England vs Pakistan T20I Washed Out by Rain

England vs Pakistan T20I Abandoned Due to Persistent Rain

The highly anticipated first T20I between England and Pakistan was unfortunately called off before the scheduled start time due to incessant rain that drenched Leeds throughout the day. The ground was saturated with puddles, leaving the umpires with no choice but to abandon the match.

This match was crucial for both teams as it was their last opportunity to assess their players before finalizing their squads for the upcoming T20 World Cup. England was particularly eager to give Jofra Archer a game before the squad announcement deadline on Saturday, but the rain dashed those hopes. England will now have to make a decision on Archer's inclusion without seeing him play a competitive match.

Pakistan, on the other hand, remains the only team among the 20 World Cup participants to have not announced their provisional squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had intended to finalize the squad after the first T20I against England, but the rain prevented them from doing so.

The inclement weather in Yorkshire also thwarted Pakistan's plans to give their players a final look before selecting the traveling party for North America. The two teams are scheduled to play three more games before departing for the World Cup: at Edgbaston on Saturday, Cardiff on Tuesday, and The Oval on June 2.

Tags: #EnglandCricket, #PakistanCricket, #T20WorldCup, #RainDelay, #SquadAnnouncement