On Saturday, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam urged his team to capitalize on its recent string of four victories by winning the T20I World Cup final.
The 2009 champions lost to India and Zimbabwe on the final ball to begin their tournament, but they recovered to get to Sunday’s final against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“We have lost the first two matches, [but] the way we came back the last four matches, we’ve performed very well,” Babar Azam said at his pre-match press conference.
“I’m more excited than nervous … it is no doubt that pressure exists, but it can only be suppressed with confidence and belief in ourselves. And for good results, it is important that one must do so.”
Jos Buttler’s England is a little favorite over Pakistan, but Azam is counting on his quick bowlers to give Pakistan the upper hand, especially during the six-over power play.
“England is a competitive team, their [10-wicket] win to reach the finals against India was proof of that,” he said.
“Our strategy is to stick to our plan and use our pace attack as our strength to win the finals.
“Utilizing the power play to grab as many wickets will be essential for the match,” he added.
Pakistan is expected to select the same lineup, with Shaheen Shah Afridi leading a threatening attack and Azam and Mohammad Rizwan leading the batting, notwithstanding any late injuries.
To read our blog on “Captains’ Day starts off the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022,” click here.