The prospects for cricket in Florida improved following a rain-free first half of Thursday, just before Lauderhill prepares to host three T20 World Cup Group A matches in as many days. Two of these matches are pivotal for hosts USA and Pakistan.
Ireland and Canada also remain contenders in the tournament. However, if the first match between USA and Ireland is affected by rain, USA will secure their place as the second team from Group A to advance to the Super Eight stage.
After several flights to Miami and Fort Lauderdale were canceled on Wednesday, teams, production crews, and commentators managed to arrive in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. Although there were still flight delays due to bad weather along the way, Fort Lauderdale itself remained dry until late afternoon.
The evening drizzle was anticipated to diminish by nightfall, with showers forecasted from 9 am to 11 am on Friday. Flash flood warnings for the broader area remained in effect. Yet, the conditions on the ground brought optimism. Ireland all-rounder Mark Adair was impressed with what he saw.
“I don’t think there was too many people who came to leave the hotel, but no, at the ground today, it was actually remarkably dry,” Adair said. “I think there’s still wet patches over the far side of the ground but you know considering what the place has been through 24 hours before I think the place is looking pretty good.”
USA opening batsman Steven Taylor, a Florida native, also commented positively on the ground’s drainage. “Having grown up here at the stadium, I’ve always noticed its good drainage,” Taylor remarked. “So, we’re always hopeful that as long as it doesn’t rain the next day, we’ll have cricket. But we can’t control the weather. We’ll just have to adapt to whatever happens.”
Lauderhill will host three Group A matches across three days, with two pivotal for hosts USA and Pakistan
Saurabh Netravalkar, the left-arm fast bowler from the USA, mentioned they were preparing under the assumption that the match would proceed as planned. “To be honest, I haven’t really thought about the weather,” Netravalkar stated hours before departing from New York on Wednesday evening.
“We are aware of reports of rain, but our approach is to anticipate a full game and focus on giving our best effort to secure a victory because Ireland is a strong team. Despite their two losses, they remain formidable opponents.”
If the USA defeats Ireland or earns one point from the match, they will qualify. Following losses to the USA and India, Pakistan’s hopes hinge on no team surpassing four points. For Pakistan to advance, they must rely on Ireland defeating the USA and then defeating Ireland themselves on Sunday.
If Ireland wins both matches against the USA and Pakistan, they will remain contenders, though their net run rate is currently unfavourable. Canada, having defeated Ireland previously, requires the USA to lose to Ireland for a chance to progress should they upset India on Saturday.
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