Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has blasted the groundstaff for not covering the ground fully at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium amid rains on Tuesday. With showers pouring down ahead of the important Group B clash between Australia and South Africa, the 44-year-old took to X and questioned whether the ICC money was properly utilized by the hosts.
With Australia and South Africa coming off victories in their opening game, a victory for either of those teams on Tuesday could have sealed their semi-final spot. Moreover, Australia and South Africa have never faced one another in a Champions Trophy clash. Nevertheless, the forecast looks grim for the remainder of the day and the cut-off time for a game is 7:32 pm local time.
Meanwhile, Kaif took to X and wrote:
"It's a shame that the Rawalpindi ground isn't fully covered. Such an important match - SA vs Aus - might go down the drain because no one addressed this issue. Was the ICC money utilised wisely by hosts?"
Hosts Pakistan eliminated from the first round
Meanwhile, Pakistan cricket team has been copping backlash over their shambolic performances in the first two matches, leading to their elimination from the group stage of the tournament. They lost to New Zealand by 60 runs and to India by 6 wickets.
This also came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) fought for the hosting rights for months and revamped stadiums to host matches smoothly. With Pakistan and Bangladesh both eliminated, both will battle one another in an inconsequential fixture on Thursday.
