Pakistan-Bangladesh tie also washed out in Champions Trophy

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

It may not be possible to figure which of the teams, Pakistan or Bangladesh, were happier at the abandonment of game in Rawalpindi due to persistent rain on February 27. 

Apparently, both teams could have felt equally relieved at the outcome because they had already been knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after having lost their first couple of matches. 

The cricket fans were obviously anxious to see some action at the ground and that was not to be. It was the successive game at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium to have been washed out without a ball bowled. Earlier, the much-awaited fixture between Australia and South Africa had also met with similar fate. 

In both the abandoned games, there were hopes for the rain to subside leading to shortened contests. The spectators were left to wait in the rain until the official announcement which obviously caused disappointment for them. 

Unlike Australia and South Africa, both of whom are thought to be among the frontrunners to annex the title, Pakistan and Bangladesh had nightmarish run in the event and neither of them gained any point from their first games.

The washed-out encounter allowed them to open their account in the Group A but a solitary each was of little or no use. Because of the inferior run-rate, the hosts and the defending champions, Pakistan (-1.087) were relegated to the last position in the points table, just behind Bangladesh (-0.443) who finished third despite having same number of points. 

India and New Zealand have already booked their spots in the semifinals and the result of their league fixture on March 2 will determine the group champion. 

It is the third successive ICC tournament in which Pakistan failed to go beyond the first round following the exit in the 50-over ODI World Cup in 2023, followed by the debacle in the T20 World Cup last year.