Pakistan ease past New Zealand to enter T20 World Cup Final

Pakistan powered their way into the 2022 T20 World Cup Final with a commanding seven-wicket win over New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Babar Azam’s side produced a near-perfect performance in this crunch semi-final as the fast bowlers restricted New Zealand to a below-par score of 152 before a century partnership from the openers comfortably took Pakistan over the line with eight wickets and five balls to spare.

After losing both their opening games of the tournament to India and Zimbabwe and benefiting from a bit of luck thanks to the Netherlands’ victory over South Africa, Pakistan are peaking at the right time at the World Cup as they stormed into their first final since 2009. Having lost the toss and made to bowl first, the Asian giants were on the ball from the get-go, with Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissing Finn Allen in the first over.

The Kiwi opener drove the left-armer down the ground off the first ball of the match, but Afridi stuck to his full length and trapped Allen on his pads two balls later to give Pakistan the perfect start. Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf complemented Afridi in the powerplay with their disciplined lines, with the Kiwis managing just 38 runs in that period before losing Devon Conway on the final ball of the sixth over, the left-hander run out by Shadab Khan while trying to steal a quick single.

Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell added 68 runs for the fourth wicket after Glenn Phillips fell cheaply to Mohammad Nawaz, but the Kiwi captain’s cautious innings of 46 off 42 deliveries hindered the Blackcaps’ scoring rate heading into the slog overs. Williamson was cleaned up by a Shaheen Afridi slower ball in the 17th over and New Zealand failed to find the acceleration needed at the death. The Blackcaps managed just two fours in the last 30 deliveries to finish on 152 for four.

Pakistan’s established opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan struggled to find scores throughout the Super 12 stages, but both right-handers came to the party in the semi-finals, adding their third-century partnership in a T20 World Cup. The duo went after the Kiwi pacers in the powerplay to score 55 runs in the opening six overs and continued their assault through the middle against the spinners – Sodhi and Santner.

Babar fell on 57 after a commanding 105-run association, and New Zealand managed to dry up the runs briefly as the pitch slowed down. Mohammad Rizwan also holed out to Glenn Phillips with 21 needed off the last three overs, but Mohammad Harris put all tensions to rest with a four and six off Lockie Ferguson in the 18th over as Pakistan got home with five balls to spare.