The T20 World Cup 2022 kicked off with a major upset when Namibia defeated Sri Lanka in the curtain-raiser, and cricket fans have witnessed many more since then, including yesterday’s match between England and Ireland.
The knockout of West Indies in the qualifier stages has sent a clear message to other cricketing nations that there is no mercy in T20I cricket and the weather in Australia is another thing that can hurt top teams.
Pakistan’s loss to India in a nail-biting encounter last Sunday at Melbourne Cricket Ground has heightened tensions, and skipper, Babar Azam, will undoubtedly be concerned about the upcoming matches in the mega event.
It is not appropriate to predict the outcome of Group B, but India, Pakistan, and South Africa appear to be top contenders for the semi-final stages.
There are chances that teams will be judged by their run rate for the semi-finals because of rain-affected matches. Although Pakistan did not allow India to win by a big margin, the Babar Azam-led side is in fifth place in the points table.
Keeping the past in mind, Pakistan has a strong record against South Africa, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands as the Green Shirts have 100 percent wins against these nations in the history of T20 World Cups.
| Opposition | Matches | Wins | Loses |
| South Africa | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Pakistan’s next two matches, against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, will be played in Perth, which supports pacers more than other venues, providing Pakistan with a golden opportunity to capitalize on its strengths. It will be Pakistan’s first faceoff against Zimbabwe in T20 World Cups.
Babar Azam is expected to go with four pacers in the playing XI, but it will be interesting to see who out of Haider Ali or Asif Ali loses his place.
In short, what matters most for Pakistan in the upcoming matches is that they defeat their opponents by a big margin in order to avoid any concerns about the run rate, which will necessitate an attacking game.
The Men in Green should enter the field with the intention of scoring big totals and then restricting the opposition with a clever plan, which will undoubtedly require a team effort and a positive attitude.
Pakistan also has a history of depending on other teams and there are plenty of ifs and buts involved cometh the business end of the mega-events. In order to avoid that and give Pakistani cricket fans heart attacks, Babar Azam and his men must play with intent and go for big wins against slightly weaker oppositions like Zimbabwe and Netherlands.
