Manchester: Rain has been the dominating force in the 2019 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup with four games already being washed out and forecast for India's next match, the marquee clash against Pakistan at Old Trafford, on Sunday, suggests more could be in store.
India's third match of the campaign, against New Zealand, was called off without the toss taking place in Nottingham on Thursday. Fans are already keeping a close eye on the weather in Manchester, the venue of India's next match against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday.
Cloudy weather is expected to dominate Sunday in Manchester and a brief spells of showers are likely to hamper the match. The big tie between India and Pakistan begins at 10:30 PM local time (3 PM IST).
The ICC has been criticised for not having reserve days, with the world cricket board's Chief Executive David Richardson making it clear that having something like that in the group stages would have been a logistical nightmare.
"This is extremely unseasonal weather. In the last couple of days, we have experienced more than twice the average monthly rainfall for June which is usually the third driest month in the UK. In 2018, there was just 2 mm of rain in June but the last 24 hours alone has seen around 100 mm rainfall in the south-east of England.
"When a match is affected by weather conditions, the venue team works closely with match officials and ground staff to ensure that we have the best possible opportunity to play cricket, even if it is a reduced overs game," Richardson had said on Tuesday.
Here is the weather prediction for Manchester on Sunday:
As for the weather conditions in Manchester on Sunday, Accuweather predicts that it will be overcast throughout the day, with rainfall expected as the day progresses.
As per Accuweather also predicts a light shower between 12 PM local time and 1 PM local time in Manchester on Sunday.
Though the weather can change at any time in the UK, cricket fans will be hoping that the rain stays away for India and Pakistan to have a full 50-over match.