ISLAMABAD: The Group B Champions Trophy match between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi was abandoned on Tuesday without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain.
The International Cricket Council confirmed that the points were shared between the two teams after continuous rainfall ensured the game could not proceed. The cut-off time for the start of a 20-overs-a-side match was 7:02 pm local time, but the ongoing downpour made any play impossible.
Umpires Chris Gaffaney and Richard Kettleborough initially delayed the toss, scheduled for 1:30 pm, after inspecting the conditions under light drizzle. However, with the rain continuing and the ground staff unable to clear pools of water from the covers, the match was called off.
A small crowd of South African and Australian fans waited in vain for the match to start before leaving without witnessing any action.
Following the cancellation, South Africa remain at the top of Group B on net run rate, alongside Australia, with both teams earning three points after winning their opening matches against Afghanistan and England, respectively.
The next Group B match will see England take on Afghanistan in Lahore on Wednesday. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.
The last encounter between Australia and South Africa was in the 2023 World Cup semi-final, where Australia narrowly defeated South Africa.
Meanwhile, India and New Zealand have already qualified for the semi-finals from Group A, while title holders Pakistan and Bangladesh were eliminated from the tournament.
