Rain foils third T20I match between England and Pakistan

CARDIFF: Relentless rain brought an abrupt halt to the third T20 international (T20I) match between England and Pakistan at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Tuesday.

The third match between England and Pakistan was abandoned without a single ball being bowled. This is the second time throughout the series a match was cancelled due to rain. The very match of the current series was cancelled in Leeds.

Read more: Second ODI between PAK and England women abandoned due to rain

England’s captain Jos Buttler left the squad for his wife’s imminent delivery of their third child. Moeen Ali was appointed to lead the English side as a result.

Mark Wood was to mark his first appearance in international cricket since March. Similarly, Sam Curran was expected to feature after being left out of the previous match.

The abandonment leaves both teams with limited match practice ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Neither side is scheduled to play official warm-up matches before the tournament. This leaves both teams underprepared compared to other participating teams.

While Pakistan had engaged in recent T20I matches against New Zealand and Ireland, England’s sole T20I fixture since December 21 was their encounter with Pakistan in Birmingham.

Despite the disappointment, both teams are gearing up for the final match of the series at The Oval in London. However, the weather forecast for the upcoming match is also uncertain.

Read more: Jos Buttler to miss third T20I against Pakistan in Cardiff

The series is final preparation for both teams ahead of the world cup that will take place in the United States and West Indies. England is the current defending champions having secured the title in 2022 by defeating Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.