Pakistan claims their semifinal spot out of nowhere. The group 2 semifinal spots were all dependent on today’s match results. It was battle between India, South Africa, and Pakistan where Pakistan was regarded as the least favorite.
Pakistan beat rivals Bangladesh today at the Adelaide Oval by 5 wickets. It was a must-win game for Pakistan. With South Africa losing to the Netherlands, Pakistan had a clear path to enter the Semifinals.
Pakistan bowled like champions today. Bangladesh has been a strong opposition in this ICC T20 World Cup. They have come close to winning some big games but today Pakistan was unbeatable.
The Bangladeshi batsmen could only score 127 runs. There was nothing to offer from the Pakistani bowlers which made it more than difficult for the batsmen. Except for Najmul Shanto, no other batsmen troubled the Pakistani bowlers.
Shaheen Afridi Bowled His Best Figures Against Bangladesh
He ended up with 4 for 22 in his 4 overs. The Bangladeshi bowlers had no answer to his line and length. He is generally regarded as a new ball specialist but today he stepped up and took wickets in the death overs.
It is always a task to chase any score in such a pressured match. Pakistan had to chase 128 but at the back of every player’s head was the Zimbabwe match. They knew they could not let this one slip up.
Azam And Rizwan Finally Got a Good Start in the ICC T20 World Cup
They did not score big but an opening partnership for Pakistan was long overdue. There were contributions from every batsman today.
There was nothing to rush about to chase a low target. The batsmen understood the situation and chased the total with as much as calmness required. Pakistan did nothing wrong today and beat all expectations of the semifinal spot.
It Will be a Pakistan vs New Zealand Semifinal
The race is not yet over for Pakistan. New Zealand is a dangerous opposition to face in World Cup knockouts. They have a few days of rest and plan on how to beat the Kiwis. With Pakistan making it into the semifinal, every cricket sub-continent cricket fan is hoping for an India vs Pakistan Final.
