Today at the U19 World Cup: Pakistan ponder what might have been after playoff washout déjà vu

For the second tournament running, rain prevented play in the third-place playoff to confirm Pakistan as default bronze medallists

• Visit the Under-19 World Cup hub
• Yesterday: Rain wins as West Indies pip Australia to fifth place

Default third place little consolation for Pakistan

The soggy climax to the Under-19 World Cup continued in Benoni this morning, with no play possible in the bronze-medal playoff between Pakistan and New Zealand at Willowmoore Park.

Following the abandonment of the fifth-place contest between Australia and the West Indies at the same venue yesterday after only 12.3 overs of the second innings, continued rain across South Africa overnight saw large puddles of standing water linger on the ground and a decision made to call off the game little more than an hour after the scheduled start of play.

With the tournament schedule only featuring a reserve day for the final, which is scheduled for Sunday at Potchefstroom's JB Marks Oval, playing conditions state that Pakistan are awarded third place in the final World Cup table by virtue of having collected more points from group stage action.

But Pakistan captain Rohail Nazir will have needed no reminder of that protocol, having been part of the team that claimed third place at the previous instalment of the tournament in remarkably similar circumstances.

In New Zealand two years ago, their decisive meeting with Afghanistan too fell victim to the elements, with Afghanistan having particular reason to be peeved by the outcome having won by five wickets when the two teams faced off in Whangerei to open Group D.

New Zealand, however, can have no such qualms this time around. The Blackcaps' run to this stage – their best result since 2012 – has featured just two wins, and neither in any convicing manner.

The first came against a struggling Sri Lanka to escape Group A in the shadow of the mighty India, and the second in an unlikely quarter-final chase against the West Indies, where an unbeaten ninth-wicket stand of 86 nudged the side across the line with two balls to spare.

While this tournament is far from the only indicator of whether young talent will go on to flourish in the senior setup, New Zealand will need to be careful not to read too much into a highly fortunate run that papers over cracks in the side.

^{Pakistan claimed third after a rained-off playoff for the second U19 World Cup running}

Na-seems like a missed opportunity

Despite today's result, it will be Pakistan with the most to ponder on the long flight home.

Rain again was the winner during their Group C decider with Bangladesh earlier in the tournament, but Bangladesh claimed the top spot and more favourable knockout draw on that occasion thanks to a superior net run rate.

They now play for the crown in tomorrow's final, while Pakistan's hopes were emphatically extinguished by 10 wickets at the hands of India on Tuesday.

Additionally, seam sensation Naseem Shah was originally named in the 15-man squad before being withdrawn to focus on a Test series with Bangladesh that was at that point still unlikely to go ahead.

One can only speculate how the 16-year-old might have gone in the tournament, particularly in the crunch semi-final clash with India, but a team-best 17 wickets in nine Youth ODI outings at an economy of 4.08 suggests that his contributions may have been a little more substantial here than back at home.

Coming not just a cost of 61 runs in the ongoing Test in Rawalpindi – his first competitive cricket since December's Tests against Sri Lanka – the solitary wicket of Mohammad Mithun may well prove less beneficial for both his personal growth and that of his young peers than playing a hand in a genuine World Cup title tilt.