JOHANNESBURG, March 4: World Cup executive director Dr Ali Bacher has defended the organisers’ decision not to include reserve days for rain in the opening stages after Pakistan and England both made early exits on Tuesday.

Pakistan needed to thrash co-hosts Zimbabwe in Bulawayo to progress from the first round. But Waqar Younis’s team had no chance as prolonged rain caused an abandonment and a share of the points to both teams, which also ensured England’s departure.

Earlier in the tournament, West Indies failed to pick up four points as expected against Bangladesh because of a rain abandonment, a result which contributed to their first round exit.

“This is the biggest World Cup ever, with 54 scheduled matches involving 14 teams playing in three countries,” Dr Bacher said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Of the 43 days from the opening ceremony to the final, cricket is due to be played on 33 of those days. Logistically, it would have been impossible from an organisational point of view to have included reserve days for matches in the group stage.

“As it has turned out, only two matches of the 40 played so far have been rained off. These were the fixtures between West Indies and Bangladesh and today’s game between Zimbabwe and Pakistan.”

Reserve days will be available for all Super Six matches and both semifinals while the final has been allocated two reserve days as a contingency against prolonged bad weather.—Reuters