PAK vs NZ: On Wednesday, Pakistan became only the second team after Sri Lanka to feature in three finals in the T20 World Cup’s history. The Men in Green defeated the Black Caps by seven wickets in the final at the Sydney Cricket Ground to become the first team to qualify for the final of the T20 World Cup 2022.
Chasing the target of 153 runs, Pakistan chased down the target in 19.1 overs with seven wickets in hand. It was once again the opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan who stood at the important stage and added a 105-run partnership for the first wicket to put Pakistan in the driving seat. After the game, the New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson shared his emotions and praised Pakistan for being a better team on the day.
PAK vs NZ: “Hard pill to Swallow” – Kane Williamson
Williamson addressed the loss during the post-match presentation. He admitted that Pakistan were the better team on the day, and they played really good cricket. He also praised Babar Azam and his team and said that Babar and Rizwan put them under pressure with the start they got. Williamson also highlighted the struggle New Zealand had in the first innings while batting and said that the Pakistani bowlers bowled very well. The New Zealand skipper said,
“Very disappointing to not make Pakistan work a lot harder. We were outplayed. It’s a tough pill for us to swallow. We were put under pressure early. Pakistan bowled very nicely. At the end of the day, Pakistan certainly deserve to be winners.”
Batting first, New Zealand scored 152/4 in their 20 overs. Finn Allen got out early in the first over. Devon Conway (21 off 20) and Williamson (46 off 42) looked a bit rusty. Daryl Mitchell looked good and scored an unbeaten half-century. He scored 53* off 35, with three fours and one six. In reply, Babar and Rizwan scored a half-century each. Babar scored 53 off 42, while Rizwan made 57 off 43 to help Pakistan win the game.