Pakistan’s painful journey of T20 World Cup 2024, ended on a positive note as the Babar Azam-led side finish with a three-wicket win against Ireland on Sunday. The 2009 champions had a dismal show in the marquee event, getting knocked out in the Group stage. For the very first time in the history of T20 World Cup, Pakistan bowed out of the tournament in the first round. The entire team, especially skipper Babar Azam, has been receiving severe criticism from all over the world for their poor performance.

After Pakistan’s humiliating exit, one question which arises in everyone’s mind is regarding the future of Babar Azam as the skipper. Earlier in 2023, Babar had stepped down from captaincy after Pakistan got knocked put in the league stage of the ODI World Cup.

However, Pakistan Cricket Board showed faith in him and he was reappointed in the role. On being asked about his future, Babar stated that he will happily accept whatever decision PCB takes.

“When I gave up the captaincy [in 2023], I thought that I shouldn’t be doing it now, that’s why I left it and I announced it myself. Then when they gave it back to me, it was the decision of the PCB. When I go back, we will discuss all that has happened here,” said Babar during the post-match press conference.

“And if I have to leave the captaincy, I will announce it openly. I will not hide anything behind. Whatever happens will happen in the open. But for now, I have not thought about it. It is eventually PCB’s decision.” he added.

The star batter further stated that poor show from the entire team is the root cause of Pakistan’s debacle in the World Cup and individuals can’t be blamed.

“I told you that we did not lose this because of one particular person. We win and lose as a team. You are pointing out that [I am] the captain, but I cannot play in every player’s place. There are 11 players, and each of them has a role. That’s why they came here to play the World Cup. I think we have not been able to play well as a team. We have to settle down and accept that we didn’t play well as a team,” said Babar.

Former champions Pakistan restored a semblance of pride with a toiling three-wicket win over Ireland in their inconsequential final game of the T20 World Cup on Sunday. The 2009 champions, who were eliminated following their loss to India and the USA in the earlier group matches, restricted Ireland to 106 for 9 after opting to bowl with Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/22) leading the show. Despite chasing a not-so-daunting target, Pakistan’s fragile batting was once again exposed as they slumped to 62 for six in 11 overs, raising the vision of another collapse. But skipper Babar Azam (32 not out) and Abbas Afridi (17) shared a 33-run stand to take them home at 111 for 7 in 18.5 overs.

Shaheen Afridi hit the winning runs with two mighty sixes in his 5-ball 13 not out.

Pacers Barry McCarthy (3/15), Curtis Campher (2/24) and Mark Adair (1/24) bowled their hearts out but Pakistan stood tall in the end as Ireland ended their campaign winless.

While chasing, Pakistan opener Saim Ayub looked in good nick as he slammed a six and two fours before top-edging Adair to keeper Lorcan Tucker. Mohammad Rizwan hit three fours but was sent back by McCarthy when Pakistan were 39 for 2.

In the next three overs, Pakistan lost four quick wickets — Fakhar Zaman (5), Usman Khan (2), Shadab Khan (0) and Imad Wasim (4) — to find themselves in deep trouble.

Babar held on at the other end while Abbas made a 21-ball 17 and then Shaheen blasted two big blows to end the proceedings.

Earlier, Ireland had a nightmarish start as Afridi and Amir left them tottering at 4 for three in the second over.

The left-arm pacer Afridi struck twice in three balls, removing Andrew Balbirnie (0) and Tucker (2) in the opening over. Amir then had Ireland skipper Paul Stirling (1) caught behind to leave the top order in disarray.

Harry Tector survived a caught-behind appeal but was trapped by Afridi in the next ball with a fuller delivery that hit his back leg to reduce Ireland to 15 for 4 in three overs.

George Dockrell blasted two fours to ease the pressure a bit but he fell to a caught and bowled by Amir, who deceived him with a slower ball, as half of the Irish side returned to the hut within powerplay.

Rauf then joined the party, getting rid of Campher who went for a pull only to see the top-edge landing in the safe hands of Ayub.

