🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Match 36: Pakistan vs Ireland @8:00 PM IST🏏

🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Match 36: India vs Canada, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida on 16/06/2024 @8:00 PM IST🏏

Pakistan and Ireland await a damp finish in Florida

There were washouts in Lauderhill on Friday and Saturday, but the forecast for Sunday isn't as bad

An end to two disappointing campaigns

There are parties you don't want to be at, and parties the host doesn't want you at. And then there are parties no one wants to be at.

Pakistan and Ireland find themselves in that last position, in extremely wet conditions in Lauderhill, Florida. They've both been eliminated from the T20 World Cup, and nothing that happens during their final group game on Sunday can change that. But it must be played, weather permitting, and so they will gear up for one more fixture that will have no impact on this tournament, and almost certainly no implications on qualification for the next one in 2026.

For Pakistan, it's one more day in America before the players return to face the wrath of a nation whose anger has been bubbling up in the days following defeats to the USA and India. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is in an impregnable position, and is expected to ring the changes in the coming weeks, with Pakistan's central contracts also up for review at the end of this month. Babar Azam's side can do little to change the mood back home, though another defeat won't help at all.

Ireland have also endured a disappointing tournament, especially since the build-up was promising. A home win over Pakistan and victory in a T20 tri-nation series in the Netherlands. But crumpling on a horror pitch in New York against India set the tone for a dismal campaign, with a defeat against Canada the nadir. While their qualification chances were theoretically alive before Lauderhill's weather washed out their match against the hosts, all that's left now is the hope that they may end their party in the USA on a high note.

[Tag and Logo credit to Wildestdreams]

PAK vs IRE: Weather forecast

As Pakistan gears up to face Ireland at the same venue, the AccuWeather prediction says that there is a 25% chance of rain. There will be a 70% cloud cover during the match and hence, overcast conditions would prevail. The temperature will be around 32 degrees Celcius. However, it will all come down to the condition of the outfield if it has dried up or not.

Pitch and conditions

The matches in Lauderhill between USA and Ireland on Friday, and India and Canada on Saturday, were both abandoned without a toss because of lots of rain and an extremely wet outfield. The forecast for Sunday is better, however, but it depends on how much rain falls overnight and the state of the outfield in the morning.

In the spotlight

This is almost certainly Imad Wasim's final international match. Controversially brought back into the side, he has failed to provide the stardust Pakistan believed he would bring when they persuaded him to rescind his international retirement. His performances with the ball have been solid, if unspectacular, with no batting contribution of any heft, a point his innings during Pakistan's chase against India painfully underscored. His statement before the tournament that "no one remembers semi-finalists and finalists, people remember champions" has aged like milk after Pakistan's earliest T20 World Cup exit, but at this point, a game to remember as he signs off is the best consolation he can ask for.

Lorcan Tucker scored two half centuries in three games against Pakistan last month, before following up with 40 and 55 in the tri-series against the Netherlands and Scotland. Since then, his runs have dried up as Ireland's T20 World Cup campaign flamed out before it even got off the ground. He has managed starts in each of the group games, getting into double figures while facing 13 and 15 balls. With no pressure and little to lose, Tucker has the opportunity to rediscover the form he found against Pakistan just a few weeks ago.

Team Watch

Pakistan: With spin having played a key role at the venue historically, Pakistan could be tempted to give Abrar Ahmad a go in the final encounter.

Tactics & Matchups: Barring George Dockrell, most of Ireland batters have struggled against wrist-spinners. Shadab Khan, who has been underutilised in this World Cup so far, could have a bigger role to play against Ireland.

Likely XI: Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmad/Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah/Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmad

Ireland: Ben White could be brought back for the final game in place of a seamer.

Tactics & Matchups: Craig Young has troubled Babar Azam in the recent past, having conceded only 23 runs in 21 balls and dismissing him twice. If he finds a place in the XI, he could be brought on against the Pakistan skipper.

Likely XI: Andrew Balbirnie, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Joshua Little, Ben White

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have never before been eliminated from a T20 World Cup after just three games
• Ireland have lost four successive completed T20 World Cup games. They have only had one worse run, when they lost six in a row across the 2009, 2010 and 2012 World Cups.

Did You Know?

Ireland batters have collectively registered a staggering 175 single-digit scores (excluding not-outs) in 54 T20Is since January 2022, which is exceeded only by Rwanda (342), Uganda (217) and Tanzania (191) i.e fourth among the 98 teams.

Ireland's top 7 collectively average 21.60 in T20Is since Jan 2022, which is ranked 17th among the 20 participating teams at the T20 WC 2024.

Lauderhill has hosted just six T20s since 2021, with the sides batting first winning on four instances and chasing team winning twice. Of the six, only one was a night game.

Batters To Watch(recent stats)

Andy Balbirnie, IRE

10 M • 276 Runs • 27.6 Avg • 112.65 SR

Lorcan Tucker, IRE

10 M • 257 Runs • 25.7 Avg • 132.47 SR

Babar Azam, PAK

10 M • 364 Runs • 36.4 Avg • 134.31 SR

Fakhar Zaman, PAK

10 M • 284 Runs • 31.56 Avg • 151.87 SR

Bowlers To Watch(recent stats)

Mark Adair, IRE

10 M • 18 Wkts • 7.88 Econ • 13.27 SR

Craig Young, IRE

6 M • 10 Wkts • 9.52 Econ • 13.8 SR

Shaheen Shah Afridi, PAK

9 M • 16 Wkts • 7.37 Econ • 13.12 SR

Haris Rauf, PAK

5 M • 11 Wkts • 8.43 Econ • 10.09 SR

When: Sunday, June 15, 10:30 AM (Local)/ 8:00 PM (IST)

Where: Pakistan vs Ireland, Match 36, Lauderhill, Florida

What to expect: It is expected to be cloudy, with the temperature hovering around 30 degree Celsius. However, it remains to be seen what the condition of the outfield is expected to be after the Saturday showers. Historically, the spinners have thrived at the venue more than the pacers.

Head to head: Pakistan 3 - 1 Ireland. The only time the two teams faced each other in a T20 World Cup (in 2009), Pakistan had won by 39 runs. However, recently in a three-match T20I series, Ireland beat them once

HEAD TO HEAD - LAST 4 MATCHES

Pakistan won by 6 wickets (with 18 balls remaining), 15-May-2024

Pakistan won by 7 wickets (with 19 balls remaining), 13-May-2024

Ireland won by 5 wickets (with 1 ball remaining), 11-May-2024

Pakistan won by 39 runs, 15-Jun-2009

What they said:

You arrive here and you're thinking, oh, we're in New York, we're in Florida, it's going to be sunshine, it's going to be amazing. But Newark was pretty tough. I think the travel and stuff wasn't ideal. Obviously where we were staying in relationship to the city was good for us if you want to go exploring or be a bit of a tourist. But obviously not ideal not seeing the ground in New York before the first game. Not ideal but again we move, we're used to sort of doing things on the fly and just getting on with it really. Unfortunately, the results didn't go our way, but I feel like we're better poised to put in two strong performances here in Florida - Mark Adair, Ireland pacer, ahead of the washed out game against USA

Obviously, you make mistakes and see those mistakes and then obviously we try to reduce the mistakes that we have made. We have T20 players, and we believe in ourselves. We will try to play good cricket in the future - Haris Rauf, Pakistan pacer, after the win against Canada