 "Pakistan knocked out of T20 World Cup 2024 after rain washes out USA-Ireland fixture in Florida")
Pakistan were on Friday knocked out of the 2024 T20 World Cup after United States of America’s Group A match against Ireland in Florida was washed out due to heavy rain. The result meant that USA went through to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, along with India, who had qualified with a seven-wicket win over USA on 12 June.
T20 World Cup 2024: News | Schedule | Results | Points Table
The no-result on Friday takes USA’s points tally to five points from four matches. A win for Pakistan over Ireland in their final match would only take their points tally to four, meaning that won’t be enough to progress to the next round.
Pakistan had kickstarted their campaign with a Super Over defeat to United States of America in their opener, before going down to arch-rivals India in their second game by six runs. The Men in Green, though, bounced back with a seven-wicket win over Canada, and needed Ireland to beat USA on Friday to qualify for the next stage.
T20 World Cup | Confirmed fixtures, dates and venues for Super Eight stage
The back-to-back defeats, however, meant Pakistan’s chances of advancing to the Super Eight were already out of their own hands. It is yet another global tournament where the unpredictable Pakistanis again left it too late.
As part of the ICC’s ambitious plan to promote the sport in this part of the world, the US is co-hosting the tournament along with the West Indies, and if their performance so far in the event is any indication, the home team is making a sincere attempt at getting the NFL, MLB and NBA-loving Americans to consider watching cricket in near future.
The USA began the tournament with a convincing win over Canada chasing nearly 200 runs, shocked Pakistan in one of T20 World Cup’s greatest upsets, and then gave formidable title contenders India a run for their money, but the starting point of the team’s upsurge in the game was the morale-boosting T20I series victory over Bangladesh just prior to the showpiece.
Impact Shorts
View AllThe US team comprises eight cricketers of Indian descent, most of them on temporary H1-B visas that allow companies to hire overseas employees, who are trying to revive the sport 180 years after the country hosted the first-ever international cricket match, between USA and Canada at the St George’s Cricket Club in New York way back in 1844, 33 years before England and Australia played in their first Test match.
The chances of Friday’s match taking place were always bleak as the state of Florida, where Lauderhill is situated, had been hit by a tropical thunderstorm, leading to incessant rain and flash flooding. But, even if the match had taken place, the USA, buoyed by the two big wins and their spirited effort against India, would have certainly backed themselves to overcome Ireland and progress to the Super Eights.
USA, thus, also qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The top eight teams from here plus the two hosts and top-two ranked teams outside of this on the day of the T20 World Cup final will directly qualify for the next T20 showpiece.
In fact, there is a threat that the entire Florida leg of T20 World Cup, to be held at the Central Broward Park here, might be washed out because of the adverse weather conditions, forcing the local authorities to issue a state of emergency.
Just two days ago, the match between Nepal and Sri Lanka here was washed out before toss could take place.
USA’s qualification did shatter Pakistan’s hopes but they only have themselves to blame after losing their first two fixtures against the Americans and arch-rivals India in New York.
The Babar Azam-led side needed to win their remaining two games big and defeated Canada by seven wickets, with Ireland waiting in the wings but that match in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia now has become inconsequential.
It also turned out to be a disappointing start for South African Gary Kirsten as Pakistan coach.
Kirsten, who coached India to the 2011 ODI World Cup triumph, took over the reigns of Pakistan just before the T20 World Cup, and will have some tough calls to take as the Man in Green hit a new low in their rich cricketing history.
With PTI inputs
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