SYDNEY, Australia — A resurgent Pakistan declared Wednesday “the sky’s the limit” as captain
Babar Azam rediscovered his form to help power them past New Zealand in Sydney
and into a Twenty20 World Cup final against either India or England.
اضافة اعلان
Azam and Mohammad
Rizwan got off to a flying start in pursuit of 153, putting on a 105-run
opening stand in 12.4 overs to set up victory and a place in Sunday’s showpiece
at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
If Azam had been
under pressure after making just 39 runs in the tournament’s Super 12 stage, he
did not show it, reaching his fifty off 38 balls in front of 36,443 strongly
pro-Pakistan spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Rizwan’s
half-century followed, off 32 balls and they went on to become the first
opening pair to post three century stands in T20 World Cup history before Azam
fell for 53 off 42 balls.
Pakistan’s
seven-wicket win capped a remarkable comeback from the 2009 T20 World Cup
winners who had been on the brink of elimination after last-ball defeats to
India and
Zimbabwe in their first two matches.
“The guys have
worked hard and we have always believed,” said Rizwan.
Pakistan beat the
Netherlands and South Africa, but still needed the Proteas to choke against the
Dutch for an unlikely lifeline, which they capitalized on by beating Bangladesh
in their final Super 12 game.
‘Go after the new ball’
“I don’t think we have seen our best yet, which is probably the scarier
part for whoever faces us,” said former Australia opening batsman Matthew
Hayden, who has been a mentor to the team.
“Sky’s the limit.
You can never beat down class.”
Pakistan’s bowlers
set the tone after Azam lost the toss. Aided by some razor sharp fielding they
kept
New Zealand to a below par 152–4.
Rizwan became the
second wicket to fall with 21 still needed, but Mohammad Haris’s 30 off 26
balls helped complete a deserved, if nervy, victory with five balls to spare.
“Obviously, me and
Babar decided to go after the new ball and the pitch was difficult,” said
Rizwan, who was named player of the match.
“When we finished
the powerplay, the discussion was for one of the guys to go deep.”
New Zealand, who
topped Group 1, were aiming to make their second consecutive final, but their
hunt for a maiden World Cup again fell short.
Teams batting first
had won five from six games played in Sydney this tournament and when New
Zealand captain
Kane Williamson won the toss he had no hesitation in asking
Pakistan to bowl, but it proved to be tough going.
In an eventful
opening over, Finn Allen hit Shaheen Afridi for four off the first delivery
then was given out the next ball lbw.
‘Tough pill to swallow’
It was overturned on review because for Afridi to promptly do the same
again and this time it was plumb.
Conway was run out
for 21 by Shadab Khan and they suffered a big blow when Glenn Phillips was
caught and bowled by Mohammad Nawaz for six.
Daryl Mitchell and
Williamson took more risks after reaching the 10-over mark at 59-3, with the
first six of the innings coming in the 13th over.
Williamson fell on
46 to an Afridi yorker before Mitchell, unbeaten on 53, and Jimmy Neesham, who
scored 16, added 29 runs in the final three overs.
“At the halfway
mark we thought we had a competitive total but it was disappointing not to make
Pakistan work harder,” said Williamson, who saw his usually sharp fielding side
shell a series of catchable chances, including Azam when on nought.
“It’s a tough pill
to swallow,” he said.
“I think if we want
to be honest, we wanted to be more disciplined with our areas. Like I said,
Pakistan deserved to win.”
Read more Sports
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
