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Showing posts with label T20 World Cup 2021. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Pakistan need to top this white ball form with a World Cup Trophy!

Posted by Q at Tuesday, July 05, 2022 No Comments

Pakistan are currently ranked 3 in ICC's ODI Cricket Rankings. They are number 3 in T20Is too. Not only that, but the top two batting rankings in both white ball formats are occupied by Pakistan's batsmen!

Babar Azam is ranked 1 in both ODIs and T20Is, while the second ranked batsmen are Imam Ul Haq and Mohammad Rizwan, respectively.

Shaheen Afridi is also up there ranked at 3 in the ODI Bowler Rankings.

I do not remember the last time Pakistan dominated white ball cricket in this manner.

They have been one of the best T20 teams for a while now, even leading the rankings for some time not too long ago. But in ODIs, they have been languishing in the bottom half of the table for almost a decade.

Till now that is.

Pakistan's ODI form is so strong that out of the 6 completed ODI series since the ICC World Cup 2019, they have won 5!

They have beaten Sri Lanka (2-0), Zimbabwe (2-1), South Africa (2-1), Australia (2-1), and West Indies (3-0) during this period. And only lost to the World Champions, England (3-0).

During this ODI reign, Pakistan became the only Asian side to win two ODI series in South Africa, and they achieved their highest ever successful chase in ODIs, against Australia.

The ODI team has surely touched some great heights in this period.

Come to think of it, the resurgence began during the 2019 World Cup itself when they won 4 games in a row, but were unlucky to miss the semi finals due to net run rate.

They arguably were one of the best teams on show; and the only team who beat both the finalists during the group stages!

But a repeat of 1992 was not meant to be.

At the T20 World Cup in 2021, Pakistan were definitely the best team on show. They were the only team to reach the semi finals unbeaten.

Unfortunately though they were met by an Australian resurgence, which without fail happens at every World Cup.

Two ICC trophies have been denied, yet Pakistan has continued its vein of form.

Since that World Cup in 2019, Pakistan have a W:L ratio of 2.2 in ODIs; the second best among the full nations.

Even in T20 Internationals during this period, they have the second best W:L ratio among the full nations.

Pakistan's batsmen have been in tremendous form in both white ball formats during this period, especially Babar Azam, the world's best batsman currently.

Babar is the second highest run scorer in ODIs in this period, and his average is miles ahead of the rest. He has also knocked 7 ODI centuries in this time, more than any other batsman. Imam is also among the top 10 run scorers in this period.

Babar has dominated in T20 Internationals too during this period, but it is his opening partner who takes the batting honors with the most T20I runs and by far the best average in this format.

Babar and Rizwan are also two of the three batsmen who have scored a T20I hundred in this period.

What has worked for Pakistan is that these batsmen have batted well in pairs. Its rarely a one man show and always a spectacle when you have Babar & Imam batting together in ODIs or Babar & Rizwan putting on a show in T20Is.

Look at Babar and Imam's partnership average in ODIs over the past 3 years!

And look at the number of century stands Babar and Rizwan have put on in T20 Internationals in this period!

Pakistan's rise in ODIs and T20Is could not have been better timed given the three upcoming white ball World Cups over the next three years.

The T20 World Cup gets underway in 3 months.

There is an ODI World Cup in 2023.

And another T20 World Cup in 2024.

Sure the Pakistan fans would like to see them win all three World Cups, but then lets be realistic; it is Pakistan we are talking about, not Australia!

But I tell you what. At least one of those trophies has Pakistan written on it.

If Pakistan does not win at least one of these World Cups, then all this white ball form, the team rankings, the batsmen rankings, the partnership runs, this unparalleled success will all mean for nothing.

This resurgence needs to be topped with an ICC Trophy (or two) in the next 2 years.

It is not beyond reach, and if any Pakistan can do it, it is Babar Azam's Pakistan!

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Labels: Babar Azam, ICC World Cup 2019, ICC World Cup 2023, Imam Ul Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan ODI Cricket, Pakistan T20 Cricket, Q, T20 World Cup 2021, T20 World Cup 2022

Monday, November 22, 2021

Kevin Pietersen's Team of the T20 World Cup 2021

Posted by Q at Monday, November 22, 2021 Pitched (2)

Kevin Pietersen, the Betway Ambassador has selected his World XI comprising the best performers from the T20 World Cup 2021, that recently concluded in the UAE.

