When Mike Atherton mentions different playing conditions (PCs) for the two semifinals, he refers to the differences between those in play for the first and second matches. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has allotted extra time for the India-England game to complete on Thursday. The ‘no reserve day’ in the second semifinal ensures that the winner of that game is free of a play-travel-play schedule, with the final planned for Saturday. However, the same rule does not apply to the first semifinal.
The second semifinal on June 27 has an extra 250 minutes available on the planned day, while the final on June 29 has a reserve day on June 30.”
The statement’s underlying facts are that if it rains during the first semifinal between South Africa and Afghanistan, set for 8:30 PM local time on Wednesday, the match can be extended by an hour or shifted to Thursday afternoon after the India semifinal is completed. However, if the India game in Georgetown gets rained out, both semifinals could be played simultaneously.
The applicable rule states, “The total additional playing time for the reserve day of semifinal 1 shall be 190 minutes.” If there is no play on the first day, all further delays will result in a loss of overs. A maximum of 250 minutes will be allocated to the planned day of semifinal 2, with no reserve day.
When asked about it, India captain Rohit Sharma replied, “We don’t know what’s going to happen.” I’m only concerned that if the game goes on until late, we’ll have a charter flight. We might miss the flight, but that’s fine.”
Furthermore, the semifinal regulations dictate that each side must play at least 10 overs for the game to be considered a match. The PCs, Appendix G, state: “If play is interrupted on the scheduled day, the umpires shall use the available extra time and, if necessary, reduce the number of overs to try to achieve a result on that day.
“Umpires should maximize play on the planned day of the match to reach a result, even if there is no Reserve Day available. This includes considering ground, weather, and light conditions. Each team must have batted for at least ten (10) overs to secure a result. The day is abandoned, and the Reserve Day is utilized to complete or rerun the match.
Furthermore, the PCs emphasize that if India advances to the semifinals, they will play in Guyana, a point that has not gone down well with English experts, who claim that their team had to wait until the India-Australia game was completed to find out where they would play. If a game is impossible in Guyana, India will go to the final by finishing first in their group. However, if the final is likewise abandoned, the winners will be announced jointly.
