Pakistan and Ireland are set to clash in a Group A match at the Central Browards Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida, on Sunday, June 16. Although the result of this fixture will not affect qualifications, attention remains on the weather conditions in Florida, known as the ‘Sunshine State.’ This venue, the third in the USA leg of the T20 World Cup 2024, was slated to host four group stage matches.
So far, three of these four matches have been completely washed out, with no balls bowled or coins tossed. The city has been dealing with thunderstorms, rain, and flash-flood warnings for several days. In Group D, the match between Nepal and Sri Lanka was abandoned, resulting in the elimination of Wanindu Hasaranga’s team from the tournament. Each Group A team was scheduled to play one match at the Florida stadium.
However, the match between the USA and Ireland was abandoned, which ultimately led to Pakistan’s elimination from the tournament. This marked the first time Pakistan exited the T20 World Cup after just three games. The USA team earned one point, making history by reaching the Super 8 stage in their very first T20 World Cup appearance. Although India’s abandoned match against Canada did not affect qualifications, it raised concerns about the stadium’s preparations for World Cup games. Notably, during India’s match, despite the absence of rain, the outfield was wet and did not dry up. The pitch was covered, but the rest of the ground was exposed, resulting in a soggy outfield.
As Pakistan prepares to take on Ireland at the same venue, AccuWeather predicts a 25% chance of rain. The match will see 70% cloud cover, resulting in overcast conditions, with temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius. Ultimately, the playability will depend on whether the outfield has dried up.