Delany clobbered the first six of Ireland innings off Rauf in the 9th over, before hammering spinner Shadab Khan for a six over long-on to bring up the team fifty. Delany ended the over with a four after Rauf missed an overhead catch at the boundary.

Abbas was next in line for Delany as he smoked a pitched up delivery from the pacer over deep square leg for another maximum.

Imad was then introduced into the attack and he dismissed the dangerous-looking Delany with a ball that bounced and spun as the 44-run stand was broken reducing Ireland to 76 for 7.

The number 10 Joshua Little (22 not out) then threw his bat to take Ireland past the 100-run mark. But it was too late too little.

Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 Live Streaming: Pakistan take on Ireland in their final Group A match in T20 World Cup 2024 on Sunday. With both sides out of contention for the Super Eight race in the tournament, Pakistan and Ireland’s only motivation for their final group game will be to earn back some pride. A win could take Pakistan to four points and help them finish at the third spot in the points table, after a dismal tournament that has seen calls from many former Pakistan cricketers to change captain. Ireland will be aiming for their first win in the tournament, having lost to India and Canada and having had their match against USA washed out due to rain.

When will the Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match be played?

The Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match will be played on Sunday, June 16 (IST).

Where will the Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match be played?

The Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match will be played at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida.

What time will the Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match start?

The Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match will start at 8:00 PM IST. The toss will take place at 7:30 PM IST.

Which TV channels will telecast the Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match?

The Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match will be telecast in India on the Star Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match?

The Pakistan vs Ireland, T20 World Cup 2024 match will be streamed live on Disney plus Hotstar app and website.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

Ahead of their clash against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Ireland coach Heinrich Malan expressed his feelings about the ongoing mega event saying that this tournament has gone pretty weird so far. Ireland is currently placed last in Group A, with just one point out of three matches they have played in the ongoing tournament so far. They have already failed to qualify for the Super Eights of the ongoing marquee event. In their last group stage match of the competition, the Irish team will go up against the Men in Green at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida on Sunday.

The Ireland coach asserted that the team has not trained at all since they have been down in Florida last week.

“We’ve been quite lucky. We played them a couple of weeks ago back home in Ireland. It’s been a challenge from a preparation point of view. We haven’t trained at all since we’ve been down in Florida the last week, so I mean, that is what it is. We’ve been having our unit meetings and our preparation meetings and just going over some of those plans that we’ve managed to execute pretty well back home and won the first game. We can piggyback on, that for a little longer period and hopefully, we can go well again tomorrow,” Malan said in the pre-match press conference.

The Irish coach further stated that the management has tried to keep the team busy.

“It’s been a pretty weird World Cup, as you say. Yeah, look, we’ve tried to keep the lads busy as much as we can, obviously doing our preparation and our analytics work in the background, and just keep them active physically. The boys are at the minute playing a bit of soccer and trying to just get the competitive juices flowing as well leading into tomorrow,” Malan added.

Squads:

Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Azam Khan, Abbas Afridi.

Ireland Squad: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Match 36 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2024 has Pakistan taking on Ireland at the Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida on 16th June 2024 at 08:00 PM IST.

Tournament Standings

Pakistan: Played three matches, currently ranked third on the points table.

Ireland: Played two matches, currently in fifth place on the points table.

Last Encounters

The two teams last faced each other in the 3rd T20I of the Pakistan in Ireland series in 2024. In that match, Babar Azam led Pakistan with 117 fantasy points, while Lorcan Tucker was Ireland’s standout player with 106 fantasy points.

Recent Performance

Pakistan: Defeated Canada by seven wickets in their last match. Mohammad Rizwan was the top fantasy player with 85 points.

Ireland: Lost to Canada by 12 runs in their last match. Mark Adair was Ireland’s top fantasy performer with 76 points.

Key Players to Watch

Pakistan

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Shaheen Shah Afridi has two wickets in his last two matches. Afridi’s left-arm pace makes him a consistent wicket-taker, and he will be a valuable weapon for Pakistan in this match.

