It’s England batters versus Pakistan bowlers in explosive T20 World Cup final at the MCG

When we look back at the 2022 T20 World Cup, we will all remember a marvellous tournament. It was mostly on account of the lower-ranked nations coming to the party – Namibia upsetting Sri Lanka, Ireland shocking England, Zimbabwe tripping up Pakistan, and to top it all up, that shellacking from the Netherlands to South Africa.

As concerns the stronger, more favourable nations, the contests were intense on most days. Another facet of this tournament, all teams didn’t pick just one strategy. Unlike in the UAE a year ago, it wasn’t all about winning tosses and chasing. We have seen teams bat first and excel, and then defend scores, especially in the first half of the tournament.

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The reasoning has been a simple one. While we have all disliked the rainy, cold weather, these same early spring/summer conditions across Australia have helped equalize the balance between bat and ball. In any cricket game, the ideal equation is 50-50, but in white-ball cricket it is mostly skewered 70-30 in the bat’s favour. In T20 cricket, you can make that 80-20 in the bat’s favour, maybe even 90-10. This time around in Australia, not only has it been 50-50 in T20 cricket, but sometimes it’s even been 55-45 in the ball’s favour.

At Perth, when India played South Africa, perhaps it was even 70-30 in the ball’s favour. All in all, this has allowed the quality gap to be bridged between lower and higher ranked teams. Additionally, it has allowed the favourites to explore varying strategies to win games. England opting to bowl after winning the toss at Adelaide and then romping home by 10 wickets – after 11 consecutive losses for teams winning the toss at that ground – was remarkable, in the least.

Batting is England’s strength at present and has been for quite some time now. They also have the know-how of winning the T20 World Cup in the past, back in 2010 in the West Indies. But the differentiation between the 2010 and this 2022 side is stark. Then, they were just starting out on a path to a white-ball renaissance. Now, this English side is the marker by which you ought to play T20 cricket, and to a large extent, ODI cricket too. Certainly, they gave a lesson to India in Adelaide in that regard.

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It is also England’s weakness in a certain respect. Jos Buttler and Alex Hales have been in awe-inducing form. The last time they failed to get going, Ireland beat England in a rain-affected game at the MCG. The key takeaway from that game – none of England’s middle-order batter got going, after the Irish batters hit them hard in the powerplay. Ben Stokes, Liam Livingston, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran and the injured Dawid Malan – neither of them have crossed 60 runs in this tournament. Phil Salt hasn’t played since October. You see where this is going?

That loss woke up England, who were always favourites coming into this tournament. But they needed to play the part, and thus looked for inspiration in past achievements. No, not at the 2010 one, but at the ODI World Cup win in 2019. That was the peak of their aggressive intent, and the new brand of cricket. England, under Buttler’s captaincy, are looking to rewrite some of that bit. Will he be able to do it, as England return to a ground that has haunted them in terms of glory in the past?

Like their opposition, Pakistan too will look to the past, but not 2009, when it won the T20 World Cup hosted in England. Pakistan cricket has always sought strength and inspiration from that one moment in history, which has defined its style of play. That 1992 ODI World Cup triumph under Imran Khan beating England at this same hallowed MCG!

On that night, Wasim Akram knocked over England, first at the top and then at the end with reverse swing. On that night, 249 runs seemed too tall a target, which it doesn’t do now in ODIs. Pakistan cricket has learnt to crawl, and walk, and run, in between these happenstances. In that, it has grown up and yet stayed adolescent, always flirting with adventurism, playing as if mercurial, indomitable on their day yet dismaying at times. But when it all works, there is no other greater sight in world cricket.

So, how does it work currently for Babar Azam’s Pakistan team? Like Imran Khan in 1992, he too had to dig deep and inspire his troops. At one point, it seemed out of their hands, despite beating the Proteas. And then, the Dutch miracle happened, which handed them a second chance. Pakistan cricket never needs a second invitation. Their batters found form, Azam and Mohammad Rizwan included, Mohammad Haris arrived to provide destructive stability at number three, and like dominoes, the rest fell into place.

T20 World Cup Final: Afridi vs English openers and other key battles expected

More than anything else, their bowling attack rose above doubts and criticism to its own fiery self. Criticism comes from defeat, like the one to Zimbabwe, and loss of confidence comes from losing games like the one to India. They were down, and almost out, but pulled back. Performing against the Dutch in Perth was the first step to regaining confidence, and since then it has been a winning spree. Squeezing powerplays against both South Africa and New Zealand, they made an impact when it mattered most.

Shaheen Afridi is the bedrock of this Pakistan attack, again. Injury almost didn’t allow this to happen, and he was missing until the tri-series in New Zealand. It has taken him time to get back to his best rhythm. But with nine wickets in his last three games, Afridi is hurting the opposition batters again. If it was Akram in 1992, and Umar Gul in 2009, once again there is a fiery fast bowler driving Pakistan’s title ambitions.

Pakistan’s attack has continuously revolved around him, and like the English batting, there could be certain weaknesses when you push them into the middle. Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf have done their job, and like Hales, the latter draws from his BBL experience. Shadab Khan is in line for player of the tournament, but the target for England will be that fifth bowler. Mohammad Nawaz suffered against India at the MCG – Buttler and company would have noticed it for sure.

And so, it comes down to this. In a tournament that has been dictated by the equitable battle of bat and ball, it is Afridi versus Buttler-Hales. The winner takes all!

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