Two teams already eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2024 — face off today in Florida. Their goal? Finish the tournament with a victory. Pakistan’s record in the tournament is a mixed bag. They’ve beaten Canada but lost to US and India in the opening games. Ireland’s scorecard paints a gloomier picture.
They haven’t won a single match, and their third game against the US? Called off due to rain on Friday. The first face-off between Pakistan and the US concluded with a nail-biting super over in favor of the US. Pakistan couldn’t hold the US back from the 160 run goal they set. The US came close with 159, pushing the game into a thrilling super over where they racked up 18 runs.
Falling six runs short of the 19-run needed, Pakistan had to accept defeat. Then came a surprising bowling act against India, restricting them to 119 runs. Still, they fell short of the required 120 runs, missing it by a mere seven runs.
Pakistan put a limit on Canada’s score, stopping them at 106 in their recent contest. While Pakistan did triumph, they took their time, playing safe and the game extended to 17.3 overs. Meanwhile, Ireland’s luck isn’t quite shining in this T20 World Cup.
Their initial match was against India. They managed to put forth a decent target of 97 runs, but the Indian team breezed through it in just 12.1 overs, with only two players returning to the pavilion. Canada bested the Ireland cricket team in their following match, winning by just 13 runs. Ireland just couldn’t reach 138.
The subsequent match, between Ireland and the US, set for June 14th, was halted due to rain, smashing Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the next level. If the US had lost to Ireland, Pakistan’s odds of making it to the Super 8 might’ve improved. Thus, the upcoming match between Pakistan and Ireland won’t affect the finals. India and the US are already destined for the next stage. Nevertheless, a full match would provide a good workout for the standing-by players.
Weather
This weekend, the game between India and Canada got cancelled. Why? Rain. Not a single ball got thrown. This marks the second day where the venue sits empty. Rain began to pour down in Lauderhill last night. Saturday morning, clouds still filled the sky.
Even now, Broward County’s field remains damp. Despite attempts to dry it out, the heavy rainfall made sure it stayed wet.
Pitch condition
The Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill is known for its batting-friendly pitch. However, current weather conditions suggest a challenge for batters: the pitch might end up slow. This could mean that pacers will have an advantage over spinners.
Likely batting lineups
For Pakistan, the players are Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, and Abrar Ahmed.
Ireland’s side includes Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, Gareth Delany, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Joshua Little, and Craig Young.
Team morale
The Pakistan team gears up to face Ireland. Spirits are dampened after an underwhelming performance in the T20 World Cup. Skipping practice, the team took a rest on Saturday, right before the match. Will Pakistan triumph in their final Pool A game? Or, will the weather weigh in? It’s a waiting game now.
It seems that the game conditions will improve by Sunday – also celebrated as Eid here. However, a complete match might not occur. An official working with us told The News that our team’s spirit dropped significantly due to this unforeseen outcome, leading members to take stock of their faults and limitations.
“Last night, the team gathered for a joint meal. The World Cup campaign’s fate left them disheartened. They were all wondering about the mistakes made and the missed golden chances,” he explained.
More–
T20 World Cup 2024: India-Canada match abandoned owing to wet outfield
Prediction
Pakistan lost to Ireland in the latest T20I cricket match in May, so another defeat wouldn’t be a shock. Still, the victory likelihood meter leans more towards Babar’s team winning this time.