Pakistan vs Bangla rained off, hosts’ end event on sour note

Rawalpindi: Pakistan’s campaign in the Champions Trophy ended on a winless note after their match against Bangladesh was called off without a ball being bowled due to incessant rain here on Thursday.

The match was effectively a dead rubber, with both teams already out of contention after failing to secure a win in their two previous matches. Pakistan, hosting an ICC tournament for the first time in 29 years, had hoped for a strong finish but ended their disastrous campaign without a victory.

Persistent downpour left the ground soaked, with covers in place and puddles forming around the field. With weather not improving, match officials called off the game nearly two hours after the scheduled start time. The gloomy weather prevented even the toss from taking place.

As a result, the two teams shared one point each, though both Pakistan and Bangladesh finished the tournament winless. This is the second match in Rawalpindi to be called off without a ball being bowled, following the washout between South Africa and Australia earlier this week.

The rain-induced abandonment left the home fans frustrated, as they hoped for play at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan have faced criticism for their poor showing in the tournament, having suffered defeats to New Zealand (by 60 runs) and India (by six wickets).

“We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation. The expectations are very high. We didn’t perform well and it is disappointing for us,” Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan said.

Reflecting on the road ahead, Rizwan said: “You can learn from your mistakes. We have made mistakes in the last few games. Hopefully, we can learn from these.

“We are next going to New Zealand and, hopefully, we can perform there and the mistakes that we did against New Zealand here in Pakistan, we can learn from that. And we will do better in New Zealand. “

Pakistan’s assistant coach, Azhar Mahmood, who hails from the city, attributed his team’s poor show in the tournament to injuries to key players, and the fact that the team took too much pressure against India. “We haven’t played well in this tournament. We have played good cricket in this format, but in the tournament it has not gone well because of injuries. Against India, we put a lot of pressure on

ourselves,” he said.