Pakistan put on a clinical performance in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final on Wednesday (November 9) to book a spot for the summit clash, scheduled for November 13 at MCG.
The Men in Green defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in the semi-final despite losing the toss at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Thanks to outstanding bowling spells from Shaheen Afridi (2-24), Naseem Shah (0-30), and Haris Rauf (0-32), Pakistan restricted the Kiwis to 152/4 in 20 overs.
In reply, the 2009 champions got off to a fantastic start as the duo of Babar Azam (53 off 42 balls) and Mohammad Rizwan (57 off 43 balls) put on 105 runs for the opening wicket. After they got out, youngster Mohammad Haris slammed 26-ball 30 while batting at No. 3.
In the end, Shan Masood (3*) and Iftekhar Ahmed (0*) completed the formalities and took Pakistan over the line with five deliveries to spare.
After the game, skipper Babar Azam addressed a press conference, where he spoke in detail about the criticism he and Rizwan faced from the former Pakistan stars.
When asked whether the team management thought about sending him at No.3, which was suggested by the cricket experts amid Babar’s lean patch, the captain had a straightforward answer.
“Mere khyaal se zehen me aisa kuch nahi tha. Ham apne waqt ka wait kar rahe the. Ye cricket hai, aap koshish karte hain ki aap har match me perform karein. Par ups and downs chalte rehte hain. Tanqeed sab hi karte hain, ham achha bhi karte hain toh vo karte hain. Ye jeet aap enjoy karein, Pakistan me jo aawam hai, aur jo yahan pe crowd tha, vo bhi enjoy karein, aur jo TV pe baithe hain, vo bhi enjoy karein. (No, we didn't think like that. We were just waiting for our time. You try to perform in every game but ups and downs are part of the game. Everybody criticises, even if we perform well. Now, just enjoy the win, Pakistan fans should enjoy this and those sitting in television channels should also do the same),” Babar stated.
Speaking on the criticism he copped from former Pakistan stars, Babar said he has no issues as long as it isn't personal.
“Agar aapko tanqeed kar raha hai… vo mujhe nahi, meri team ko kar rahe the. Har ek ka apna opinion hota hai, lekin personal nahi hona chahiye. Achhi tanqeed karenge toh har banda dekhta hai. Aap bhi karte hain, par aap har cheez ko dekhke karte hain. Personal hona... ham kuch nahi kar sakte. Bas enjoy karein ki ham final me pohoch gaye. (My team was being criticised. Everyone has their opinion, but you shouldn't get personal. If it's productive criticism, everyone listens. You also criticise us, but you see everything. We can't do anything if they get personal. Let's just enjoy that we have reached the final),” he remarked.
Notably, Pakistan were in dire straits after suffering two back-to-back last-over defeats in the Super 12 round versus India and Zimbabwe. However, they showed great character and bounced back to register wins against Netherlands, South Africa, and Bangladesh.
Moreover, the result of some other games went in their favour and the Babar Azam-led side eventually made it to the semi-final.
(Hindustan Times)
