Daily Times

The T20 World Cup final contenders – Pakistan and England – are set to face off in the blockbuster game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today, but there is a strong chance of rain playing a spoilsport on the big day. According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, the likelihood of showers occurring in Melbourne is 100 per cent on Nov 13. The match is scheduled to start at 7pm (Australia time) and 1pm (PST). The forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology at 3pm, Nov 12. The Australian met office has predicted the sky would remain cloudy with a very high chance of showers. “The chance of a thunderstorm, possibly severe with heavy falls.” The tournament has already seen a slew of Super 12 matches washed out, though the semi-finals passed without disruption in Sydney and Adelaide. While the forecast could put a dampener on the crowd at the MCG, organisers will plough ahead with the starting time of 7pm local time (1:00pm Pakistan time, 0800GMT) on Sunday and hope each side can squeeze 10 overs in, the minimum required for the final. If the match starts on Sunday and is unable to be completed, it will resume at 3pm (0400 GMT) on Monday, leaving players with a nervous night’s sleep. If Sunday is completely washed out, the match will start at 3pm on Monday, with the teams on notice to be ready for the match to linger well into the evening if the weather forces it. In the worst-case scenario where Monday is also washed out, then the World Cup will have joint winners for the first time. It is worth mentioning that the met office had predicted about 95pc the chances of rain in the Oct 23 Pak-India clash, however, the match went on without any interruption, though the playing conditions remained overcast all day.