The Champions Trophy match between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi was abandoned due to rain, with no toss or play occurring. The decision was made at 5:10 PM local time, three hours after the scheduled start, leaving both teams hoping to progress to the semi-finals if they win their final group matches against Afghanistan and England. Tomorrow’s match between England and Afghanistan is crucial, as the loser will be eliminated. The encounter marked the first meeting since the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, where Australia had the upper hand in previous ICC events.
Match called off due to rain Australia vs South Africa
The eagerly awaited Champions Trophy clash between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi was canceled without a toss being conducted, let alone any balls being bowled, following continuous rain. The decision to call off the match was made at 5.10pm local time, three hours and 10 minutes past the scheduled start time of 2pm, and two hours and 22 minutes prior to the cutoff for a 20-over match at 7.32pm local time. This was meant to be the first encounter between the two teams in the Champions Trophy.
The outcome implies that should Australia and South Africa win their final group matches against Afghanistan and England respectively, they will advance to the semi-finals. Tomorrow’s clash between England and Afghanistan will be a knockout, with the losing team guaranteed to be eliminated from the tournament. The victorious side will need to overcome their next opponent to secure a place in the semi-finals. Consequently, one of the games between Australia and Afghanistan on Friday and South Africa and England on Saturday could function as de facto quarter-finals. Both England and Afghanistan must win both their remaining matches to qualify for the last four.
No playing XI was revealed for this match, as South Africa remained tight-lipped regarding Heinrich Klaasen’s fitness. He missed the opening match against Afghanistan due to an elbow injury and has now three days to recover ahead of the encounter with England on Saturday.
This match was set to be the first meeting between Australia and South Africa since the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, where Australia emerged victorious, maintaining their upper hand over South Africa in ICC tournaments. In their past nine encounters, Australia has claimed four wins, South Africa three, with one match resulting in a tie during the 1999 World Cup, and now, a washout. Should these teams meet again in this tournament, it would be in the final.