T20 finals : Pakistan vs England
On Sunday, the T20 World Cup final will feature England vs Pakistan.
This Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground may very well be a step back in time even though the sun appears to be barely present and rain is expected.
The Pakistani crowd demands a repeat performance. After busting India’s party, England is eager to bust its neighbor’s party across the Wagah border in an effort to learn from its past mistakes. Rivals who have found a second wind against Group 1 and Group 2 champions New Zealand and India in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup final.
Pakistan got off to a bad start, dropping games to qualifiers Zimbabwe and India in nail-biters. If not for South Africa’s shocking loss to the Netherlands, their tournament appeared to be over. Even three victories from their final 3 group games would not have been sufficient. It then became possible to play New Zealand in the semifinals, who were defeated by Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam’s century opening partnership.
After losing to Ireland in their 2nd game and having a crucial match against Australia postponed, England had a similarly sluggish start. However, they barely made it to the semi-finals on the basis of net run rate thanks to victories over Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Jos Buttler’s team really came alive against India, with the captain and Alex Hales smashing them to a completely commanding 10-wicket victory.
This will be the third men’s final for both teams. Although West Indies defeated England in the 2016 championship, England rather unexpectedly won the competition in 2010. After losing to India in the 2007 championship game, Pakistan triumphed in 2009. The 1992 50-over World Cup final, which was also played at the MCG, features a repeat of Imran Khan’s famous Pakistan victory over Graham Gooch’s England.
On Sunday, Melbourne will likely experience rain with a 95% chance of severe thunderstorms. Monday is a reserve day, but the weather isn’t much better.
