Debutants USA qualify for Super Eights of T20 World Cup after washout against Ireland
Pakistan knocked out
Lauderhill (Florida), Jun 14: Partly made up of men moonlighting as cricketers when not doing their primary jobs, the USA team cleared the group stage of T20 World Cup in its very first attempt after its match against Ireland was called off here on Friday, knocking out former champions Pakistan from the tournament.
Thanks to their wins over neighbours Canada and heavyweights Pakistan in their first two outings, the USA joined India in the Super Eight stage of the T20 showpiece after their final group match was washed out.
The washout meant heavyweights Pakistan bowed out of the tournament which they won way back in 2009, even as the USA fuelled the game's growth in the land of opportunities by advancing to the next stage.
USA ended group league campaign with five points from four games and Pakistan even if they win their last match against Ireland can maximum reach four points.
Pakistan went down to India in New York on Sunday in a close game, failing to chase a target of 120. Before that, in their opening game in Dallas, they suffered a shock Super Over loss to USA.
The back-to-back defeats 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.
The 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.
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Rain washes out Super Eights match between New Zealand and Pakistan
Pallekele (Sri Lanka) (PTI): New Zealand and Pakistan shared a point after incessant rain forced the abandonment of the opening T20 World Cup Group 2 Super Eights match here on Saturday.
Amid a slight drizzle, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first.
But the steady droplets soon transformed into relentless pouring, forcing the officials to call off the match without a ball being bowled.
Before the skies opened up, Pakistan made one change to their eleven, bringing in Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay.
New Zealand made three changes with skipper Mitchell Santner back after missing the last match against Canada due to a stomach issue and Lockie Ferguson and Ish Sodhi also found a place in the XI.
But all those calculations and combinations will have to wait for another day, as Pakistan will now face England here on February 24.
New Zealand will make a light travel to Colombo to face home side Sri Lanka on February 25.
The washout has also placed both the Kiwis and Pakistan in a relatively tighter place ahead of their remaining two Super Eights matches.
A similar result in any of the following matches, a possibility considering Sri Lanka’s weather pattern, or a defeat can put their semifinal ambitions in serious jeopardy.
