Ground staff slips off ground while drying out Lahore stadium during AFG vs AUS match, video goes viral

AUSvsAFG. (Source:JioHotstar)

A member of the ground staff slipped onto the field in an attempt to dry out the wet surface at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore after the rain interrupted Match 10 of the Champions Trophy between Australia and Afghanistan. The video of the moment went viral on social media, while some users also critiqued the Pakistan Cricket Board for poor drainage facilities at the ground for the mega ICC event.

Match gets called off, Australia qualify for semis

Amid the excessive waters on the surface, the ground staff were not able to dry up the ground for the game to be resumed by the cut-off time of 10.11 pm local time. As a result, the match officials decided that the match better be called off, as both teams shared a point each.

A point in and Australia were the first team from the Group B to qualify for the semi-finals of the eight-team tournament. The second qualification for the semi-finals will be dependent on the result from Saturday’s clash between South Africa and England. If the Proteas win, they would qualify straight away and finish the stage as table-toppers.

The only way for Afghanistan to qualify is by hoping that South Africa lose by at least 180 runs in the upcoming game, or England chase down the target in less than 15 overs, which is quite unlikely, but the hope is not all lost for the AfghanAtalans.

Coming again to the current match, Afghanistan batted first to post a formidable total of 273 runs on the board. The inning was orchestrated by Sediqullah Atal who made a staggering 85 runs, while hero from the last game Azmat Omarzai too chipped in with an equally important 67 off 63 balls.

Also Read: Who is Sediqullah Atal? Everything you need to know

The Australians looked well on course to double down on the target after Travis Head provided a blistering start to the chase. Reaching his half-century off just 34 balls, Head made the most out of the field restrictions, despite a wicket falling in the powerplay in the form of Matthew Short. Australia were 109/1 after 12.5 when rain interrupted the run of play, and after roughly 90 minutes of wait, the game was called off.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this news article is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and perspective. Readers are encouraged to evaluate the details thoughtfully and draw their own conclusions.