Babar Azam

Babar Azam has scored 90 runs in his last three outings, at an average of 30. Babar’s steadiness in the top order makes him an invaluable asset, both as captain and as a vital run-scorer.

Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is a top wicketkeeper batter. Rizwan has scored 93 runs in the current World Cup at an average of 46.5. Rizwan’s versatility as a top-order hitter and wicketkeeper makes him a well-rounded choice for Pakistan. His contribution in terms of runs and dismissals is significant.

Ireland

Mark Richard Adair

Mark Richard Adair is one of Ireland’s top bowling all-rounders. He has taken two wickets and scored 37 runs in this World Cup and will be hungry to contribute more against Pakistan.

Gareth James Delany

Gareth James Delany has scored 29 runs and taken one wicket in his past two matches. Delany, known for his leg-break googly, has already demonstrated consistency and success against Pakistan, making him a strategic choice.

Curtis Campher

Curtis Campher has scored only 16 runs in this World Cup. Although Campher’s recent batting form is shaky, he was extremely economical in the last two matches. This is a great opportunity for him to showcase his talent on the biggest stage of world cricket.

Pakistan have played three matches in the tournament and they are currently ranked third on the points table, while Ireland have also played two matches and are currently languishing fifth on the points table. Both teams last played against each other in the 3rd T20I of Pakistan in Ireland, Three T20I Series, 2024 where Babar Azam scored the highest fantasy points for Pakistan with 117 match fantasy points while Lorcan Tucker topped the fantasy points leaderboard for Ireland with 106 match fantasy points.

In the last match played by Pakistan, the Asian giants beat Canada by seven wickets. The top fantasy player for Pakistan was Mohammad Rizwan who scored 85 fantasy points.

In their last match in this competition, Canada beat Ireland by 12 runs. The top fantasy player for Ireland was Mark Adair who scored 76 fantasy points.

PAK vs IRE, Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida is balanced. The average 1st innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 133 runs. Both teams will look to chase upon winning the toss as the majority of the games played on this ground have been won by the side chasing.

Weather Report

Temperature will hover around 28.28 degree Celsius and humidity is expected to be around 64%. Winds at a speed of 4.24 m/s are expected. Cloud cover is expected, so expect some movement to aid the pace bowlers.

Pace or Spin?

The venue is suited for both Pacers and Spinners alike.

PAK vs IRE Fantasy XI Prediction: Top Captain and Vice-Captain Picks

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Shaheen Afridi is a fast bowler with an average of 59 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 10 and can be a good safe pick for your Fantasy XI Team. The left-arm fast bowler has taken five wickets in the recent five matches.

Mohammad Babar Azam

Babar Azam is a top-order batter with an average of 56 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.7 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. The right-handed batter has smashed 158 runs in the recent five matches at an average of 31.6.

Mark Richard Adair

Mark Adair is a bowling all-rounder with an average of 68 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.5 and is a safe bet for your Fantasy XI Fantasy Team. The right-arm fast bowler has picked up five wickets in as many matches. Hopefully, Adair has delivered with the bat as well. He has smashed 57 runs in five matches so far.

Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is a wicket-keeper batter with an average of 49 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of eight and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. The top-order batter has smashed 116 runs in five matches and could prove effective in the upcoming fixture.

Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf is a fast bowler with an average of 42 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 7.9 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. The right-arm fast bowler has taken 11 wickets in the recent five matches.

PAK vs IRE Squad Information

Pakistan (PAK) Squad: Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Saim Ayub and Haris Rauf

Ireland (IRE) Squad: Andy Balbirnie, Paul Stirling, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Ben White, Craig Young, Barry McCarthy, Mark Adair, Joshua Little, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, Neil Rock and Ross Adair

PAK vs IRE Fantasy XI Team Today

Wicket-Keepers: Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khan

Batters: Babar Azam and Harry Tector

All-Rounders: Mark Adair, Gareth Delany, Curtis Campher and Shadab Khan

Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Barry McCarthy and Abbas Afridi

Captain: Mohammad Rizwan

Vice-Captain: Curtis Campher

Wasim Akram said USA deserve to be in the next round, especially after beating Pakistan.© X (Twitter)

Pakistan’s T20 World Cup journey came to a disappointing conclusion on Friday, with the team failing to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the tournament. Pakistan’s elimination came after the United States of America’s game against Ireland was washed out due to rain. USA were awarded a point which was enough to take them to the Super 8 stage in their debut appearance in the tournament. Following Pakistan’s shock exit, former pacer Shoaib Akhtar expressed his disappointment over the outcome.

