England coach Jonathan Trott has slammed the scheduling of the T20 World Cup in the wake of his nation's abandoned match against Australia.
Friday's match at the MCG ended with no result and no ball being bowled due to heavy rainfall that has also seen several other fixtures fail to reach a verdict.
The circumstances have left Group 1 in a tight race given a number of matches have been scrapped, one point separating all six nations.
The inability to record a win or even improve net run rate has compounded the frustrations, with Trott making his stance clear after the latest washout.
The England coach expressed his anger with the non-result, stating the match could've been played at Marvel Stadium instead - a venue that can hold over 50,000 fans under a roof.
“This is what happens at this time of year and the beginning of summers,” Trott said.
“The frustrating thing is there's a stadium down the road that has a roof so you can play cricket there.
"We could have had lots of cricket. But it does mean the tournament is unpredictable with lots of must-win games coming up.”
England captain Jos Buttler echoed Trott's frustrations, making note of fellow Group 1 nation Afghanistan having had two matches with no result.
“It's tough. Afghanistan have had two games washed out in a tournament where you potentially play only five matches,” England captain Jos Buttler said.
“It's frustrating for all of us. Is there something you could look at – I don't know if you could elongate the tournament, for example?
“The umpires had some big concerns about the conditions and rightly so. The outfield was very wet and there were some areas inside the 30-yard circle that weren't fit to play.
“We all want to play cricket but it has to be safe and it certainly wasn't. The right call was made. We play an open-air sport and the elements are a huge part of what makes it unique.
“It's a shame tonight, especially for everybody involved."
Melbourne isn't scheduled to host another World Cup clash until the final group stage game on November 6 between Zimbabwe and India. The MCG will host the tournament final however, a fixture that is sure to pull in a near sell out crowd.