The Openers

MOHAMMAD RIZWAN, 281 Runs at an average of 70.25, with 3 fifties

Rizwan was the third highest run scorer in the T20 World Cup and had the second best average among all batsmen. He was a consistent run scorer at the top of Pakistan's line up and did brilliantly through the group stages and in the Semi Final, where he battled illness to score 67 against Australia.

JOS BUTTLER, 269 runs at an average of 89.66, with 1 century and 1 fifty

Buttler as the 4th highest run scorer of the T20 World Cup and had the best average among all batsmen. He was the only batsman to score a hundred in the tournament, when he lit up Sharjah, with a magnificent unbeaten knock of 101 off 67 deliveries, against Sri Lanka.

The Middle Order

BABAR AZAM, 303 runs at an average of 60.60, with 4 fifties

Babar was the leading run scorer of the T20 World Cup and showed the world why he is best and number 1 ranked T20 batsman in the world. He scored fifties in 4 out of his 6 innings, and was a model of consistency for Pakistan at the top of the order.

CHARITH ASALANKA, 231 runs at an average of 46.20 and a strike rate if 147.13, with 2 fifties

More than the number of runs scored, it was the way he scored them that caught the eye of everyone at the T20 World Cup. He was one of the finds of the tournament and has a very bright future for Sri Lanka. He was the 5th highest run scorer at the tournament, and only Buttler had a higher strike rate than him among all batsmen who scored at least 175 runs.

AIDEN MARKRAM, 162 runs at an average of 54.00, with 2 fifties

Markram played a solid role for South Africa in the middle order and was the mainstay of their batting. He bowled some useful overs as well, at times with the new ball.

The Allrounders

MOEEN ALI, 92 runs at an average of 46.00 and strike rate of 131.42; 7 wickets at an average of 11.00 and economy of 5.50

Moeen Ali impressed with the bat when he was sent higher up the order, and was brilliant with the ball for England. He remains an important member of England's white ball teams.

WANINDU HASARANGA, 119 runs at a strike rate of 148.75; 16 wickets at an average of 9.75 and economy of 5.20

Hasaranga was the leading wicket taker of the tournament, and showed immense potential with the bat too. His wickets included a hatrick and he was THE find of the T20 World Cup. He is a future superstar in the making.

The Bowlers

ADAM ZAMPA, 13 wickets at an average of 12.07 and economy of 5.81

Zampa was the second highest wicket taker of the T20 World Cup; and the highest if you consider only the Super 12s stage. His wicket taking ability in the middle overs, coupled with keeping the run flow in check, was one of the key reasons why Australia won the tournament.

TRENT BOULT, 13 wickets at an average of 13.30 and economy of 6.25

Boult was the leading wicket taker among pacers in the T20 World Cup and proved his worth to New Zealand with a string of timely and important wickets in every match.

ANRICH NORTJE, 9 wickets at an average of 11.55 and economy of 5.37

The only pacers to take more wickets than him were Hazlewood and Boult. Nortje impressed with his pace and his economy was better than all pacers in the T20 World Cup, barring Bumrah.

SHAHEEN AFRIDI, 7 wickets at an average of 24.14 and economy of 7.04

Shaheen single handedly derailed India's campaign and set the tone for Pakistan's with two of the best deliveries of the T20 World Cup. No one swung the new ball like he did in the entire tournament.

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Labels: Betway, kevin pietersen, Q, t20 world cup, T20 World Cup 2021, Team of the Tournament, World XI

Monday, November 15, 2021

Babar Azam - The Real Player of the T20 World Cup 2021

Posted by Q at Monday, November 15, 2021 Pitched (3)

Yes I know that David Warner played crucial knocks in the Semi Final and the Final of the T20 World Cup, leading Australia to a first time T20 title.

But so did Shahid Afridi in 2009.

Do you know who was the Player of the Tournament in 2009?

Tilakaratne Dilshan.

Because he was the leading run scorer of the tournament.

