Australia’s Women’s Twenty20 World Cup fate may yet be determined by the weather after Cricket Australia’s request to introduce a reserve day was rejected by the International Cricket Council.
The CA chief executive, Kevin Roberts, told SEN he had asked the ICC if the tournament’s semi-finals at the SCG – which are under threat due to forecast showers in Sydney on Thursday – could potentially be played on Friday.
But Roberts said he was told the late proposal “was not part of the playing conditions” or scheduling, which was drawn up before the event began and allows for just one reserve day throughout the tournament – for the final – would not be altered.
“We respect [the decision],” Roberts said. “You want the match to be won and lost inside the ropes rather than won or lost based on the weather, don’t you?”
Roberts said the situation should give organisers pause for thought about how to improve the tournament in the future, although he conceded now was not the “time to tinker” with the schedule.
As it stands, Australia’s failure to beat India in their opening game could prove costly as, should there be no result due to rain, South Africa will move into the final by default, with the higher-placed team in the group stage automatically going through.
Group A winners India, who are scheduled to meet England in Thursday’s earlier semi-final, will also make the title decider in the event of abandonment or a no result.
Tournament rules state each team must bat for at least 10 overs for a result in the semi-final to be produced, an increase from the five overs required for a group stage match.
But that may play into the host nation’s hands, given their explosive batting lineup; openers Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy, along with Ash Gardner, all boast strike rates of over 120.
“Potentially [it could suit Australia],” Mooney said. “We won’t know until the day but we are going in like we are playing a T20. But we will sit down as a group tomorrow and come up with plans.
“It’s a conversation that could happen on the day of the game if it does get reduced.”
Rain hit Sydney on Tuesday evening and forecasts indicate the inclement weather is there to stay for the rest of the week. But Roberts said he remained optimistic of play on Thursday.
“We’re optimistic based on the drainage at the SCG combined with the weather forecast that’s not perfect but not terrible either,” he said. “We’re really hopeful and planning for different scenarios tomorrow night.
“The important thing is getting our team ready to play a 10-over match, 12-over match, 18-over match or whatever it happens to be if it’s not a full T20 contest.”
The group stage was played out relatively unaffected by the weather, with just two matches – Monday’s clashes between South Africa and West Indies, and Pakistan and Thailand – the only ones to produce no result. Each team was awarded a point.
Australia have the upper hand over South Africa, having never lost any of the 19 matches across all formats between the two sides, although they will be without star all-rounder Ellyse Perry for the match after she was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a serious hamstring injury.
Tournament organisers are hoping to attract a record crowd to the MCG on 8 March – Sunday is International Women’s Day and with pop star Katy Perry on board to perform, a crowd nearing 100,000 is the aim – but the participation of the host nation’s team is likely to be needed for that to happen.