England and Pakistan : When the stars align
July 14th 2019, a day forever forged into the minds of sports fans across the world. After seven weeks and 48 games, it all came down to the final ball with England emerging victorious by the “barest of margins”. But really, for all the highs and lows of the tournament and the day itself, this was about the four years prior; four years of unrivalled dominance which saw this triumph written into the stars. Whether they had been upset by Sri Lanka, dominated by Australia or reduced to 86-4, this new England kept the faith, unshackled by the struggles of old; reassured by the fact that they had already earned this.
Jos Buttler seals a win by the “barest of margins”
Source : wisden.com
Pakistan is another team who will forever have that tag hanging over them. For years, their inconsistency has been a defining feature, never more obviously than in that very World Cup, against England, as their victory masked the pain of a 4-0 whitewash just weeks prior. But now, it seems that another team has shifted the stigma and earned their rewards. Since 2016, Pakistan have quietly built a phenomenal T20 record, winning almost 70% of their games, even in cricket’s most volatile format.
Now reaching the business end of another World Cup, this dominance has not abated, with Pakistan the only unbeaten team. The similarities with this side and the England of two years ago are instructive : both feature numerous all-rounders; both maintain a clear game plan and both can boast a young, gun quick establishing themselves as one of the world’s best. Perhaps most crucial in their success is the one thing that has always been missing - consistency. This new Pakistan don’t have bad days, such is their depth of talent and ability to find something from anywhere in the line-up. Throughout this tournament, they have had five different players produce man-of-the-match performances and Babar Azam, the skipper, is yet to get one himself.
Even more remarkable is the form of Mohammad Rizwan, Babar’s opening partner. Rizwan has established himself as one of the game’s best keeper-bats after a series of strong years, but no one can claim to have seen this coming. 19 innings have brought almost 1000 runs at an average of 87 and strike-rate nearing 140. For much of these past five years, Babar has carried the batting unit on his shoulders but now, with Rizwan by his side along with the explosive middle-order of Malik, Hafeez and Asif Ali, they are utterly terrifying.
With semi-finals just around the corner, many experts see an England vs Pakistan final on the horizon. However, England are not quite the smoking hot, well-oiled machine of 2019. With a number 3 in career-worst form, a captain short of runs and a slew of injuries to overcome, should they meet Pakistan in the final, with an all-time great opening duo, an experienced core and exceptional bowling group; you might do well to notice what is written in the stars this time.