Taking to X, Akhtar shared a one line post, saying: “Pakistan’s World Cup journey is over.”

Pakistan’s World Cup journey is over.

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) June 14, 2024

Pakistan needed Ireland to beat USA heading into their final game of the group stage against the Irish.

However, a draw means that they can only reach four points. Meanwhile, USA ended group league campaign with five points from four games, joining India in the next round from Group A.

Pakistan went down to India in New York on Sunday in a close game, failing to chase a target of 120. Before that, in their opening game in Dallas, they suffered a shock Super Over loss to USA.

The back-to-back defeats meant Pakistan’s chances of advancing to the Super Eight were already out of their own hands. Once again, they had to rely on other results going their way.

However, heavy rain and flooding in Fort Lauderdale over the past few days shattered their hopes of advancing through to the next round.

The USA began the tournament with a convincing win over Canada chasing nearly 200 runs, shocked Pakistan in one of T20 World Cup’s greatest upsets, and then gave formidable title contenders India a run for their money, but the starting point of the team’s upsurge in the game was the morale-boosting T20I series victory over Bangladesh just prior to the showpiece.

The US team comprises eight cricketers of Indian descent, most of them on temporary H1-B visas that allow companies to hire overseas employees, who are trying to revive the sport 180 years after the country hosted the first-ever international cricket match, between USA and Canada at the St George’s Cricket Club in New York way back in 1844, 33 years before England and Australia played in their first Test match.

USA’s passage to the next round also sealed their place in the group stage of the 2026 edition.

(With PTI Inputs)

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez took a sly dig at the team after they crashed out of the ongoing T20 World Cup in the group stage. Pakistan failed to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the tournament after USA’s match against Ireland was washed out due to bad weather conditions in Florida. Both USA and Ireland were awarded a point each, with the former joining table-toppers India in the next round from Group A. Following Pakistan’s exit from the tournament, Hafeez took to social media and shared a cryptic post.

“Qurbani Kay Janwar Hazir Hon (Time to present the sacrificial animals),” Hafeez wrote in the post with a Pakistan cricket hastag.

Qurbani Kay Janwar Hazir Hon… ….. #PakistanCricket

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) June 14, 2024

USA’s draw against Ireland took them to five points, meaning Pakistan can only reach four points if they beat the same opponents on Sunday.

Ground staff spent hours working to dry the wet outfield at Lauderhill but shortly after the umpires had inspected conditions a huge downpour ended any hope with the field quickly under water once again.

The USA reach the last eight in their debut appearance in the T20 World Cup largely thanks to their shock win over 2009 champions Pakistan.

A USA defeat to Ireland would have handed Pakistan the chance to leapfrog into the top two when they face Ireland at the same venue on Sunday.

Instead, the early exit is a bitter disappointment for Pakistan, who were beaten finalists in the tournament two years ago.

This is the earliest Pakistan have exited T20 World Cup, having played just three games with a defeat to India and their sole victory coming against Canada.

Pakistan were knocked out in the group stage in 2014 and 2016, but on every other occasion made it to the last four of the tournament.

The spot in the last eight also means that the USA have qualified automatically for the 2026 World Cup.

“As a cricketer, you don’t want to leave home and not play cricket, you want to play but at the end of the day there was nothing that we could control,” USA stand-in skipper Aaron Jones said after the match was washed out.

Ireland vs Sri Lanka, T20 World Cup Warm-Up, Live Updates© AFP