Dubai, March 1: The Australian and South African cricket teams will fly into Dubai ahead of the Champions Trophy semifinals, even though it remains uncertain whether their match will be held in Dubai or Pakistan, according to a BBC report. Dubai is set to host the first semifinal on Tuesday, with Lahore hosting the second on Wednesday. The final venue decision hinges on the outcome of the last Group A match between India and New Zealand on Sunday, which will determine if Australia or South Africa will face Rohit Sharma and Co in Dubai. Who Will India Face in Semi-Final of ICC Champions Trophy 2025? Know Possible Opponents of Indian Cricket Team in Semis Clash.

Due to security concerns in Pakistan, India are playing all their matches in Dubai. As a result, both Australia and South Africa must travel to Dubai and await the result of Sunday's game before knowing which team will return to Lahore for the second semifinal. "Group B concludes with South Africa's match against England on Saturday but neither the Proteas or Australia will know the venue for their semifinal until after the conclusion of India's match against New Zealand on Sunday," wrote BBC on Saturday.

"Were they (Australia and South Africa) to wait until Monday and only travel when the fixtures were confirmed, that would rule out the possibility of training in Dubai -– where India will have played all three group matches," it added. Some cricketers, including South African top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen and former Australia skipper Pat Cummins, have said India are in an advantageous position as they have played all their games at one venue while other teams have had to travel to different venues in Pakistan. South Africa Qualify for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Semi-Finals Due to Superior Net Run Rate After Bowling Out England for 179 in SA vs ENG Match, Afghanistan Officially Eliminated.

The report further added that a situation might arise where Australia might take a three-hour flight from Lahore to Dubai on Saturday, and then fly back on Monday if they do not meet India in the semifinal. "Similarly, South Africa will fly to Dubai in the early hours of Sunday (after their last group match against England) and could return to Pakistan 24 hours later if they do not have to face India," added the report. The team finishing second in Group A will meet the winners of Group B and vice-versa. India will play their knockout game in Dubai on Tuesday whether they finish first or second in Group A.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)