might sound a bit platitudinous but that is the current prime minister of Pakistan actually baring a bit of his soul. He doesn't follow cricket with any great interest anymore; he hasn't for a decade. But it's likely the memories of the 1987 World Cup semi-final were swirling around in his head after Thursday's game, awakened generations after he thought he had put them to rest.That was what Imran, at that time, thought would be his final World Cup, and Pakistan were well on their way to the final. They were up against Australia, who should have held no special fear for that Pakistan side, not in Lahore, not in 1987. Imran himself was in splendid form, the pick of the bowlers, but as captain he ended up leaving an off-colour Saleem Jaffar to bowl the 50th over. Steve Waugh plundered 18 runs off it.
Four hours later, Pakistan lost by 18 runThere was just one link between that Pakistan side and the one in 1999, when Pakistan took Australia on in the World Cup final. Wasim Akram was captain now, and he won the toss and opted to bat.
This was a different kind of heartbreak. Pakistan and Australia had played one out a classic in the group stage, where Akram had broken the game open at the death, powering Pakistan to a pulsating ten-run win. In the final, Pakistan were cut to ribbons by Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in what remains, in terms of balls remaining, the most one-sided knockout game in World Cup history. Australia won with almost 30 overs to spare. Against, arguably, Pakistan's most gifted white-ball side.
But it was the 2010 T20 World Cup semi-final - Michael Hussey vs Saeed Ajmal - that really defined the build-up to this latest one, a game that brought that historical heartache to the T20 generation, and the 21st century. That was a game Pakistan controlled for 39 of the 40 overs, only for Hussey to send Ajmal into the stands three times in that final over to send Australia into raptures, and Pakistan back hIf those memories had been on Babar Azam's mind, he would have hoped to avoid them, on Thursday evening in Dubai, especially when, as in St Lucia, Australia won the toss and opted to field.
This has been a T20 World Cup defined by the numbers, the extensive data-driven approach finally given the inclusive embrace it deserved. Pakistan, one of the latest adopters of the revolution, have benefited. On the night, even where the match-ups might have indicated otherwise, Pakistan, somehow, seemed to be edging the big moments. Fakhar Zaman took on Australia's best death bowler and hammered 27 in seven balls to close out Pakistan's innings at 176, the highest first-innings total in Dubai all tournament.
Aaron Finch, as Shane Watson reminded everyone from the commentary box, averaged 173 against left-arm pace, but was trapped in front first ball by Shaheen Shah Afridi.
David Warner had seen off the early hostility and looked imperious against Pakistan's slower bowlers, greeting both Mohammad Hafeez's double-bouncing first ball and Shadab Khan's first with Warner had little reason to fear Shadab, he hadn't been dismissed by a legspinner all year. But he then appeared to nick Shadab through to Mohammad Rizwan and walked, another numbers-defying turn as the game twisted and turned to its climax. The irony as Australia coach Justin Langer's face appeared on the big screen was delicious: in a famous chase against Pakistan in Hobart in 1999, Langer had been reprieved by the umpire after clearly edging behind; he famously went on to blame a "clicky bat handle".
You must be logged in to post a comment.