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Can rain continue to become a spoilsport in the ICC World Cup 2023?
Rain spoilsport in World Cup 2023: It has been over 2 days since the commencement of the ICC World Cup 2023 warm-up matches on 29th September 2023 with 10 different international teams participating in full swing and preparations ahead of this grand contest, which is scheduled to kickstart from 5th October 2023. Incredibly, this is the first time India is set to host the entire tournament in cricket World Cup history. Every cricket fan is enthralled with excitement as well as suspicion with concerns about the persistent rain that can prove to become a spoilsport for ICC World Cup 2023, reflecting the recent Asia Cup 2023 Tournament in Sri Lanka.
Recently, the warm-up match between India and England on 30th September 2023 ( Saturday) was canceled without a ball being bowled due to heavy rains. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma decided to bat first after winning the toss at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Assam), which created hope and excitement among many fans to watch a high-scoring game.
To compensate for the losses of audiences, the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) has decided to provide a full refund for the ticket holders of the IND vs ENG World Cup 2023 warm-up match
It would have been a good opportunity for Team India if there was a complete 50-over warm-up match played against a strong opposition team like England ahead of this grand tournament without any interruptions.
Also, the defending champions of the ICC World Cup tournament 2019 (England) have completely dominated the runners-up ( New Zealand) in the recent 4-match ODI series with a result of 3-1.
It is regrettable that Team India could have witnessed a perfect rehearsal against England- The defending World Champions of the ICC World Cup 2019, if rain hadn’t continued to become a spoilsport in the 4th warm-up match of this tournament.
Rain Spoilsport in World Cup 2023- INDIA: Similar Scenarios to Witness
Not only the 4th warm-up match between India and England was interrupted due to rain, but also the 5th warm-up match between Australia and the Netherlands was concluded with a “NO RESULT” outcome on the same day despite the match being reduced to 23 overs per side.
AUSTRALIA vs NETHERLANDS: Rain Spoilsport in World Cup 2023 5th Warm-up Match to be Known
Australian skipper Pat Cummins decided to bat first after winning the toss, which was a perfect decision according to the weather conditions at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram( Kerala).
Australia managed to complete their batting innings for the reduced-overs game despite the threatening rain conditions. Australian opening Batsman Steven Smith’s top-scoring performance of 55 runs from 42 balls ( including 4 fours and 3 sixes) guided his team to post a total of 166-7.
Unfortunately, Australia couldn’t secure a complete winning moment against the Netherlands with a scoreboard of 84-6 in 14.2 overs, as the rain persisted to disrupt the game once again. Australia could have experienced the beginning of a winning moment on Indian pitches after losing the ODI series against India.
In recent times, Australia has not been in great form in recent times by losing a 5-match ODI series against South Africa with a 2-3 result and a 3-match ODI series against India with a 1-2 result.
SOUTH AFRICA vs AFGHANISTAN: Rain Spoilsport in World Cup 2023 2nd Warm-up Match to be Known
Similarly, rain continued to become a spoilsport for the 2nd Warm Up match ahead of the ICC World Cup 2023 Tournament.
On 29th September 2023 (Friday), the match between South Africa and Afghanistan was called off without even conducting a toss session due to heavy rains at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.
Recently, South Africa after winning the 5-match ODI series against Australia with a 3-2 result, aimed to maintain their consistent performance by getting used to the pitch conditions in India during the warm-up matches. It would be challenging for South Africa to get rehearsed with the pitch conditions against the toughest opposition New Zealand- the runner-up of ICC World Cup 2019.
Also, New Zealand seems to be at their peak form as they have comfortably chased the high target of 346 runs against Pakistan in the 3rd warm-up game of this tournament with a 5-wicket win and more than 7 overs to spare.
Rain Spoilsport in World Cup 2023: A brilliant or risky decision by ICC to host in India?
Every cricket fan who relishes the enjoying and refreshing moments of the ICC World Cup, held every four years, seems to be worried about the present weather conditions in India.
This is because the recent Asia Cup 2023 tournament matches were interrupted due to severe rains and poor management in Sri Lanka with an outcome of NO RESULT and reduced overs per team side.
Extreme rainfall in India is naturally observed between the months of June to August which turned out to be completely dissimilar this year.
