Pakistan completely overpowered New Zealand in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. They won by seven wickets with five balls to spare to book their place in the final at the MCG on Sunday.

It was a masterful all-round performance by Pakistan, with Shaheen Shah Afridi removing Finn Allen in the first over of the match, before the rest of the bowlers restricted New Zealand to just 152-4 off their 20 overs. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan then put on a partnership of over 100, each scoring fifties, to set Pakistan on track for a momentous victory. Mohammad Haris chipped in with a 26-ball 30 after Babar was dismissed by Trent Boult, before Shan Masood sealed the win with a single off the first ball of the final over.

Having lost their first two matches of the Super 12, including a difficult loss to Zimbabwe, Pakistan looked almost certainly headed out of the tournament. But, victories over South Africa and Bangladesh meant that following the Netherland’s victory over South Africa, they were able to qualify for the knockout stage and now the tournament final. It has been a remarkable journey for Pakistan in the competition, and there was plenty of social media reaction to their victory.

 

Some highlighted the performances from Babar and Rizwan, after particularly Babar struggled for form in the Super 12, the captain making just 39 runs across his previous five innings.

 

Fresh from victory, explosive all-rounder Shadab Khan tweeted his excitement for the final.

Bet365 will be Live Streaming all of the T20 World Cup matches direct to your iPhone, iPad or Android device, as well as desktop. This means that every T20 World Cup fixture will be available to bet365 customers wherever they are in the world.

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