We shouldn’t have even bowled a ball: Zimbabwe coach Dave Houghton after match vs South Africa was called off

T20 World Cup 2022: The Super 12 match between Temba Bavuma’s South Africa and Craig Ervine’s Zimbabwe in Hobart ended in a stalemate after rain played spoilsport.

We shouldn’t have even bowled a ball: Houghton after match vs SA was called off. Courtesy: Reuters

By India Today Web Desk: Head coach Dave Houghton didn’t mince words and said that Zimbabwe shouldn’t have bowled a single ball in their T20 World Cup Super 12 match against South Africa at Bellerive Oval in Hobart. On Monday, October 24, the game was called off due to persistent rain.

The umpires and match officials threw in the towel when South Africa needed 13 runs off 24 balls to secure their maiden win in the tournament. Quinton de Kock was batting on 47 runs off 18 deliveries and it seemed a matter of time before the Proteas got past the finish line.

However, the umpires decided to go off after Sean Williams and Zimbabwe complained about the weather. Houghton also reckoned that the playing conditions weren’t safe by any stretch of the imagination.

“I understand the need to try and get these games for the public and everybody else. I understand the need for us to try and play in slightly inclement weather to try and get a result, but I thought we have to accept that mark in this game and I thought we should have come off four or five overs ago,” Houghton was quoted as saying in the post-match press conference.

“I don’t think we should have even bowled a ball, to be fair, but the umpires are the guys making those decisions out in the middle. They thought it was fit to play and I disagree with them, but there’s not much I can do off the field,” he stated.

“Look, I thought the rain had got so heavy at one stage, it was ridiculous. I mean for most of the afternoon and evening, it was misty. But it got to the stage where we could hear a thumping on the rooftop in the dugout. That’s time to get off the field. I don’t think the conditions were right to carry on playing,” Houghton added.

Earlier Mark Boucher, the South Africa head coach, said that Zimbabwe would have wanted to carry on playing had they been in a similar position.

Zimbabwe’s next Super 12 match is against Babar Azam’s Pakistan on Thursday, October 27 at Perth Stadium.