Shoaib Akhtar has said that England will be up against a tough challenge in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan unlike their semi-final game against India which they won easily by 10 wickets.
The two former T20 World champions will be eyeing their second title when they meet up in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.
Pakistan had defeated New Zealand in their semi-final match, while England decimated India in Adelaide.
Former Pakistan pacer Akhtar has said that Pakistan has better pacers than India and England will have to work hard to clinch the trophy.
“Farak ye padega ki England ek comprehensive position me hai. England ka confidence sky-rocketing hoga. England ko pata hai ki yahan par Pakistan bowlers India bowling ki tarah nahi hai. Yahan kuch na kuch karke jeetna padega. Itni aasani se walkover nahi milega. (The difference is that England are in a comprehensive position, their confidence will be sky-rocketing. England know Pakistan bowlers are not like India. They will have to work hard to win, they won’t get a walkover),” Akhtar said on his official YouTube channel.
England, who are the current ODI world champions, won the T20 trophy in 2010, while Pakistan won the T20 World Cup back in 2009.
Akhtar also spoke about Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan who returned to form in the semi-final against New Zealand by scoring individual fifties.
“Babar aur Rizwan pe bohot depend karta hai. Jis strike rate se khele hain, vo important hain. Jin 6 overs me hamaara strike rate missing tha, vo vaapis aa gaya hai. Melbourne wicket allow karegi aapko ki aap ussi strike rate ko maintain karke khelein. (A lot depends on Babar and Rizwan. Their strike rate against New Zealand was very important. The wicket in Melbourne would allow them to maintain a similar strike rate),” Akhtar added.
