T20 World Cup: Pakistan writing their own maverick script all over again!

Sydney: Every time Pakistan enter a World Cup, fanatics start romanticising over past performances and try finding a common thread. Take the 2019 ODI World Cup for example. They got thrashed in the first game against West Indies, and then bounced back by beating hosts and eventual champions England.

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Suddenly, there was a romantic’s connect with the 1992 World Cup, wherein Pakistan had made a poor start and then recovered to lift the title in a similar format. It didn’t make sense, of course. As if 27 years didn’t provide enough of a differentiation in context.

It is almost a similar narrative now at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Qualifying for the semis in a miraculous manner, Pakistan and their fans are dreaming again. And the three other teams remaining in the fray are only helping to feed this frenzy further.

Sample this: Pakistan had beaten New Zealand in the 1992 semi-final, and then again in the 1999 World Cup semi-final, with different results in the summit clash. In 1992, mind you, they beat England in the final. In the 2009 T20 World Cup, they lost the first game to Sri Lanka and were on the brink, before beating New Zealand to survive and then went on to lift the trophy. Then, of course, there is the ultimate dream – of taking on India again in the World Cup final, a rematch from the inaugural 2007 edition.

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Look at it whichever way you want, there is a fairy tale spin put on Pakistan’s narrative at this 2022 T20 World Cup as well. They were down, and almost out, before getting a lifeline and made it count. In between, they did just enough to survive, that is beat South Africa and set them down on a path to the tournament’s exit door. If you are a Pakistan fan, this is exactly the line of thinking in your brain at this precise moment.

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The question(s) to ask here though is, if too much is being made of Pakistan’s run? Was it really miraculous survival or a jailbreak card instead?

“Shadab Khan said something in the dugout the other day. After South Africa had lost to the Netherlands, and we beat Bangladesh, he said ‘Welcome to Pakistan cricket’. It means anything can and does happen on any given day,” said head coach Matthew Hayden ahead of the first semi-final.

The Netherlands beating South Africa is one of the top cricketing upsets, especially in a World Cup setting. For comparison sake, it compares with Ireland beating Pakistan in the 2007 ODI World Cup, or Bangladesh doing the same to India in that very tournament. For those living in a dream world regarding Pakistan’s current World Cup run, lest it is forgotten, they lost to Zimbabwe. The underlying point being, at some stage, you have to differentiate between make-believe parallels and come live in the real world.

And the reality for Pakistan is quite stark, or atleast was, for a majority of that Super 12 stage. It begins with skipper Babar Azam, who has had a torrid time here in Australia. Scoring just 39 runs from five innings, it is almost like he has been found out in bowler friendly conditions that are prevalent across the powerplay. Arguably it is the same with the other opener, Mohammad Rizwan, who has managed 103 runs in five innings.

It is in stark contrast to the 2021 T20 World Cup, when this opening duo ran amok and notched up 584 runs in six games between them. Their high-scoring partnership was the bedrock of Pakistan’s semi-final run. Looking back 12 months on, it does make for some wonderment – the conditions have hit Pakistan’s batting ability hard.

For good reason, as their top and middle order line-up beyond the openers isn’t really a settled one. Here’s a peak into their revolving chairs’ strategy. Shan Masood has batted at numbers three, four and five. Shadab Khan has batted at six and seven. Iftikhar Ahmed has batted at numbers four, five and six.

They also gave a run to the now-injured Fakhar Zaman at number three, before Mohammad Haris took that spot. Then, in the game against Bangladesh, out of nowhere, Mohammad Nawaz was batting at number three. It almost makes your head spin, and in a way reminds of India’s fluid approach to the middle order in the last T20 World Cup. It hadn’t worked for the Men in Blue, and no wonder, it isn’t working now for the arch-rivals in green.

Truth told, Pakistan are still standing in this tournament on account of only two batting performances. Both Ahmed and Shadab slammed the Proteas’ attack in Sydney with quickfire half-centuries. Without those 103 runs off 57 balls, the Dutch miracle wouldn’t have transpired, or atleast wouldn’t have mattered as much. In fact this phoenix-like facet of Pakistan’s tournament is coming across more owing to their bowling prowess, and in particular the pace department.

Why, Pakistan’s pacers have made an impression at every outing, even in that miraculous defeat against India at the packed MCG! And therein, Shaheen Afridi roaring back into form is arguably the biggest positive talking point for Pakistan in this tournament. Last year, he was taken apart in the semi-final by Matthew Wade, but the conditions are more favourable to him this time around.

Can he write a new script to remember though? Afridi is that proverbial mercurial fast bowler that rises through for Pakistan in any given World Cup. From Imran Khan, to Wasim Akram, to Waqar Younis, to Shoaib Akhtar, to Wahab Riaz, it is this facet that gives them hope, and allows them to dream for another day. Even if they don’t really deserve to be here!

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