T20 World Cup: Pakistan To Take On Ireland in Florida: Both teams out of contention for Super 8s
In the T20 World Cup Cricket, Pakistan will take on Ireland in the Group A match at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Florida this evening. Both the teams have already been eliminated from the tournament, with India and USA having secured their Super 8 spot from Group A.
Earlier this morning, Australia defeated Scotland by 5 wickets in the Group B match at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia. Australia successfully chased down the target of 181, reaching 182 for 5, with just two balls remaining.
Travis Head led the charge with a solid 68 runs off 49 balls, while Marcus Stoinis’s blistering 59 off 29 deliveries earned him the Player of the Match award. Earlier put in to bat first, Scotland posted a total of 180 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs. Scotland’s loss paved their exit from the tournament, while England secured a place in the Super 8 from Group B, thanks to a superior net run rate.
PAK & Ireland both teams are out of contention for Super 8s but will look to end their campaign on a high
For all practical purposes, Pakistan’s fixture against Ireland, scheduled for Sunday in Lauderhill, Florida, is inconsequential. Yet, for as downbeat as the two teams will be, there will be pride to salvage if not just play for.
They had met recently for a three-match series, where Ireland did surprise the visiting Pakistani side. That series served as a reasonable preparation for this tournament but as it turns out, the hopes of the two sides are dead even before they could come face to face.
Ireland may not have been the favourites to qualify to the next round in this World Cup anyway, but after having lost to Canada and missed out on an opportunity to beat USA, they stare at the possibility of ending their World Cup campaign on a winless note.For Pakistan, a shock defeat to the USA and a loss to India, not to mention from a winning position, was disappointing enough. The eventual early exit from the tournament has made it worse, and if there’s anything that can pull them any lower, it would be another loss to Ireland on their way out. If there was any mathematical possibility of them qualifying to the Super 8s, it was washed away with the rain on Friday morning at the same venue.
While for Ireland, the Sunday clash is an opportunity to not return winless, for Pakistan it’s an attempt to avert a major ‘surgery’ that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi plans to conduct on their return home. Yes, there is pride to play for. And there is a bit more.
