Pakistan became the first team to qualify for the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup after a convincing 7-wicket win over New Zealand in the first semi-final of the competition.
The Men in Green were scintillating on the day as they got a stronghold of the match from the off as Shaheen Afridi got rid of Finn Allen on the third ball of the match.
The Green Shirts did not look back and roared into their third final of the T20 World Cup and their first since 2009, their one and only T20 World Cup title.
Despite a sensational performance in the semi-final, Pakistan was less than convincing throughout their roller-coaster ride in the tournament. With some fighting performances and a fair bit of luck, Pakistan made it past the Super 12s stage.
Let’s have a look at Pakistan’s bumpy road to the final of the tournament:
Match 1 – India
Pakistan faced India in their opening match of the T20 World Cup in front of a jam-packed crowd at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Green Shirts were sensational for the majority part as they had the match in control.
Pakistan batted first and put on a challenging total of 159/8 despite losing their openers early. Iftikhar Ahmed and Shan Masood were the stars with the bat as they struck brilliant half-centuries.
The Men in Green had India on the backfoot early on in their innings but a masterclass by Virat Kohli took India home on the last ball of the match. Pakistan suffered a demoralizing loss at the hands of their arch-rivals.
Match 2 – Zimbabwe
Pakistan looked to bounce right back after their disappointing loss against India as they faced Zimbabwe in the next match. The Men in Green were on the money with the ball as they pinned back the Zimbabwean batting unit with a sensational bowling display.
Zimbabwe was restricted to a miserly total of 130/8 as Pakistan looked in total control to put their first points on the board. But, it was not to be as Zimbabwe had their own bowling masterclass as they ripped through the Pakistani batting unit.
Pakistan failed to chase down 3 runs off the final 3 balls as Shaheen Afridi was run out on the final delivery of the match. Zimbabwe players were on cloud nine while an early exit from the tournament loomed large for Pakistan.
Match 3 – Netherlands
Pakistan needed to win their remaining three games in order to stay in the competition and possibly qualify for the next round. Pakistan faced the Netherlands and had the perfect opportunity to gain some momentum in the tournament.
Once again, Pakistan’s fearsome bowling attack did their job superbly as they restricted the Netherlands to only 91/9 in their 20 overs. The Green Shirts chased down the target with 6 wickets and 37 balls to spare to win their first match of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Match 4 – South Africa
Team Green faced an undefeated South African side in their next match in the Super 12s. Pakistan required a win to stay in the competition while a win for South Africa would guarantee them a spot in the semi-finals.
Pakistan struggled early on as they were reeling on 43-4 early on in the innings. Mohammad Nawaz and Iftikhar staged a comeback as they steadied the ship for Pakistan before Shadab Khan entered the picture and smashed a scintillating half-century to help Pakistan post their highest total, 185/9, in the tournament.
Green Shirts’ exceptional bowling attack would not let South Africa break the shackles and comfortably defended the target. They restricted South Africa to 108/9 in a rain-affected match to register their second consecutive win.
Match 5 – Bangladesh
Pakistan was in need of a miracle to qualify for the semi-finals. They needed one of two results to go in their way to give them a chance of qualification. They needed either Netherlands to beat South Africa or Zimbabwe to beat India while winning their own match against Bangladesh to confirm their place in the next round.
‘Qudrat ka Nizam’, which has become synonymous with Pakistan cricket over the past few months, was in full flow as the Netherlands caused a major upset by defeating South Africa, which resulted in Proteas’ elimination and turned Pakistan vs Bangladesh into a virtual quarter-final.
Pakistan, upbeat after the Netherlands win, was not to be stopped by Bangladesh as they steam-rolled past their opponents to qualify for the semi-finals. Pakistan won the match by 5 wickets as Bangladesh crashed out of the tournament.
Semi-Final – New Zealand
Pakistan, one step away from qualifying for their third T20 World Cup final, faced an in-form New Zealand side. Pakistan, with momentum on their side, was unstoppable as they cruised past the Kiwis in a one-sided match.
The Men in Green were sensational with the ball once again as they restricted New Zealand to only 152/4 in their 20 overs. Kiwis only struck 10 fours and two sixes in the entire innings as Pakistani bowlers tightened the screws.
The big match called for a big performance from the most successful T20 opening pair in the world. Babar and Rizwan, who had struggled throughout the tournament, played magnificent knocks as they helped their team chase down the target with seven wickets and five balls to spare.
Pakistan will now face the winner of the second semi-final, between England and India, in the final of the tournament. England and India will face off at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, 10 November. The final of the tournament will be played on Sunday, 13 November at the MCG.
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