T20 World Cup 2024 Sees Pakistan Without Warm-Up Matches Due To Scheduling

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled an extensive schedule of warm-up matches ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. From May 27 to June 1, participating teams will engage in preparatory matches across the West Indies and the USA.

India is set to face Bangladesh in their sole warm-up match. Other prominent teams, including Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the West Indies, will also participate. Associate nations such as Nepal, Uganda, USA, and the Netherlands will have multiple opportunities to fine-tune their preparations.

However, the announcement on Thursday revealed that New Zealand, Pakistan, and England have not been allotted any warm-up matches. Pakistan, the 2009 T20 World Cup champions and 2022 finalists, along with England, who have won the tournament twice and are the defending champions, are notably absent. New Zealand, finalists in the 2021 edition held in the UAE, also find themselves without a warm-up fixture.

Pakistan and England's exclusion from the warm-up schedule has a straightforward explanation. Both teams are set to compete in a four-match T20I series in England from May 22 to May 30. This bilateral series overlaps with the warm-up period.

The T20 World Cup kicks off on June 1 with a match between the USA and Canada. Consequently, neither Pakistan nor England would have had an opportunity to participate in a warm-up match due to their prior commitments.

New Zealand's absence from the warm-up fixtures remains unclear. However, Pakistan will begin their World Cup campaign against the USA on June 6, while England will start their journey on June 3 against Scotland.