The late monsoons in 2023 have resulted in extreme rainfall continuing till October 2023, which can affect the ICC World Cup 2023 matches in India with an outcome of NO RESULT or result with reduced overs per team side.
Also, a reserve match would be conducted only for the semi-finals and finals of this tournament with a complete 50-over game per side. It becomes evident that if there is extreme rainfall to be witnessed during the league matches, the game would either be conducted with a reduction of overs per innings or the match would be completely canceled with each team awarded one point.
Although a reserve day could provide an advantage in completing the semi-finals and finals of this tournament with a proper conclusion of a winner, there is also a certain drawback of this method.
By implementing the scheme of reserve day, teams that have performed well against their opposition, sometimes struggle to maintain their consistent performance on the next day due to extreme rains and altered pitch conditions.
At times, the audience might lose interest and continuity in watching the interrupted matches on the next day with persistent rains.
Also, many players have to undergo a lot of changes physically and psychologically which can affect their consistent form.
Rain Spoilsport in World Cup 2023: Weather Conditions for Upcoming Matches
As the ICC World Cup 2023 matches are scheduled from 5th October 2023 (Thursday) to 19th November 2023 (Sunday), it is predicted that there won’t be rainfall across many states in India after 3rd October 2023.
Every cricket Fan may breathe a sigh of relief looking at the weather forecast for the upcoming days and can feel confident that they will not have to experience the most frustrating moments of the halted games, unlike the Asia Cup 2023 Tournament.
Overall, it was neither a brilliant nor a risky decision to conduct the ICC World Cup 2023 in India as it was an unexpected consequence of extreme rainfall to continue till October 2023.
But, a grand tournament like the ICC World Cup could be completely enjoyed if a complete 50-over game is conducted per side without any interruptions.
Upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 Matches: Schedule, Venue, and Weather Forecast to be known
Warm-up matches play a crucial role by providing plenty of opportunities for different teams to work on their strengths and weaknesses before competing with the toughest opposition during ICC World Cup matches.
Here is the detailed information about the schedule and venue of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup warm-up matches 2023 dated 2nd and 3rd October along with the weather forecast:
| Match | Date and Day | Timings | Venue | Weather Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENG vs BAN 6th warm-up Match | 2nd October 2023 ( Monday) | 02:00 pm Local / 08:30 am GMT | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | Cloudy/ rainy |
| NZ vs SA 7th warm-up match | 2nd October 2023 ( Monday) | 02:00 pm Local / 08:30 am GMT | Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram | Clear Sky with less chances of rain |
| AFG vs SL 8th warm-up match | 3rd October 2023 ( Tuesday ) | 02:00 pm Local / 08:30 am GMT | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | Cloudy/ rainy |
| IND vs NED 9th warm-up match | 3rd October 2023 ( Tuesday ) | 02:00 pm Local / 08:30 am GMT | Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram | Clear Sky with less chances of rain |
| PAK vs AUS 10th warm-up match | 3rd October 2023 ( Tuesday ) | 02:00 pm Local / 08:30 am GMT | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Sunny/ cloudy |
As every team gets an opportunity to play 2 warm-up matches ahead of the ICC World Cup tournament, teams like New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have played 1 out of 2 matches without any interruptions to analyze their positives and negatives with a fair result.
On the other side, teams such as India, Australia, South Africa, England, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh that have missed their 1st warm-up game will aim to make use of their 2nd warm-up match in order to boost their confidence and improve their skills before the commencement of the grand tournament.
The Indian cricket team has been in its peak form in recent times by winning the Asia Cup 2023 and ODI series against Australia with a result of 2-1.
Especially, the Indian team’s strong batting and bowling line-up makes the game much more interesting against the toughest opposition.
However, it would have been more reasonable if the 2nd warm-up match for Team India could have been scheduled against a strong opposition team rather than a weaker opposition like the Netherlands.
Here are the common questions asked on behalf of cricket fans:
Who will win the ICC World Cup 2023?
Can Team India win the ICC World Cup 2023 or England (the previous World Cup winner) continue to retain their defending champions Title under challenging weather conditions in India?
Will this edition of the upcoming grand tournament be the best or worst cricket World Cup ever in the history of cricket depending upon the weather conditions?
Rain Spoilsport in ICC World Cup 2023 Tournament: A continuing or diminishing factor for the upcoming matches?
The answer to the above questions will be known starting from 5th October 2023 ( Thursday)…