Till November 06, nobody—including the team itself—thought Pakistan would make it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022. But on Sunday, November 13, they reached close to lifting the title.
People might call Pakistan’s entry into the semifinals “luck”, “fluke” but it, in no way, takes away the fact that Pakistan is one of the most competitive teams in the world.
Unpredictable approach
They prove it every now and then, but given their unpredictable approach of playing, they always enter mega tournaments as underdogs.
But with their impressive campaign in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, where they finished as runners-up, will the world finally look at them as a team to beat? Will they be seen in the same bracket as teams like England, Australia and India are?
Well, there is no reason that they shouldn’t. Pakistan reaching the finals of T20 World Cup was unpredictable but they always had the skills to do it.
Best bowling attack
Pakistan has arguably the best bowling line-up in the world and as rightly pointed out by their former bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, “Batsmen win you games, bowlers win you tournaments.”
Pakistan has a young pace battery and a few very good spinners, which is what you need to dominate in T20s. Their batting might not look good enough, but their bowlers ensure they make up for it, more often than not.
So, what would the performance in T20 World Cup 2022 mean for Pakistan cricket’s future? If nothing, the team will now carry the belief that they have what it takes to win the world events. Their confidence got a major boost as they beat teams like South Africa, New Zealand etc on their way to the finals.
They even gave a tough fight to England, the world champions, in the finals and started the tournament by almost piping India. Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, has ensured his team play as a group and is up to take on any challenge.
The players, especially the bowlers, are also quite settled down. They have identified their strengths and are ready to get better with the time. So, if this Pakistan team achieves a lot more in limited-overs cricket in days to come, you shouldn’t be surprised.
