[Watch] ENG Vs PAK 1st T20I Under Threat As Rain Drenches Headingley Park
Rain likely to play spoilsport in ENG vs PAK T20I game (X.com)
Adverse weather is likely to interrupt the first T20I game between Pakistan and England as heavy rainfall has caused massive puddles of water at the host venue of Headingley Oval Ground in Leeds.
Ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, PCB and ECB agreed to schedule a four-game T20I series to prepare for the ICC event.
As the series clashed with the IPL, the ECB recalled its World Cup-bound players from IPL last week and asked them to report for national duties.
However, it seems the weather gods are against the series. With less than a few hours left for the start of play, the venue for the series opener, Headingley Oval, has been drenched with incessant rain.
In the latest video uploaded by England Cricket, the covers on the ground seem well-placed but are filled in huge water puddles.
And the rain was unfortunately still pouring as weather gods haven’t relented all day. Ground staff will at least need a couple of hours to completely dry up the ground which means the rain has to stop in the next hour for the staff to begin their drainage process.
By the early looks of it, the situation seems grim, and it is highly likely that the first T20I between Pakistan and England might get delayed or even washed out if the rain continues to pour cats and dogs.
Notably, the four-game T20I series is pivotal for Pakistan as their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup remain at stake. They took a beating from New Zealand's B squad and Ireland in the previous two series and, hence, need to bounce back in the England series.