A crucial match between Afghanistan and Australia will take place on Friday, 28th February in the Champions Trophy at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. This game is very important for both teams as the winner will secure a spot in the semi-finals, while the losing team will be eliminated from the tournament.
Australia and South Africa have already suffered due to rain
So far, two matches in the Champions Trophy have been washed out due to rain. Both South Africa and Australia had to settle for one point each in their previous matches. The Pakistan vs Bangladesh game was also abandoned, but since both teams were already out of the race for the semi-finals, it did not affect the tournament standings. However, Australia and South Africa suffered as they missed out on crucial points, affecting their qualification chances.
Two matches were washed out in Rawalpindi
The two rain-affected matches took place in Rawalpindi, but the Afghanistan vs Australia match is set to be played in Lahore. Reports indicate that weather conditions in Lahore are also concerning. On the eve of the match, local reports suggest rainfall in the city, raising doubts over whether the game will take place as scheduled.
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Lahore weather forecast for match day
According to Weather.com, there is a 70 percent chance of rain in Lahore on Friday. However, conditions seem to improve around match time.
- At 2:00 pm local time (2:30 pm IST), rain probability is 44 percent, decreasing to 39 percent and 33 percent over the next two hours.
- After 5:00 pm local time (5:30 pm IST), the chances of rain drop further to 9 to 24 percent.
Possible interruptions in the match
Forecasts suggest that rain might cause delays or interruptions during the match. To get a valid result, both teams need to play at least 20 overs each. However, since there is no reserve day in the league stage, the biggest concern is what happens if the match gets washed out.
What happens if the match is abandoned?
If the Afghanistan vs Australia match is abandoned, Australia will qualify for the semi-finals as they will have 4 points in the table. Meanwhile, Afghanistan will be eliminated, as they will have only 3 points from 3 matches.
Afghanistan’s points will be the same as South Africa, but their net run rate (-0.990) is significantly lower than South Africa’s (+2.140). Moreover, South Africa still has one more match to play against England, and even if they lose, their superior net run rate will keep them ahead of Afghanistan.