Sri Lanka did not win the T20 World Cup in 2009; Pakistan did.

Similarly, in 2007, India won the T20 World Cup, but the Player of the Tournament was Shahid Afridi. He was the second highest wicket taker and scored his runs at a strike rate of 200!

In 2010, England won the T20 World Cup, and Kevin Pietersen was Player of the Tournament. He was the second highest run scorer and had a better average than the highest run scorer.

In 2012, West Indies won the T20 World Cup, but the Player of the Tournament was Shane Watson. Australia did not even play the Final! But Watson was the leading run scorer of the tournament. Please note that Watson scored 6 more runs than Jayawardene and 19 more runs than Samuels - two batsmen who played in the final.

In 2014 and 2016, Sri Lanka and the West Indies won the T20 World Cup respectively; however Virat Kohli was the Player of the Tournament both times. In 2014, Kohli played the final and was the leading run scorer; however in 2016, Kohli did not play the final and he was the second highest run scorer; however he had the best average.

Then why did Babar Azam not get the Player of the Tournament award in 2021?

Babar was the leading run scorer of the T20 World Cup 2021; he had the most number of fifty plus scores among all batsmen; and he had a better average than David Warner - 12 runs better than Warner's!

Babar was the best performing captain in the T20 World Cup, both in terms of runs scored, as well as, matches won. He was by far the finest captain on show.

For me, Babar Azam was the Player of the Tournament of the T20 World Cup 2021.

Don't really care what the ICC says.

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Labels: Babar Azam, ICC, Q, t20 world cup, T20 World Cup 2021

Saturday, November 13, 2021

The Beginning of something special for Pakistan Cricket

Posted by Q at Saturday, November 13, 2021 No Comments

It is not the morning after, two days have passed, and it still doesn't feel right that Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign is over.

This World Cup seemed like it was ours, and that is why it hurts even more.

One could have been angry had the team played badly, had the batting collapsed, had Pakistan just not turned up. But they did, and they did everything right for the most part. The match seemed to be in the bag; till some brilliance from the other side that just took it away, leaving us in shock and disbelief.

While the disappointment remains, the past two days have allowed us to heal and reflect. There are plenty of positives, both for the team and its future, as well as, the fans of Pakistan Cricket.

THE TEAM

Pakistan played this T20 World Cup like champions and were the only team that remained unbeaten in the group stages. Overall, they played 6 matches and won 5 of them - the same number as the two finalists; unfortunately the game we lost was the Semi Final.

The team looked united, played very spirited cricket, and were at the top of their game. This is surely not the end, but the beginning of something very special from this set of truly exceptional cricketers.

The cricket these boys played reminded me of the 90s. The difference; however is that this time the sum seems to be greater than the parts.

I have no doubt in my mind that this lot of players, under the leadership of Babar Azam, have a very bright future, and there is an ICC trophy waiting for them just around the corner.

THE PLAYERS

SHAHEEN AFRIDI single handedly ended India's campaign in two deliveries. India never really recovered from those two bolts. His deliveries to Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and then Aaron Finch were by far the best balls delivered in this T20 World Cup. As this team's pace spearhead, he will win Pakistan many more matches in the future.

ASIF ALI & HARIS RAUF were the two most criticized players of the squad. Their lack of performance leading up to the T20 World Cup was a worry for everyone. Credit must be given to the captain and the management team who kept their faith in them. Both Asif and Haris completely repaid this faith with some exceptional performances.

Asif could not have chosen a better time to display his firepower, which we have all seen in the PSL, than at the grandest stage of T20 cricket. He will finish many more games for Pakistan in the future, like he did against New Zealand and Afghanistan.

Haris bowled some fiery spells against India and New Zealand, and he maintained his strong form throughout the tournament.

Similarly, FAKHAR ZAMAN and HASAN ALI, also had their fair share of critics. Both continued to fail in the group stages but Babar Azam maintained his faith in their abilities.

Fakhar was not even part of the initial squad of 15 that was announced and was included later at the insistence of Babar. Throughout the group stages, Babar kept saying that Fakhar is a big match player and he will deliver. He truly did by tearing apart Australia's pace spearhead in the semi final!

