Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that whoever faces Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final would have their work cut out for them. The England-Australia match on Saturday, according to Vaughan, could be crucial because the victor could escape a semi-final meeting with Pakistan.
Pakistan, on the other hand, won their third game in a row on Friday in Dubai, defeating Afghanistan by five wickets. They presently sit atop Group 2’s points standings and appear to be destined to remain there.
Australia and England have both won two games in Group 1. The team that wins the match on Saturday might finish first in their group. The team that finished first in its group will face the team that finished second in the other group in the semi-finals.
“Tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) England vs Australia game is a monster. Whoever wins is going to finish top. I am sure Pakistan are going to finish top in their group. I would not want to face Pakistan in the semi-final. I’ll be more than happy to play in the other semi-final and hope someone knocks them (Pakistan) out. We are a long way off from the final but they seem to have everything.” Vaughan said
Explaning why Pakistan appears to be favorites to win the T20 World Cup in 2021, the former hitter stated that they seemed to have covered all bases.
“In this Pakistan team, you have that opening combination (Azam and Rizwan), you have got that experience in the middle with Hafeez and Malik. Now, you have got finishers, and with their bowling combination, they look a terrific side.” Vaughan explained
The 47-year-old went on to say that Pakistan’s triumph over Afghanistan was a warning to other teams in the game.
“To get over the line in the fashion that they ended up doing, it sends quite a strong message. They were pushed into a corner by Afghanistan and they came out with a fantastic victory because of a team contribution. It’s concerning for all other teams in the competition.” He explained
Karim Janat
Pakistan needed 24 runs from the final two overs to win. In the penultimate over, Asif Ali smacked Karim Janat for four sixes to secure the deal.
Read more: Michael Vaughan says “Would not want to face Pakistan in the semi-final” in T20 World Cup 2021
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