Australia and Bangladesh split the competition points after heavy rain forced Cricket World Cup organizers to abandon the Pool A match in Brisbane on Saturday.
A cyclone which crossed the coast north of Brisbane on Friday caused heavy rain for two days. Organisers finally decided to cancel the match at 4:45 p.m. local time, more than three hours after the scheduled start. Four-time champion Australia, which opened the tournament with a 111-run win over England, will next play co-host New Zealand in Auckland next weekend.
“It was obviously disappointing not to get out there today,” Australia batsman Steve Smith said. “It’s a place that we play really well... at the Gabba.” “We’ll take the point (and) hopefully continue to play some good cricket throughout the tournament.”
It was Australia’s only match scheduled in Brisbane during the World Cup. The point was a good result for Bangladesh, which had only beaten Australia once in 19 previous one-day internationals — an upset in Cardiff in 2005.
Bangladesh captain Masharafe Mortaza said the washout in Brisbane could have an impact on the quarterfinal calculations. “The point would help everyone, not only us,” he said. “It’s very disappointing not to play cricket at the Gabba (but) you can’t do anything with rain. You have to accept it and look forward to the next match. A point is very important.”