Hasan, however, failed to perform as per expectations, but one can't blame anyone for persisting with him considering his performance over the past 12 months. All sportsmen go through tough times, and Hasan will surely bounce back!

All those who believe that T20 is a young man's format need to rethink their stance. The experience brought by the presence of MOHAMMAD HAFEEZ and SHOAIB MALIK was invaluable. Hafeez was superb in the field and with the ball when required. His positive intent with the bat was a reminder to everyone of how this game must be played.

Malik's calm presence in the middle against New Zealand helped finish the game and his ruthless attack on Scotland got him the record of the fastest 50 in T20Is for Pakistan.

I don't know what they have decided for the future, but with the next T20 World Cup just a year away, maybe they will still be around.

SHADAB KHAN was not in the best of forms leading up to the T20 World Cup, but he is a proven match winner and he showed all of us why Babar had so much faith in him. He was fabulous with the ball in all the matches, picking up wickets regularly, and keeping the runs in check as well. With Shadab back at his best, Pakistan truly has the best bowling line up in T20Is.

IMAD WASIM is invaluable for Pakistan with the new ball. He was one of the most economical bowlers in the entire T20 World Cup with an economy rate of 5.7. He completes Pakistan's all round bowling attack, which has more variety than any other bowling line up in T20 cricket.

MOHAMMAD RIZWAN is the Superman of Pakistan cricket, a true man of steel. I am still quite shaken by the fact that Rizwan spent 30 odd hours in the ICU before being declared fit on the day of the semi final. What a champion!

Since his transformation into Pakistan's T20 opener, he has been simply sublime. During the T20 World Cup he became the first batsman to score 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year.

He also surpassed Chris Gayle's tally of 1,665 runs in all T20 cricket in a calendar year, and now has 1,743 runs in 2021. With still some T20Is left for Pakistan this year, Rizwan will take his lead at the top even further, and will likely remain there for a long time.

BABAR AZAM has been the best batsman in white ball cricket for some time now. In this tournament, he also grew in stature as a captain. The way he marshaled his troops, the way he united the team, the way he ensured everyone remains united even after defeat, are all traits of a great leader. He has a bright future ahead as captain and I for sure think that this team under him will reach even greater heights.

Babar ended his T20 World Cup campaign as the leading run scorer of the tournament.

Babar's tally of 303 runs in this T20 World Cup is the highest number of runs by a batsman in his first T20 World Cup. It is also the most runs scored by a captain in any T20 World Cup and it is the third highest tally by a batsman in any T20 World Cup, behind Kohli's 319 in 2014 and Dilshan's 317 in 2009.

I believe he is well on his way to becoming one of Pakistan's and the world's finest cricket captains.

Pakistan has never had a better opening pair in cricket than Babar and Rizwan. Together, they have scripted so many Pakistan victories in T20Is, and I am sure they will continue to do so. They are now 6th in the list of most partnership runs in T20Is, but their average of 62 and 5 century partnerships are unparalleled. We can look forward to many more T20I wins scripted by these two.

Pakistan's performance in the group stages was truly fabulous and exceeded all our expectations. Yes, the semifinal loss was disappointing, moreso because we all felt this was Pakistan's World Cup. They were the best team on show and the triumphant run was just glorious. This is definitely just the beginning for this special lot of cricketers.

PAKISTAN CRICKET FANS

For us, the World Cup came home to the UAE, which made it all the more special.

For the past decade we have traveled the world supporting the boys in green. From ODI World Cups in Australia and England, to T20 World Cups in Sri Lanka, to ICC Champions Trophies in the UK, we were everywhere.

This time, we were with the team from the start till the end, from Dubai to Abu Dhabi to Sharjah, from defeating India for the first time in a World Cup to coming so close to reaching the final.

It was a really memorable World Cup for all of us.

The best part was that Pakistan's campaign reignited the passion for cricket among the youth in Pakistan. All the Pakistani kids were connected to the team and cheered them on throughout the World Cup. What this will do for cricket in Pakistan is immeasurable.

The cameramen in Dubai and Sharjah ensured that we will cherish memories of this World Cup forever. These cameramen are responsible for creating the Hulk Glove Guy and the Hulk Glove Crew. Thank you for that!

