World Twenty20 semis, Pakistan only team that can defeat Australia
Pakistan may be a little lucky to find themselves in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 but now they are there, the defending champions are the only team that can defeat Australia.
The recent form of Shahid Afridi’s team might suggest this is not the case. Pakistan just scraped through to the semi-finals, with a win against South Africa booking them a place in the semi-finals on net run-rate alone.
Meanwhile Pakistan’s repeated fielding fumbles against England in the Super Eight stage are best forgotten. Fans can only take solace in the fact that this is the ever unpredictable Pakistan, and that kind of performance can be turned around in the space of a match.
As Afridi reminded us all heading into the semi-final against Australia, “We were in the same situation in the last World Cup in England. But we went on to win the championship”.
Even so, it’s hard to see Pakistan turning around a dismal run of form against Australia that saw them return winless and seeking answers after their 2009/10 tour Down Under. Australia again asserted their authority over Pakistan again in the group stage of the World Twenty20 as they cruised to a 34-run victory, with Shane Watson again at his dominant best at the top of the order.
That was just the beginning for Australia too, as they warmed to the task of dishing out increasingly comprehensive defeats throughout the Super Eight stage. First was their 49-run victory over India; then came their 81-run thrashing of Sri Lanka; and that was followed by a six-wicket victory over the West Indies, after Australia had restricted the hosts to just 105 in the first innings of the match.
The evidence, then, stacks the chances of victory in the World Twenty20’s second semi-final very much in favour of Michael Clarke’s men. What chance could Pakistan possibly have?
Perhaps the one thing in their favour is the pitch at St Lucia, which should provide Australia’s pacemen with a bit less pace and bounce than would have been the case had the sides been playing their semi-final at Bridgetown. One might also point out though, that it was at this very ground that Australia recorded their opening victory of the tournament on May 2nd, against Pakistan.
What, then, is that special ingredient that Pakistan has to overcome the all-conquering Aussies in their semi-final today? It’s not form, their recent record against Australia, or the ground.
No, the sole reason Pakistan are the only team that can defeat Australia today, is because they are the only one that is playing them.
Tags: