Amid uncertainty over Pakistan’s T20 World Cup participation, Iceland quips it is unavailable to replace Green Shirts
Amid uncertainty about Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, Iceland has quipped that its team is unavailable to replace the Green Shirts in the tournament.
Pakistan is expected to make a final decision by next week, over the cricket team’s participation in next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, keeping open the possibility of a boycott over Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament.
Amid the uncertainty, Iceland Cricket had earlier quipped that it needed Pakistan to decide on its participation soon, saying they were “ready to take off”.
It is worth mentioning that Iceland is not a member of the International Cricket Council.
Howeve, on Thursday, Iceland Cricket’s X account — known for its wisecracks — said: “It is with a heavy heart that we now announce our unavailability to replace Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“Regardless of whether [Pakistan] they now withdraw, the short timescales ensure it is impossible for our squad to prepare in the professional manner necessary to compete effectively in this global cricketing spectacle,” it said.
Referring to ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland, upon their refusal to travel to India, it said, “We are not like Scotland and able to turn up on a whim, with no kit sponsor.
“Our players are from all walks of life and cannot simply drop their occupations to fly halfway around the world to experience temperatures only normally felt in Finnish saunas,” the post said.
“Our captain, a professional baker, needs to attend to his oven, our ship captain needs to steer his vessel, and our bankers need to go bankrupt (again). This is the harsh reality of cricket at the amateur level of the game,” it said.
“This is the harsh reality of cricket at the amateur level of the game. This news will be extremely disappointing to our fans,” it said.
“We were ready to give the Dutch the biggest shock they have experienced since William of Orange lost the Battle of Landen in 1693. And the Americans were looking forward to taking on Greenland, or so their orange-dyed leader thought,” the post added, taking a crack at US President Donald Trump.
“Our loss is likely Uganda’s gain. We wish them well. Their kits cannot be missed unless you have epilepsy, in which case they are probably best avoided,” it concluded.