Even for this crew, this is definitely not the end. The Hulk Gloves will be back again.

The road to Australia 2022 begins now. Rest assured, we will be there, in all our greens, cheering on this champion team once again!

The Beginning ...

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Labels: Babar Azam, Dubai, Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan T20 Cricket, Shaheen Afridi, Sharjah, t20 world cup, T20 World Cup 2021, T20 World Cup 2022

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Mohammad Rizwan's Golden Run in T20 Cricket

Posted by Q at Wednesday, November 03, 2021 No Comments

Pakistan's phenomenal opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan posted their 5th century partnership yesterday, helping Pakistan to 189 off their 20 overs, defeating Namibia by 45 runs.

With their 5th century partnership, the pair now has more century partnerships in T20Is than any other pair, surpassing the 4 partnerships posted by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and by Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson.

Babar and Rizwan now have the 6th highest partnership runs in T20Is and they have got there in only 19 innings.

The pair's average of 63 is far beyond any other pair's average.

Their highest partnership of 197 is the 4th highest partnership in all T20Is.

Babar and Rizwan truly are a golden pair and together they have taken Pakistan's T20 cricket to new heights.

Everyone knows that Babar Azam is a superstar and currently one of the best all format batsman in the game. He, along with Virat Kohli, are the only two batsmen in the world that are among the top 7 of the ICC batsmen rankings for each format.

And Babar is number 1 in both T20Is and ODIs.

Babar is the most consistent batsman in the T20 format; however, it is Mohammad Rizwan, who is going through a dream run currently.

In 2021, Rizwan has scored more T20I runs than any other batsman in a calendar year, and that too at a bradmanesque average, which has only been matched by Kohli (in 2016).

No other batsman has even averaged 50 in T20Is in a calendar year (min 500 runs).

Yesterday against Namibia, Rizwan posted his 9th fifty in T20Is this year, which is also the most fifties any batsman has hit in this format in a calendar year.

Before 2021 ends, Rizwan will undoubtedly become the first batsman in history to knock 1,000 runs in T20Is in a single year!

With an unbeaten knock of 79 last night, Rizwan created another T20I record - he now has the highest T20I batting average in the world.

Rizwan is on the verge of another world record.

He needs 4 more runs to equal Chris Gayle's record of scoring the most runs in all T20 Cricket in a calendar year!

He went past the run tallies of Babar and Kohli during his knock yesterday.

A year, in which, Rizwan is breaking records held by legends like Kohli and Gayle, is nothing short of a phenomenal dream.

Rizwan is truly living the dream and he is growing with stature with every match. With Babar he has created a magnificent opening partnership for Pakistan, and individually he is undoubtedly the key man for Pakistan in T20Is currently!

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Labels: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan T20 Cricket, Q, t20 world cup, T20 World Cup 2021, World T20

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Pakistan were Magical in Sharjah once again!

Posted by Q at Thursday, October 28, 2021 No Comments

Growing up in the UAE, I spent many days at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium watching the great Pakistan cricketers of the 80s and 90s.

Sharjah has been a happy hunting ground for Pakistan where I have witnessed some blistering centuries, fiery bowling spells, hatricks, match winning performances, and magical Pakistan wins.

The last time I was at Sharjah Stadium was in 2003 when Rashid Latif's Pakistan played a quadrangular series against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Kenya right after the ODI World Cup.

It was a new look Pakistan team and Mohammad Hafeez was making his ODI debut.

18 and a half years later, it is the T20 World Cup, Pakistan is playing a match in Sharjah, and Mohammad Hafeez is still around.

and so am I!

* * *

The high of Pakistan's first ever win over India in a World Cup was still not over and Pakistan's next match, against New Zealand, was upon us.

The partying after the victory over India had still not ended, but we were ready once again!

While majority Pakistan fans look forward to Pakistan vs India with more excitement than any other match; this time around the match against New Zealand was also awaited anxiously.

Only due to the abandonment that all Pakistanis felt when New Zealand flew out of Pakistan on the morning of the T20I series, citing security concerns.

Pakistanis had a grudge to settle.

And what better way to do that, than on the cricket field.

* * *

Riding high with confidence after defeating India, Pakistan were on top once again in Sharjah with an even better bowling performance that restricted New Zealand to 134.

