Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup semi-final is all set to take place tomorrow in Sydney at SCG, Australia.
After Pakistan defied all odds and made it into the semi-finals on Sunday, defeating Bangladesh, the renowned Australian cricketer and mentor Matthew Hayden gave a passionate speech in support of the Green Army.
Hayden especially backed the struggling opening pair Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan. On Wednesday’s game, Hayden forewarned everyone to expect a pyrotechnics display from the opener.
While addressing the concern regarding the captain, Babar Azam, performance, who has just scored 39 runs in five games, Hayden has said, “The skipper was due some “fireworks,”’
Hayden also said that he believes that this Wednesday will be a surprise for all of us as Babar is due to make a comeback after the hardships he has faced.
“He will only become a better player as a result”, the former opener has remarked.
“Don’t be surprised whatsoever if you see some fireworks because very special players don’t often stay down for long,” Hayden told reporters.
What came as an amazing surprise to Pakistani cricket fans was the video uploaded on Twitter earlier today that shows Babar Azam hitting the nets at SCG alone. The video, which has won hearts with the hashtag #BabarAzam trending on Twitter, captioned,
“Pakistan’s all-format captain @babarazam258 opted to train alone in the optional training session ahead of Pakistan’s semi-final clash against New Zealand. No other Pakistani player took part in the optional practice session.”
It can also be noted that T20 World Cup 2022 is looking a lot like the historic 1992 World Cup, led by Imran Khan, which Pakistan won.
The similarities are undeniable, from the rain saving the team to the team’s qualification into the semi-finals against all odds, from landing a spot in the semi-finals with the help of a comparatively low-key team, and to luck.
Pakistanis are all praying that we get to witness the same magic that took place a couple of decades ago t bask in the glory of a World Cup win.
