meantime, Australia and South Africa are set to train at the ICC Academy on Sunday.
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