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Each Australian and South African groups flew to Dubai regardless of realizing one in every of them should fly again to Pakistan relying on results of remaining Group A match.
Steve Smith-led Australia will face India within the first semifinal right now. (AP Photograph)
Two days earlier than the primary semifinal of the Champions Trophy, Group B groups South Africa and Australia didn’t know the place they are going to be enjoying their respective knockout fixture. The primary semifinal was slated for Dubai whereas the second in Lahore.
India confronted New Zealand within the remaining Group A match of the competitors and its winner would have confronted the second-placed group from the opposite group.
Nevertheless, as per the Hybrid Mannequin, India had been to play their semifinal conflict in Dubai no matter whether or not or not they high their group. So, each South Africa, who topped their group, and the second-placed Australia flew to Dubai to coach forward of the semifinals.
And one in every of them would fly again to Lahore relying on the results of India-New Zealand group fixture.
Because it turned out, India topped Group A which means Australia stayed again.
“We guessed proper ultimately,” Australia captain Steven Smith stated on Monday. “So yeah, excellent to be right here and have a few days’ preparation. I feel had we stayed and waited for final (Sunday) evening’s outcome, we’d have needed to have flown right here right now (Monday) and play tomorrow (Tuesday).
Smith feels that the association made sense because it allowed Australia to familiarise themselves with the circumstances in Dubai.
“We wouldn’t get an opportunity to coach on the floor or get used to the circumstances that we’ve got on the (ICC Cricket) academy and if we had to return, we’d have simply obtained on the identical airplane again as New Zealand and had a day there earlier than enjoying. So this association made sense to us,” he stated.
The gamers, Smith stated, are relieved that they don’t need to observe the strict safety protocols put in place in Pakistan for the high-profile occasion.
“We had just a little reset and an opportunity to have a few days right here outdoors of a reasonably strict kind of bubble in Pakistan with the safety and stuff. It’s been good to simply have a few days to sit back right here. A few guys have performed some golf and wandered round and executed some stuff like that. So yeah, we’re effectively ready for tomorrow now and searching ahead to it,” he stated.
- Location :
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)