However, unlike the clinical and professional chase that Pakistan produced on Sunday, this time around, the chase was more Pakistani!

Rizwan and Babar began in typical fashion, dominating the proceedings, however Babar fell to a rash stroke, which was totally unlike him.

The target was small, so there was no panic as Fakhar, who had been in great form in the warm ups, walked out for his first hit in the T20 World Cup.

Fakhar struggled to get going. There was some relief when he struck a ball right out of the stadium; however he fell soon after.

Mohammad Hafeez walked out and smashed his first delivery for a 6!

The chase seemed under control, till Hafeez fell to one of the best catches I have ever witnessed in a cricket ground.

Still no major worries as the experienced Shoaib Malik joined the trustworthy Mohammad Rizwan.

Soon after though, there was a stutter, some panic, and a lot of tense faces in the crowd.

Rizwan fell. Imad Wasim came and went.

Half of Pakistan's side was back in the pavilion and 48 runs were still required off 31 deliveries.

Asif Ali smashed a boundary of his first delivery leaving Pakistan to get 44 off 30.

It was close. Closer than most of us expected, following the 10 wicket thrashing of India. Though it was not something out of the ordinary.

As Pakistani fans, we have witnessed a number of botched chases and there were plenty of anxious fans around. Including me.

The worry, however, soon turned into jubilation as Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali upped the tempo.

Asif smashed Southee for two 6s in one over, Malik hit Santner for a 4 and a 6 in another and all was under control once again.

Asif sent another ball sailing into the stands of Trent Boult, and Pakistan finished off the chase successfully in the 19th over.

* * *

The Sharjah crowd was just awesome.

One friend pointed out after the match that there is something about matches against New Zealand.

The Birmingham crowd in 2019 was outstanding. It still stands as my best crowd experience ever at a cricket match.

This crowd in Sharjah was not too far off.

There were mexican waves, there was some great music bringing out a lot of dance moves, the cheering was just amazing, and the sledging with taunts about "security" was just hilarious. The flourish with which Asif Ali and Shoaib Malik finished off the game sent the crowd into a massive frenzy.

Our group was caught on camera multiple times during Pakistan's chase. From our tense faces to our nervous clapping to my hulk gloves fist bumps after those 6s from Asif and Malik - it was all caught by the camera man in Sharjah.

My phone was on fire every time we came on TV.

I had messages from all over the world from people who had seen me on screen. I had messages from people who I had not heard from in over a decade. My wife and friends had messages from people who have never met me but just seen my pictures on social media.

Thank you to each and everyone of you who captured images and videos on their TV screens and shared them.

It was quite something to witness this chase by Pakistan, and to be captured several times by the camera man.

It was truly an unforgettable experience.

* * *

After these wins against India and New Zealand, the two toughest teams in their group, Pakistan are looking really dangerous in this T20 World Cup.

The best part about the win against New Zealand was that Pakistan's two most criticized cricketers - Haris Rauf and Asif Ali - produced match winning performances.

While the win against India was a result of the dominance shown by Pakistan's biggest stars - Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen; this win against New Zealand came on the back of super efforts from the rest.

Haris produced a blistering spell of fast bowling, Asif smashed the bowling around like he has done so often in the PSL, Hafeez and Malik showed how valuable experience is, and Hasan, Shadab, and Imad were super with the ball.

This bodes really well for Pakistan for the rest of the tournament. With one foot in the semi finals, they are surely one of the favorites to win this T20 World Cup!

Come on PAKISTAAAAAN!

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Labels: Asif Ali, Haris Rauf, Pakistan vs New Zealand 2021, Pakistan vs New Zealand T20, Q, Sharjah, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, t20 world cup, T20 World Cup 2021

Monday, October 25, 2021

Magical to Witness Pakistan Create History in Dubai

Posted by Q at Monday, October 25, 2021 Pitched (4)

The morning after and it still feels surreal. The euphoria of Pakistan's dominating victory over India is still fresh; it is slowly sinking in.

I am finding it hard to find words to describe how every single Pakistani must be feeling right now, but I am going to try anyway.

After all the heartbreaks in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2019, in both ODI and T20 World Cups, this win was a long time coming.

