Pakistan’s hopes of qualifying for the Super 8s stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 took a huge hit after a state of emergency was declared in Fort Lauderdale due to the life-threatening flash floods in Florida.
Fort Lauderhill in Florida will be the venue for the next stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 games for Group A and till now only India has qualified for the next stage. USA and Pakistan remain in contention for the second spot.
The first game in the city -Sri Lanka vs Nepal - was also washed out due to heavy rain in and around the stadium.
"Preliminary reports indicate that the rainfall and flooding has affected and may continue to impact the operational capability of critical infrastructure, including major interstates, state and county roadways, airports, schools, and other critical infrastructure throughout these counties," Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, said in the declaration.
The Sri Lankan team was supposed to fly out from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean islands on Wednesday, but heavy rain and flooding have forced them to delay their departure.
Meanwhile, the Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale will host critical games this week, with Pakistan and the United States competing for a spot in the next round from Group A.
While the United States plays Ireland on Friday, Pakistan will face the same opponents on Sunday. If the United States defeats Ireland or the match is rained out, they would join India as the second team from Group A to qualify for the Super 8, rendering Pakistan's game on Sunday meaningless.
However, if the United States loses against Ireland, Pakistan will have the opportunity to shape its destiny when they meet Ireland on Sunday.
USA are still second with four points from three games but their NRR has reduced to +0.127. This is major good news for Pakistan as their NRR is now better that the USA's. But for Pakistan to qualify, they need to defeat Ireland on Sunday and hope that the USA also loses to Ireland.
Meanwhile, the cricket fans on social media had a field day when it comes to Pakistan’s chances of Super 8s qualification hanging on rains in Florida.
Here are some posts:
