Key Points
- Fans reconsider plans as rain predicted for Pakistan-India clash
- 15 to 30 mm of rainfall is predicted on Sunday 23 October 2022
- Cricket lovers from all over the world will descend on Melbourne Cricket Ground for the sold-out match
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has predicted a 90 percent chance of rain on Sunday 23 October 2022, the day the two archrivals go head-to-head at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Some 15 to 30 mm of rainfall is predicted on the day.
“Cloudy. Very high (90%) chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming north-easterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day,” the forecast reads.
The two countries haven't played a bilateral cricket series since 2013 due to political tensions.
Not surprisingly, fans from all over the world will descend on Melbourne Cricket Ground for the sold-out match.
Pakistan fan Syed Raheel Mustafa was planning to travel by road from Sydney to Melbourne, with an overnight stop in Albury, as part of a convoy of three families in five vehicles. But now they are rethinking the whole trip.
“We are looking at the situation and as rain is now predicted, I don’t think that we will go to Melbourne in these circumstances. The fuel prices are already high, and we have booked hotels at a higher price, so it might be better to pull out,” he says.
Mr Mustafa, who has also taken a day off on Monday for the match, says he had been planning the trip for a long time, so it will be disappointing, but he doesn’t want to go to Melbourne “for nothing”.
Ajaz Beg and his two friends, Nadeem and Amjad Hussain, are travelling to Australia from the UK to support Pakistan.
They are coming down under for the first time in seven years, when Australia last hosted the world cup, and have high expectations about Sunday’s match.
Speaking to SBS Urdu from Kuala Lumpur international airport, Ajaz questioned the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to host the tournament during Melbourne’s wettest month.
“We are coming from the other side of the world and we want to see this contest,” Mr Beg says.
As big cricket fans, Ajaz and his friends anticipate a close match if it does go ahead.
“We are just hoping for a match, even it is a 10-over match, otherwise we will be disappointed,” he adds.
Hasnain Ali Badri is a Perth-based India fan, who has cancelled his plan to go to Melbourne for a week.
“Where can we go with this unpredictable weather? I have three kids with me, so it would be difficult for me to go in rainy weather. With a heavy heart I have had to cancel my flight and hotel booking,” Mr Badri says.
Bushra Kalam lives in Cairns. She had been excited to go to Melbourne, but her plans are now up in the air, too.
“According to my plan, I have to leave on Thursday morning by road with my husband. We cannot delay any longer period. We have to make our decision by Wednesday.”
She’s also concerned about the potential for flooding in Victoria.
Zeeshan Iqbal, another cricket fan from Sydney, is already in Melbourne ahead of the match and remains hopeful that the match will go ahead.
“We have events planned before the match and rain on that day will spoil everything,” he says.
On its website, the ICC confirms that reserve days have been scheduled for both semi-finals and the final. However, no other matches will have a reserve day. In case of no play, both teams will be given one point each.
Regarding the semi-finals and final, it says, “Only if the minimum number of overs necessary to constitute a match (at least 5 overs per side) cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day,” the statement says.
