Bad weather hits England, Pakistan’s T20 WC preparations

NEW DELHI: England and Pakistan‘s preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup faced another setback as the third T20 international match in Cardiff on Tuesday was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to bad weather.
This follows a similar washout in the first match of the four-match T20 series at Headingley.
Despite the disruptions, England remain 1-0 up in the series, with the sole victory coming from a 23-run win at Edgbaston in the second match.
The fourth and final match of the series is scheduled to be played at The Oval on Thursday, providing both teams one last opportunity for competitive action before heading to the World Cup.
The rain in Cardiff began an hour before the scheduled 1730 GMT start, disappointing a capacity crowd of 15,600 at Sophia Gardens. The weather delayed the toss, and the persistent rain and a saturated outfield led the umpires to abandon the match following a 1910 GMT inspection.
England will begin their T20 World Cup title defence against Scotland in Barbados on June 4, just a week away.
Meanwhile, Pakistan, the 2009 T20 World Cup champions, will start their campaign against co-hosts the United States in Dallas on June 6.
Both teams now look forward to the series finale at The Oval, hoping for better weather and one last match to fine-tune their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
(With inputs from AFP)