By Staff Reporter
COLOMBO: Persistent rain forced the abandonment of the opening Super Eight match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup between Pakistan and New Zealand without a ball being bowled on Saturday, with both teams sharing a point each in a frustrating start to the second phase of the tournament.
Umpires called off the fixture at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium just over two hours after the scheduled start, after a drizzle that began during the toss intensified into steady downpours, leaving puddles on the field and covers in place.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha had won the toss and elected to bat first, but the weather intervened almost immediately, with ground staff rushing to protect the pitch as conditions deteriorated. The cut-off time for a reduced five-over contest was 9:46 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time, but officials deemed play impossible an hour earlier due to the waterlogged outfield.
This marked only the second washout of the tournament, following the abandonment of Ireland’s group-stage clash with Zimbabwe in Pallekele on Tuesday. Colombo has faced recurrent weather disruptions, with rain affecting seven of 11 matches during October’s Women’s World Cup in the city amid the island’s monsoon season.
Both Pakistan and New Zealand had advanced to the Super Eights by finishing second in their respective groups, each securing three wins but falling to the pool leaders, South Africa for New Zealand and India for Pakistan.
Pakistan made one change to their lineup, omitting Khawaja Nafay in favor of Fakhar Zaman, while New Zealand introduced three alterations, including the return of captain Mitchell Santner to the playing XI. The previous evening, Pakistan’s training session had been canceled because of rain, and forecasts had indicated a strong chance of showers around toss time.
Pakistan and New Zealand are placed in Group 2 alongside England and co-hosts Sri Lanka, with all matches in that pool scheduled in Sri Lanka under the tournament’s ‘Fusion Formula,’ which assigns Pakistan’s fixtures exclusively to the island nation. The no-result leaves both sides with limited margin for error in their remaining games, as the top two teams from each Super Eight group will progress to the semi-finals on March 4 and 5.
Under the venue arrangements tied to the Fusion Formula, the first semi-final is set for the R. Premadasa Stadium if Pakistan qualifies; otherwise, it shifts to Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The final on March 8 is also subject to similar contingencies based on Pakistan’s participation. The tournament continues on Sunday with England facing Sri Lanka in Pallekele at 0930 GMT, followed by India against South Africa in Ahmedabad at 1330 GMT.
Pakistan next play England at Pallekele on Tuesday, while New Zealand meet Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday, both starting at 1330 GMT. New Zealand then face England on Friday.
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