By Ehsan Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)
But they had to share points with their destiny in the tournament dependent of the results of their last league outings.
The washout also meant the game between Afghanistan and England, to be played on February 26, became a knockout, with the losing team to go out of reckoning.
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Following the cracker of a game between Australia and England a couple of nights ago, the cricket community eagerly awaited the fixture between Australia and South Africa in the Champions Trophy at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, on February 25 but not a single ball was possible due to rain before it was eventually abandoned.
As a matter of fact, the match was washed out without even a toss and it was called off at 5.10 pm local time, three hours and ten minutes after the scheduled start of play at 2 pm and two hours and 22 minutes before the cut-off time for a 20-overs-a-side game, 7.32 pm local time.
It was the first match of the ongoing Champions Trophy to be washed out as the persistent rains did not make it possible for the ground to be ready for action.
Both the teams, after having won their opening games, were looking forward to registering another victory in this crucial encounter to confirm their passage into the semifinals.
As the toss did not take place in the match between Australia and South Africa, neither team declared its playing eleven. There was lots of speculation about the availability of master blaster Heinrich Klaasen, who was ruled out of the opening match against Afghanistan with an elbow injury.
Australia and South Africa, who have been fierce rivals in international cricket over the years, however, have not met each other in the ODI since the 2023 World Cup semifinal in 2023 which was won by former, the eventual champions.
In nine matches during ICC tournaments, Australia have won four, South Africa three and there was the famous tie in the 1999 World Cup semifinal in which Lance Klusener almost took the South Africans over the line sensationally only to see his partner, lastman Allan Donald, getting run out in the most dramatic of fashions. Australia went on to win the tournament by overpowering Pakistan in the final at Lord’s.
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