ICC defends schedule amid monsoon

Forecast suggests more rain as World Twenty20 progresses.

COLOMBO: The International Cricket Council defended the scheduling of the World Twenty20 as monsoon rains threatened to ruin the tournament in Sri Lanka.

“This was the only period available in the Future Tours Programme this year to conduct the tournament,” said an ICC spokesman. “All the teams were aware of it.”

The two-yearly tournament, being held in Sri Lanka for the first time, coincides with the traditional start of the monsoon season in the region.

On Saturday, the match between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Hambantota was reduced to seven-overs-a-side, which the Proteas won by 32 runs.

On the same day in Colombo, Australia were 100 for one in 9.1 overs chasing West Indies’ total of 191 for eight when heavy rain forced the match to be called off. They were declared winners by 17 runs according to the Duckworth-Lewis method that decides rain-hit games.

The forecast for the rest of the tournament is for worsening weather.

“By the first week of October, we will start getting more rains,” said meteorologist Pabodini Karunapala.

The Super Eights round of the World Twenty20 starts on Thursday with the semi-finals on October 4 and 5 and the final on October 7.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2012.