Babar Azam has Matthew Hayden’s support in the T20 World Cup semifinal. Azam’s performance in particular is concerning as the opener scored just 39 runs in five games.
According to squad coach Matthew Hayden, Pakistan’s best is still to come, and struggling captain Babar Azam will need “something really exceptional” in their Twenty20 World Cup semifinal match against New Zealand on Wednesday.
The Netherlands unexpectedly overcame South Africa, and Pakistan subsequently defeated Bangladesh to claim their second consecutive last-four ticket, allowing the 2009 winners to barely make it into the knockout rounds.
They intended to make the most of their second chance, according to former Australia opener and current team mentor Hayden, who served as Pakistan’s batting coach in the previous World Cup.
On the eve of the semi-final in Sydney, he observed, “When the Netherlands beat South Africa it was a major occasion for us, a really significant time for the team in general around fulfilling its potential.”
“There were many prayers when Pakistan awoke to that outcome—232 million people can’t be wrong—and as a result, I believe there has been a significant uptick in the pace of our group.
It’s been a roller coaster, but I firmly feel we still haven’t displayed our finest performance, which poses a serious threat to the opposition.
When facing a top-notch New Zealand attack led by Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Lockie Ferguson, Pakistan’s batting has been vulnerable despite the improvement in their bowling, under the direction of Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Particularly concerning is Azam’s performance, the opener scoring just 39 runs in five games.
The skipper was due some “fireworks,” according to Hayden, who was a destructive opener who played in 103 Tests and 161 ODIs. He predicted they might start on Wednesday.
There is no doubt that Babar has faced some hardship, but he will only become a better player as a result, the man remarked.
“Look out, rest of the world, because I think we’re going to witness something very spectacular from Babar,” the speaker said. “We know with the weather that when there is a quiet, there often follows a storm.”
White-ball cricket has long been a stronghold for New Zealand, but they haven’t been able to translate that success into world championships, notably losing to Australia in the final in 2021.
Be judicious.
In Sydney, Australia, they opened their season with a commanding 89-run victory over the reigning champions, and according to Hayden, Pakistan were apprehensive of the Black Caps.
“Against Australia, they scored 200 on this exact wicket. With their bats, New Zealand has some incredibly destructive players that can exert pressure on you “said he.
“They also have an excellent, well-rounded bowling attack.
“They truly punch above their weight, just like New Zealand sport in general, and they have the ability to win this competition.
So many threats to our camp, without a doubt.
Kane Williamson, the captain of New Zealand, downplayed the significance of his team scoring 200-3 on the Sydney pitch by pointing out that they only scored 167-7 against Sri Lanka later in the competition when they returned to the same location.
The wicket was excellent for the first game we played here, but it was different for the second.
We’ll simply be concentrating on our cricket and the strategies we want to implement, making sure to take into account the environment and try to play shrewdly.
After their initial success in Sydney, New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets, followed by a forfeited match against Afghanistan. After losing to England by 20 runs, they crushed Ireland to advance to the semifinals.
Williamson claimed that in terms of the knockouts, the outcomes didn’t matter much.
“Sport finals may go any way,” he observed. “Both teams are fairly well matched, there are certain common patterns, and both of us have been playing excellent cricket.
They have an excellent pace attack, he continued. “They have some highly seasoned players on their roster, match-winners, so their team has tremendous power.”
