Pakistan’s T20 World Cup journey came to a disappointing end on Friday, with the team failing to qualify for the Super Eight stage of the tournament. Pakistan’s elimination came after the USA vs Ireland match was cancelled due to rain. The USA had earned enough points to qualify for the Super Eight stage in their first appearance in the tournament. Following Pakistan’s shocking exit, former pacer Shoaib Akhtar expressed his disappointment with the result.
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Akhtar posted a one-line message to X saying, “Pakistan’s World Cup journey is over.”
Pakistan’s World Cup journey is over.
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) June 14, 2024
Pakistan needed Ireland to beat the USA to set up their final group stage match.
However, a draw would mean they could only get four points. Meanwhile, the United States finished their group stage with five points from four games and advanced to the next round from Group A along with India.
Pakistan fell just short of the target of 120 in a tight defeat to India in New York on Sunday, after suffering a shock defeat to the USA in the Super Over in the opening match in Dallas.
Pakistan’s consecutive losses had already put their chances of progressing to the Super Eights out of their hands and once again they had to rely on the performances of other teams working in their favour.
But heavy rains and flooding in Fort Lauderdale over the past few days have dashed their hopes of progressing to the next round.
The USA started the tournament with a convincing win over Canada, trailing by nearly 200 runs, shocked Pakistan in the biggest upset of the T20 World Cup, and then gave tough favourites India a tough time, but the starting point of the team’s rise in the competition was a morale-boosting T20I series win over Bangladesh just before the final.
The U.S. team is made up of eight cricketers of Indian descent, most of them on temporary H1-B visas that allow companies to hire employees overseas. They are trying to revive the sport 180 years after India hosted the first-ever international cricket match between the United States and Canada at St. George Cricket Club in New York in 1844 — 33 years to the day before England and Australia played their first Test match.
The U.S. advancement to the next round also secured them a place in the group stage at the 2026 tournament.
(With PTI input)
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