Pakistan vs Australia: T20 World Cup semi-finals – live! | sports

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It’s Pakistan vs Australia, dear reader, but not as we know it. The roles of the two teams were reversed in this World Cup. Pakistan is a formidable winning machine, and they have lived up to the pre-tournament and hype. Australia – who have lost five T20 series in a row prior to this competition – are interesting outsiders. They started slowly, taking one amazing hit, but then came together to make it to the last four.

This is what Pakistan usually does. All of their major tournaments (1992, 2009, 2017) came after losing starts, so it’s almost unsettling to see them play with such quiet control. In reports about their matches, the word “mercury” was prominent by its absence.

They still have all the hallmarks of a great Pakistani side. Babar Azam and Muhammad Radwan are the best opening couple. Babar is a great player in the future and Rizwan could be the most cheerful cricketer in the world. Their bowling attack has a variety level (LF, RF, LBG, RFM, OB and sometimes WTF) that should be illegal. And even though their number 4-6 has a total lifespan of 110, they can still all hook the ball for 100 metres.

Shoaib Malik has an average of 99 and a strike rate of 187 in this competition. Asif Ali doesn’t have an average, because he wasn’t fired, but he does have a 248 strike average. To play today.)

So far, it’s ominous for Australia, but they should be at peace with their form after a clear improvement over the past two weeks. David Warner looks good as new, with the bat and on the field, Adam Zampa was quietly one of the tournament bowlers and Aaron Finch was one of the best captains. Perhaps he and the rest of the team enjoyed the rare opportunity to go under the radar.

Australia, which has won all four of its knockout matches against Pakistan in the ICC tournaments, may have been inspired by two precedents in particular. The semi-final match in 2010, when Mike Hussey redefined what was possible in the T20, and most of all the Over-50 Final in 1999. Then, as now, Pakistan started massively and Australia struggled to reach the final stages. They eventually met in the final, which Australia won by 29.5 increases.

The lottery was decisive that day. Pakistan won the title, but Waseem Akram made the wrong decision by hitting him first on a sweaty floor and rolling for them 132. It is probably more important today. 10 out of 11 matches in Dubai won by the team in second place. I’m a little surprised, in these wordy times, that some jerks didn’t call it Dewbai.

The odds are very close: Pakistan 4/5, Australia 1/1. But whoever wins the draw will immediately become a strong candidate to face New Zealand in the final on Sunday.

Play starts at 6pm local time, midnight AEST, 2pm GMT.

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