USA advance to Super 8 of T20 World Cup, Pakistan eliminated

LAUDERHILL: The United States cricket team qualified for the second round in its Twenty20 World Cup debut after its last group game against Ireland was washed out on Friday.

Rain meant the match was abandoned without a ball bowled, advancing the US to the Super Eight stage and automatically qualifying the Americans for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

The US qualified for this T20 World Cup only as a co-host with the West Indies, but it has used home advantage to make a stunning first impression in its first global cricket tournament.

While the Americans progressed alongside unbeaten India from Group A, former champion Pakistan and winless Ireland were eliminated from Super Eight contention.

Pakistan won the title in 2009 and reached two more finals, including at the last T20 World Cup in 2022.

Pakistan have failed to get out of the group stage for the first time. Ireland were expected to be a threat, too. The Irish also reached the second round on debut in 2009 and repeated in 2022.

The competition point from the washout was enough for the US to advance after beating Canada in Texas and stunning Pakistan on Long Island in the first week.

Tying Pakistan in regular overs then beating them in a super over was one of the greatest upsets in the tournament’s history.

The Americans were thumped by India, one of the title favourites, as expected on Wednesday but the hosts’ progression without being able to play on Friday was still well deserved.

The umpires made four inspections of the wet outfield before heavy rain arrived at around 1.30 pm local time and the match was called off three hours after its scheduled start.

The 17th-ranked U.S. joined the West Indies, India, Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan in the Super Eight, with two more teams yet to qualify.

The Super Eight starting on Wednesday splits into two groups, with each team guaranteed three games to try and reach the semifinals.

Later Friday, South Africa faced Nepal in St Vincent, and New Zealand met Uganda in Trinidad.