'No-brainer': Mitchell Starc's touching sacrifice to watch Alyssa Healy in World Cup final

Introducing reserve days for all World Cup knockout matches is a "no-brainer" for Australian quick Mitchell Starc, amid concerns the women's T20 washout farce could be repeated in the men's tournament later this year.

Australia's women will take on India in Sunday's T20 World Cup final at the MCG but their title defence almost crashed to a halt in the semi-finals, with rain threatening to wash them out and send the Proteas through to the decider.

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Meg Lanning's team would have been eliminated from the tournament if their semi was abandoned without a ball being bowled, as was the case for England in Thursday's other semi at the SCG.

Ultimately the weather gods smiled on the hosts and play began just nine minutes before it was set to be called off.

Cricket Australia (CA) chief Kevin Roberts had made a late bid to have the semis moved to Friday.

But the playing conditions that had been agreed upon by national boards, including CA, did not provide for a reserve day for the semi-finals.

Unless the International Cricket Council agree to a rule change, it will be the same story when Australia host the men's tournament starting in October.

Starc, who watched nervously from South Africa as wife Alyssa Healy and her Australian teammates waited for the rain to clear, said there should be reserve days for all knockout games like in the men's 50-over World Cup last year.

"I think it's a no-brainer," Starc said.

"Obviously it's going to be the same thing for our World Cup come October but it's one that I think should be looked at going forward.

"Definitely (for) world events when you get situations like yesterday where one game is washed out and a couple of hours later, thankfully the rain stays away and you get another game in.

"I'm sure if both games were washed out everyone would be barking mad at the ICC for (having) no reserve days."

Starc returns for final

Starc flew back to Australia on Friday, having been given the team's blessing to bypass Saturday's dead-rubber one-day international series finale in Potchefstroom and instead support Healy at the MCG.

The pair's demanding international schedules have made it difficult for them to enjoy any extended time together, so much so that Starc has waived a multi-million dollar IPL contract to spend a couple of months at home.

"I've pretty much booked a month of golf," Starc said before his departure.

"It's been a pretty gruelling 10 to 11 months for a lot of guys. Those who met up in camp on the first of May for the World Cup, it's pretty much been non-stop until now and then we go home for two more series (against New Zealand).

"I don't envy those blokes having to keep trucking out and bowling. They're going to earn their cash."