Cricket: Former Australia batsman Matthew Hayden says that all of the stars jumped at the chance to feature in this weekend's Bushfire Bash.

The highly-anticipated “Bushfire Cricket Bash” exhibition match no longer take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground due to the forecasted rain in Sydney.

Up to 50mm of rain is predicted to fall on Sydney this Saturday, and Cricket Australia have decided taken action by relocating the event, most likely to Junction Oval in Melbourne following the Australian Women’s T20 match against India.

Saturday’s charity match — which will feature former cricket legends Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting — was meant to serve as a curtain-raiser for the Big Bash final.

Watch every single KFC BBL match LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO with FOX CRICKET’s unmatched commentary line-up. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

The fundraiser is also under threat by the loss of star power, some players considering pulling out at the last minute, reported the Herald Sun.

The charity event sold out in less than 48 hours, with plenty of Sydney spectators eager to witness the historic double-header. Those who purchased tickets will be contacted by Ticketek regarding refunds.

Although thousands of cricket fans in the New South Wales capital will be disappointed by the last-minute decision, the priority for CA is to ensure the charity match goes ahead in support of the Australian bushfire appeal.

Furthermore, by moving the Bushfire Cricket Bash from the SCG, curators will have extra time to prepare the pitch ahead of the BBL final.

The ten-over contest will be part of a massive day of giving to relief efforts and recognising the ongoing work of volunteers and firefighters.

Change of plans! To ensure the SCG is in the best possible condition for the BBL09 Final, we’ve made the call to not go ahead with Saturday’s Bushfire Cricket Bash at the SCG.



We’ll keep you updated tomorrow as we work through different options for the weekend! — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) February 5, 2020

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden spoke about the importance of the exhibition match on Wednesday.

“We all had such a great time playing for Australia … Australia meant, and does mean, a lot to us,” Hayden said.

“Everyone was rushing back, whether that was in Melbourne or in Sydney, it didn’t really matter. Both those states were heavily affected by the bushfires.”

If Saturday’s final is cancelled due to weather, the Sydney Sixers will be crowned BBL champions. Each side must face five overs to constitute a result.

Paceman Josh Hazlewood described five-over matches as a “lottery”, admitting he would rather have the final cancelled than shortened.

“If you’ve got five overs, a batter hits a couple of balls out of the ground it’s game over just about or one bowler bowls a good over it’s the same result,” Hazlewood said.

“It is a bit of a lottery but that’s what it comes down to sometimes.

“The one thing we’re worried about is getting one of those five, six, seven-over games.

“We either probably want it completely washed out or get the full game in.

“I think second place would be more worried than us.”

Bushfire Cricket Bash squad: Shane Warne (c), Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist, Alex Blackwell, Andrew Symonds, Brad Fittler, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Brian Lara, Dan Christian, Nick Riewoldt, Elyse Villani, Grace Harris, Holly Ferling, Justin Langer, Luke Hodge, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Phoebe Litchfield, Shane Watson, Yuvraj Singh.