The final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is here and we have the two super confident sides in England and Pakistan taking on each other at the iconic MCG on Sunday, November 13th. Both these sides had their nervous moments in the Super 12s but they fought hard to come out of that tough little period. England played an almost perfect game vs India in the allimportant semi-final with captain Jos Buttler leading them from the front. He came out with proper planning against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and won the key battle time this time along with Alex Hales, who loves batting in Australian conditions.
I feel the Ireland loss shook up England and it helped them prepare for the knock outs in the Super 12 stage itself as every match they played after that upset was a do-or-die game for them. The English team prepared well for the matches from thereon and played with high intensity, dealt with the pressure of the knock out matches well.
Alex Hales will be eager to prove a point in final
An on-song Hales is a sight to watch. He was always the key for England in the World Cup and he has lived up to the expectations, filling in nicely for injured Jonny Bairstow and an out-ofform Jason Roy. His role was to get the team off to fliers so that Buttler could settle in and build the innings. The partnership vs India saw him fulfil that role. Hales is a tall man with long levers and if watched closely, you will know that Hales is constantly looking at the field positions. He often sets himself early to hit the gaps and open spaces. He also has the power to clear the fielders in the deep.
While he hasn’t played any international cricket for many years, his staple diet of franchise cricket around the world has ensured he is confident enough and has the self-belief to dominate bowlers. Without franchise tournaments, I doubt, if he would have the same mental approach to make such a return. It goes without saying Hales would feel he has a point to prove when he takes on Pakistan bowlers in the big final.
Rashid and Wood will be key
Jos Buttler would be a happy man to see Adil Rashid, a bowler he banks on in middle overs, back at his best. His brilliance was to be seen vs India. He remains a wicket-taking option for England along with Mark Wood, whose availability is still in question. Chris Jordan is an able replacement as he showed against India but England would want Wood and Rashid in the middle overs to break partnerships. Dawid Malan, hopefully, would be fit too but even if he does not make it in time, Phil Salt is a great replacement at No 3.
England played a seven-match series in Pakistan recently, winning it 4-3 without their key players Buttler and Ben Stokes and those games would have helped them with huge information on their opponents which could be used ahead of the big match on Sunday.
Shaheen Afridi vs Jos Buttler would be exciting to watch
Shaheen Afridi’s return from injury has been pivotal in Pakistan’s success in this tournament. He is among the very best, if not the best, with a new ball in hand and is equally good at the death. Shaheen is a complete bowler whose return to the side has given a huge lift to Men In Green. Bowling is Pakistan’s strength with great combination of pace and spin. England must prepare for Shadab Khan, who is an outstanding T20 player. Makes important runs with the bat and has more than useful leg spin.
Pakistan have an attack that always put a batting team under pressure as they have shown in this tournament. They have pace and mystery spin which helps them break partnerships throughou the innings.
It will be interesting to see the mini battle between Shaheen and Buttler. Both have peaked midway into the tournament and it will be a fascinating watch when Buttler approaches the Shaheen challenge. Needless to say, Pakistan will be wanting Buttler out in the first over.
One common factor between the two sides is that they are reliant on their top two very much. Hales and Buttler in England and Mohammad Rizwan and Babar for Pakistan. Both the pairs showed confidence and form in their respective semifinals. But there will be more pressure on Rizwan and Babar due to their inconsistent middle order.
In case Pakistan gets off to flier, don’t be surprised to see Rashid getting the ball earlier than usual as Buttler would try and take control of the game with spin.
Pakistan might feel their name is written on the trophy after a dramatic turnaround in the last group game where their win over Bangladesh was enough to take them through after South Africa lost unexpectedly. They may feel they have little to lose as they probably felt they were going home after the group stages. If they win, it would indeed be a repeat of 1992 heroics.
The ENG vs PAK should be a titanic battle between two terrific sides playing their best cricket at the right time in this World Cup and let’s hope the weather stays pleasant for a full 40-over match.
