Women’s T20 World Cup: No reserve day for semifinals, says ICC

If both semifinals are washed out, India and South Africa will go through to the final.

There is likely to be rain in Sydney on Thursday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down a request made by Cricket Australia to set aside a reserve day for the semifinals of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

On Thursday, India will take on England in the first semifinal and later that day, Australia will play South Africa in the other. However, the weather could threaten to ruin the double-header day, and if there’s a washout for both contests, the teams that topped their respective groups in the first round — India and South Africa — will go through to the final.

“We have asked the question and it’s not part of the playing conditions. I respect that because we have said the same thing in tournaments that we run in Australia,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Kevin Roberts, the CA CEO, as saying.

“It gives you cause to reflect on how you might improve things in the future absolutely, but going into a tournament with a given set of playing conditions and rules I don’t think it’s time to tinker with that as much as with an Australian hat on I might love that,” he added.

‘Short, sharp events’

However, an ICC spokesperson said: “The ICC T20 World Cups are short, sharp events where reserve days are factored in for the final. 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 semifinals with the winner of the group progressing.”

On Tuesday, the final Group B games were washed out. While only one innings could be played between Thailand and Pakistan, the match between South Africa and West Indies was abandoned without a ball being bowled. More than 50,000 tickets have already been sold for the final, which will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.