Rain Could Ruin Cricket’s T20 World Cup Final But Rule Changes Might Help Conjure A Result

It’s been an engrossing T20 World Cup, surely the best of the eight editions, but the final between England and Pakistan could end in a major anti-climax with Melbourne’s notorious weather threatening to rudely intervene.

With rain playing havoc throughout, especially in Melbourne, it’s almost fitting that the tournament ends with the cricket world constantly refreshing Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology’s homepage.

And, right now, it’s dire reading with 10-20mm of rain forecast on Sunday, including the possibility of a thunderstorm. There is a reserve day for the final on Monday but it’s not looking much better with 8-15 mm of rain predicted although less likely in the evening.

Worse case scenario is that both teams will share the trophy if it’s a washout. But the governing body is doing its best to ensure there won’t be a dud of a finish with tweaks to its arcane rules for the final.

“The Event Technical Committee has increased the provision of additional playing time on the reserve day to four hours from the original provision of two hours (clause 13.7.3 of the Playing Conditions), in case more time is required to complete the match and get a result,” the ICC said in a media release.

But one rule that hasn’t been bent is a minimum of 10 overs a side needed for a result, which is instituted for knockout games instead of the traditional five overs a side for regular T20 games.

Despite some conjecture on social media, the final can’t be moved to nearby Marvel Stadium, which has a roof, due to logistical reasons.

Rain playing party pooper does nicely tie a bow on this tournament, which was scheduled right at the start of the Australian cricket season in spring where the weather is still fairly erratic.

With so many games affected – or nearly affected – by the inclement conditions, it did add to the tournament’s drama where the stakes were magnified for almost every game in a silver lining.

There were plenty of upsets along the way as the gulf between power countries and smaller nations has seemingly narrowed in a format that is a leveller. But by the finish line, a big three nation of England/Australia/India once again qualified for a World Cup final.

Only twice before in ODI or T20 World Cup history has a final been contested without one of these countries – in the T20 World Cups of 2009 and 2012. England are gunning to become the first nation to simultaneously hold the ODI and T20 World Cups and if successful their six-year run will go down among the great limited-overs periods alongside the West Indies in the second half of the 1970s and Australia from 1999-2007.

The all-out batting assault from captain Jos Buttler and Alex Hales in their crushing semi-final win encapsulated England’s aggressive approach which has taken white ball cricket to new heights and overwhelmed a conservative India, whose cautiousness finally undid them in a format uncompromising for lethargy.

Pakistan, however, won’t be timid. They are in one of those purple patches where they appear unbeatable having done a complete u-turn after looking down and out in Perth after losing by one run to Zimbabwe.

Back then, just over two weeks ago but feels an eternity, captain Babar Azam looked crestfallen at the post-match press conference and even his rallying cry intended to lift his dejected teammates appeared forced. He felt like he genuinely didn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.

It seemed like Babar, who was going through a run drought too, was distracted by thoughts of a hostile homecoming with his compatriots ruthless in defeat. But with some luck, as results unexpectedly fell their way, Pakistan have qualified for the final and are peaking perfectly after thrashing New Zealand in a one-sided semi-final.

Even though they are branded as mercurial, as evidenced this tournament, Pakistan have always performed strongly at the T20 World Cup which they had the ultimate success in 2009.

Their bowling attack, marked by a slew of menacing quicks and dazzling spinner Shadab Khan who might be the player of the tournament if Pakistan get over the line, might just hold the key and they’ll fancy their chances of tearing through England if they can dismiss Hales and Buttler early.

The re-match of the epic 1992 World Cup decider on the same ground, where then Pakistan captain Imran Khan cemented his cricket legacy in his finest hour, shapes as a classic against two high-octane teams who deserve to be last standing.

That’s if Melbourne’s nefarious weather holds up.