Players of the two teams greet each other after the ICC Men's T20 World Cup cricket match between Canada and India was called off due to wet outfield at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Lauderhill, Fla., Saturday, June 15, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Little over an hour after when the game was scheduled, the contest between India and Canada was abandoned without a ball being bowled at the Central Broward Regional Park stadium on Saturday.
India finished their Group A engagements with seven points from four games, while the United States of America ended second with five points. The two teams have qualified for the Super Eight stage.
The abandonment on Saturday was inevitable given how much rain the South Florida region has received in the last week or so, but that didn’t stop the crowds from making a beeline to the quaint venue.
It was an overcast morning with around 80 per cent chance of rain, but the official reason for the match being called off was that the underfoot conditions were not fit for cricket. In fact, though the pitch spent plenty of time under covers, it seemed too damp to allow a game.
Apprehensive match officials ran a couple of inspections to see if the emerging sun could dry the surface out. It wasn’t to be, and they didn’t waste time in telling the teams to shake hands at 11:35 am.
“This was not ideal, we wanted to play against India, we don’t get too many chances to play against world-class teams. In that sense, this was a big miss for us,” said Canada coach Pabudu Dassanayeke on Saturday.
Even the Indian camp was disappointed because it would have given them a chance to work in batter-friendly conditions.
"We would have liked to get a game here. These conditions would have been good to bat, and we needed that going into the Super Eights," said India's batting coach Vikram Rathour. "When you're at a World Cup, you want to keep playing to keep our momentum."
India take on Afghanistan in their opening Super Eight game in Bridgetown on June 20.