It has taken 3 decades, but the jinx has finally been broken!

* * *

The build up to this epic clash between Pakistan and India started 4 months ago when it was announced that the T20 World Cup will shift from India to the UAE.

For all of us who live in Dubai, who had traveled to different parts of the world from Bangalore to Mohali, Colombo, Birmingham, Adelaide, and Manchester over the years to watch Pakistan battle India in a World Cup game, the daddy of all cricket matches was now coming home to us.

The schedule of the T20 World Cup was announced and 24th October 2021 was marked in everyone's calendar.

And the wait for the tickets started.

When the first batch of tickets was launched, there was some disappointment. Five of us were on a conference call, all trying to buy tickets for Pakistan vs India, and after 2 hours of waiting and clicking we were left empty handed.

When the second batch of tickets was released, we were at it again.

And we struck gold, thanks to one friend, who spent a tireless hour and a half clicking on "buy tickets", till his transactions finally went through!

We had 6 tickets for the match.

We managed 4 more tickets through another friend's contact in Pakistan.

But all tickets were spread out in different sections of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Excitement and anxiety for the game was increasing by the day.

And then with a day to go, all chaos hit the roof! What time will we leave. Who will go in which car. Where will we park. Who will sit on which seats. Who will find others to swap seats with. There were too many logistical challenges.

A million phone calls, conference calls, and whatsapp messages later, on the day itself, it all just fell into place.

We were all at the stadium well before the match started, with the majority of us seated together!

* * *

The night before the Pakistan vs India clash was a sleepless night.

After a long time, I had experienced the excitement of a cricket match similar to the 90s when we would be up all night and drive early morning to Sharjah for the many Pakistan vs India matches.

Come 24th October and about 25 of us gathered at a friend's place right opposite the Dubai Cricket Stadium, well before game time.

The cars were parked there, lunch was served at the friend's place (whose delicious catering you must try by the way), and excitement was at just an unreal level.

From there we made our way to the stadium by foot and within 15 minutes we were inside.

* * *

The last match all of us had watched together in a stadium was the World Cup 2019 clash between Pakistan and New Zealand in Birmingham.

That game had an epic crowd, and an unparalleled atmosphere.

Back then, Mohammad Aamir had set up the game with his first delivery by bowling out Martin Guptill.

Similarly, in Dubai, another Pakistan left arm pacer - Shaheen Afridi - set up the game by rocking India with his 4th delivery as he sent the dangerous Rohit Sharma back to the pavilion for a golden duck!

In his next over, Shaheen, knocked over KL Rahul's middle stump, and the stadium erupted.

Pakistan was on top and there was no looking back now.

Shaheen Afridi had totally validated the warning that Osman Samiuddin had given to all openers at this T20 World Cup.

While Kohli and Pant provided some resistance, Pakistan's bowling and fielding were of top quality, and India ended their innings at a below par 151.

Historically, Pakistan have been nervous chasers, however the opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have changed this in recent times; particularly in T20 internationals.

Babar and Rizwan are the best pair of opening batsmen in the world in T20Is at the moment.

(Excluding yesterday's match)

They further enhanced their already brilliant record with another master partnership that remained unbroken as Pakistan sailed home with a 10 wicket victory.

This is the first time that Pakistan has won a T20I by 10 wickets. It is also the first time that India has lost a T20I by 10 wickets.

It was the second highest chase ever in T20Is without losing a wicket.

Babar and Rizwan's unbroken partnership of 152 is now the highest ever opening partnership in a T20 World Cup, and the second highest ever for any wicket.

This was Babar and Rizwan's 3rd partnership of over 150 runs. They stand over and above all other pairs that have put on 150-run partnerships in T20Is.

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Even the most optimistic Pakistani fans did not expect a 10 wicket romp.

It was a clinical chase by Pakistan's two premier batsmen, the captain and the vice captain, comprehensively dominating and schooling one of the best bowling attacks in T20 cricket.

Pakistan were home with 13 deliveries to spare - that is how convincing the chase was by Babar and Rizwan.

It is all quite surreal. Being at the stadium to witness this historical moment was magical, phenomenal, and truly quite unbelievable.