Pakistan will compete in the final of the 20-20 World Cup in Melbourne in a few hours, where they will face England. Both teams have a star-studded lineup, ensuring that the finale will be an exciting affair. The Men in Green will be eyeing their second World T20 title.
The last time Pakistan won the 20-20 World Cup was in 2009 when Younis Khan and his team defeated Sri Lanka by an eight-wicket margin at Lord’s. Chasing 139, the Men in Green needed 18.4 overs to complete the run chase, which was led by former all-rounder Shahid Afridi. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 54 off 40 deliveries, with help from Shoaib Malik, who also contributed an unbeaten 24 off 22 balls.
During an interview on A Sports, Malik recalled a special gesture made by his captain Younis, which caused him to become emotional. “When we won the World Cup in 2009, Younis Khan called me and said ‘you hold the trophy’. And that was very special,” Malik recalled.
Here is Shoaib Malik’s video
Returning to the current edition, Pakistan’s campaign, led by Babar Azam, was one of the most dramatic, with the team on the verge of elimination at one point. Zimbabwe had stunned Pakistan and dashed their hopes of reaching the final four until South Africa choked on the final day of the Super 12 stage against the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, Jos Buttler, who stated that his team would approach the finals against Pakistan with the same intent, stated that he and his men are all set to take on one of the best pace batteries in the world. Buttler praised the Men in Green for their bravery and predicted that a few current Pakistani pacers would go on to become the best players in the world.
“They have a fantastic team who have a very long history of producing excellent fast bowlers, and I see the team we are up against as no different. I’m sure by the end of their careers some of the players we are playing against will go down as some of the best Pakistan have produced. That’s a huge part of why they are in the final, so we expect a really tough challenge,” said the England skipper.
