The likelihood of holding three straight matches over three days at the site seemed improbable in the wake of Florida’s intense rainstorms over the past week and the washout of the Nepal-Sri Lanka match in the current T20 World Cup. It looked unlikely that any play would take place because the area was still under flash flood warnings.
But Thursday’s dry first half, one day before Lauderhill hosts three straight Group A matches over the next three days, boded well for Florida cricket. For the co-hosts, Pakistan and the United States of America, two of these matches are very important. Furthermore, Canada and Ireland are still alive in the competition and have a mathematical chance of advancing past the group stage.
On Wednesday, there were multiple flight cancellations into Miami and Fort Lauderdale. However, on Thursday, teams, production crews, and commentators managed to reach Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale held out until late afternoon, with flights continuing to be delayed by unfavourable weather. The evening drizzle was expected to lessen by night, and Friday’s forecast called for light showers between 9 and 11 a.m. However, there were still flash flood warnings in place for a larger area. Still, there was cause for hope given the situation on the ground.
A few American athletes were also questioned about the issue. During his early years, USA opener Steven Taylor said that the stadium’s drainage system had always been excellent. He acknowledged that weather conditions are unpredictable and emphasised the team’s preparedness to adjust to whatever circumstances arise. He expressed optimism that cricket would soon begin and that the rain would stop completely.
“The stadium has always had good drainage, even when I was a child here. Thus, we always expect that cricket will always be around as long as it doesn’t rain the next day. We cannot, however, control the weather. According to ESPNcricinfo, Taylor said, “So, whatever happens, we just have to deal with it.”
The left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar, one of the best players for the USA this year, said he hadn’t thought about the weather. Even if there were rumours of rain, he conveyed a preparedness mentality before leaving New York on Wednesday night, saying the team should expect to play a full game and aim for win against Ireland.
The truth is, I haven’t given the weather any thought at all. We’re aware of the rain, but as far as we’re concerned, we can control that we’ll play the entire game and that we’ll have to give it our all to win because even Ireland is a formidable opponent,” Netravalkar said on Wednesday night, just hours before departing New York.
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