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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UAE announces complete withdrawal of forces from Yemen amid rift with Saudi Arabia
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday declared that it would withdraw its remaining forces from Yemen, bringing an end to what it described as its “counterterrorism” mission, amid escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia over developments in the country’s south.
The announcement followed a demand by Yemen’s internationally recognised government, led by the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, that Emirati forces leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours. Riyadh publicly supported the call, deepening a rare public rift within the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that has been fighting Houthi rebels since 2015.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Defence said it had conducted a “comprehensive assessment” of its role in Yemen and decided to terminate the mission due to recent developments and their implications for the safety and effectiveness of its personnel. It said the withdrawal would be carried out in a manner ensuring the security of its forces.
Al Jazeera reported that the decision came hours after Saudi-led coalition aircraft struck the southern port city of Mukalla, targeting what Riyadh claimed was a weapons shipment linked to the UAE and intended for the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). Saudi Arabia said it viewed recent STC advances in the Hadramout and Mahara provinces as a threat to its national security, accusing Abu Dhabi of exerting pressure on the group to carry out military operations.
The STC, which had earlier fought alongside the internationally recognised government against the Houthis, launched a major offensive this month, seizing control of large areas of southern Yemen, including provinces bordering Saudi Arabia. The advances ended years of relative stalemate and triggered sharp warnings from Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia said any threat to its security was a “red line” and that it would take all necessary measures to counter such risks. Its concerns were echoed by Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who accused the UAE of directing and supporting the STC’s actions. Following the Mukalla strike, al-Alimi announced the dissolution of a defence pact with the UAE and ordered Emirati forces to leave within a day.
The UAE rejected the accusation, saying it was surprised by the Saudi air strike and maintaining that the shipment targeted in Mukalla did not contain weapons and was meant for Emirati forces, not the STC. It reiterated its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and said it was seeking a solution to prevent further escalation.
The Mukalla strike, which caused damage but no casualties, exposed widening fractures within the coalition formed nearly a decade ago to counter the Houthis. Emirati troops first deployed in Yemen in 2015, but the UAE had already drawn down most of its forces in 2019, retaining only a limited presence in government-held areas.
Saying both Saudi Arabia and the UAE reflected a commitment to regional stability and the principles of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Qatar welcomed their statements. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also held calls with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss regional developments.
The STC spokesperson, Anwar al-Tamimi, said there was “no thinking about withdrawal” from areas it had seized, warning that any move against its forces would be met with a response. Meanwhile, Yemeni authorities imposed temporary air, sea and ground restrictions following the escalation, as uncertainty continued to surround the future balance of power in southern Yemen.
