ICC World T20 | England will have to work hard to win, they won’t get a walkover, opines Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar is of the opinion that it won’t be an easy task for England in the final against Pakistan and they will have to work hard to lift the silverware. Akhtar also remarked that the strike rate of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan would be very crucial in the final at the Melbourne.
The trophy of the T20 World Cup 2022 will be on line when England and Pakistan meet in the final at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. Both the teams have won the title once and will be looking forward to double the trophy cabinet. Pakistan were on verge of being knocked out in the Super 12 stage but they bounced back and also registered a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the semi final.
England on the other hand have been going strong in the tournament and the opening pair has been providing blistering starts. The team registered an easy 10-wicket win over India in the semi final while dominating the proceedings. Reflecting on the final of the showpiece event Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has stated that England will have to sweat it out and wil not earn an easy win like semi final.
“The difference is that England are in a comprehensive position, their confidence will be sky-rocketing. England know Pakistan bowlers are not like India. They will have to work hard to win, they won't get a walkover,” Akhtar stated on his YouTube channel.
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam were struggling with their form recently. However, both of them struck the right chords in the crucial game against New Zealand and scored fifties. Rizwan scored 57 runs from 43 balls while Babar played a knock of 53 runs from 42 balls in the semi final. Akhtar added that the strike rate of both the openers will play a crucial role for Pakistan in upcoming games.
“A lot depends on Babar and Rizwan. Their strike rate against New Zealand was very important. The wicket in Melbourne would allow them to maintain a similar strike rate,” he explained.