With rain threat hovering, what happens if England vs Pakistan T20 WC final is washed out?

La Nina to strike again?

What happened at Bellerive Oval and more recently at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is fresh in memory. Rain had rendered the ground unfit for play as it denied host nation Australia the opportunity to take on England in a must-win fixture, effectively ending their T20 World Cup campaign.

The earthy smell of the first rains may refresh one's soul and fill it with ecstasy, but cricket fans will beg to differ. The most awaited tournament of this year, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 has been proven to be wringing wet with rains resulting in four matches so far ending in no-result. 

Wet weather forecast for MCG for T20 WC 2022 final

And now to make matters worse, Melbourne is predicted to be buffeted by non-stop rain on Sunday evening, the same venue that will stage the final between England and Pakistan. Don't blame the organisers alone, La Nina is also to be held liable for heavier-than-usual downpours, with the 'wet-weather syndrome' expected to hang around for the entire month of November. 

The Bureau of Meterology predicted a cloud cover of 95% which appears likely to hamper play in the Victorian capital on Sunday. With little humidity, the weather is expected to oscillate around 76% to 79% during match hours. The temperature is likely to be not more than 22 degrees when the match begins and is expected to fall to 18 degrees towards the end. 

It is noteworthy that the T20 WC 2022 knock-out fixtures have been allocated a reserve day each unlike the group stage matches, with a backup slot for 3 PM reserved on Monday afternoon with an additional two hours for the match to be complete if at all there are rain intrusions. 

A minimum of 10 overs per side is allocated as compared to five overs in group stage fixtures for the knockout matches in the tournament. Organizers will be eager to complete a shortened match on Sunday if it is feasible. If the game kicked off but couldn't be completed, it will resume on the reserve day from where it was halted. If the game kicks off on Sunday with reduction of overs in place but the game does not restart, it will most definitely resume as the usual 20-over battle on the reserve day.

Can England & Pakistan be joint World Champions?

Now amid threats of rainfall spoiling the show at MCG, the prospect of an unprecedented shared T20 World Cup trophy between the finalists is looming large. In a historic first, the 2022 finalists England and Pakistan could be crownec joint winners if rain peppers the MCG and lingers into the reserve day.