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Cricket Players‘The umpires make decisions, I disagree with them’: Coach fumes after ZIM vs SA in 'ridiculous’ rain forces injury
The conditions did not feel very ideal to play as Zimbabwe fast bowler Richard Ngarava slipped and was forced to leave the ground.
Zimbabwe coach Dave Houghton was furious with the umpire's decision to continue with the Super 12 encounter against South Africa in the T20 World Cup in Hobart on Tuesday despite the “ridiculous” amount of rain. The rain-hit contest between the two saw Zimbabwe post 79/5 in nine overs batting first. In response, the Proteas were on the brink to win in their revised chase of 64 from 7 overs, but the contest was called off due to rain.
However, Houghton was not very pleased with the proceedings. "I don't think we should have even bowled a ball, to be fair," Houghton was quoted as saying by AFP after the contest.
"But the umpires are the guys making those decisions out in the middle and they seemed to think it was fit to play. I disagree with them, but there's not much I can do off the field," he added.
Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bat but the action kicked-off only after a rain delay of over two hours and 30 minutes, and it got reduced to nine overs a side.
"The rain had got so heavy at one stage, it was ridiculous," said Houghton.
"For most of the evening it was misty with mizzle, but it got to the stage where we could hear it thumping on the roof in the dugout.
"To me that's no longer mizzle and drizzle -- that's time to get off the field.
"And the field was wet when we started, it was wet when South Africa fielded, so they were difficult conditions for both sides.
"But it just got more and more wet as we bowled. I don't think the conditions were right to carry on playing."
The conditions did not feel very ideal to play as Zimbabwe fast bowler Richard Ngarava slipped and was forced to leave the ground. "He's lying in the changing room with a bunch of ice strapped to his ankle. Obviously we're not too happy about the fact he's not in a great space for bowling at the moment," said Houghton.
