Zimbabwe enter T20WC Super 8s after washout against Ireland
Pallekele (PTI): Zimbabwe on Tuesday entered the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup after their crucial Group B match against Ireland was washed out due to rain, a result that also eliminated former champions Australia and Ireland from the tournament.
Both teams were awarded one point each. The shared points took Zimbabwe to five, enough to secure a Super 8 berth. They will face India in their opening Super 8 match on February 26 in Chennai.
Zimbabwe became the seventh team to get a ticket to the Super 8s, completing group G1 also comprising India, South Africa and West Indies.
Zimbabwe will play their final group match against co-hosts Sri Lanka on February 19.
With table-toppers Sri Lanka (6) having already qualified for the Super 8s, the contest held significant importance for Zimbabwe and Ireland, who had come into the game with four and two points respectively.
Australia were also on two points following their defeats to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
The former champions needed Zimbabwe to lose both their remaining matches to stay in contention, but persistent rain ended their hopes.
The toss at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium was initially delayed due to drizzle, with the ground remaining under covers for a considerable period.
However, continuous rain and a wet outfield prevented any play, confirming Zimbabwe's progression to the Super 8 stage.
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Strikes on 3 more alleged drug boats kill 11 people, US military says
Washington (AP): The US military said Tuesday that it carried out strikes on three boats accused of smuggling drugs in Latin American waters, killing 11 people in one of the deadliest days of the Trump administration's monthslong campaign.
The series of strikes conducted Monday brought the death toll to at least 145 people since the administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in small vessels since early September.
Like most of the military's statements on the 42 known strikes, US Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It said two vessels carrying four people each were struck in the eastern Pacific Ocean, while a third boat with three people was hit in the Caribbean Sea.
The military did not provide evidence that the vessels were ferrying drugs but posted videos that showed boats being destroyed.
President Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”
