England will play Pakistan in the final of the 2022 World Cup at the MCG in Melbourne on November 13th. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 pm local time.
The identity of the two finalists proves that it is not always the teams that start major tournaments the strongest that go on to win them. England suffered a shock defeat to Ireland earlier in the competition and struggled in some of their other group matches.
Pakistan for their part seemed on the verge of elimination after a last ball lost to India and an equally narrow loss to Zimbabwe, but they bounced back with three successive wins and were aided by the self-implosion of South Africa under pressure.
Both found form in their semi-finals. Pakistan were too good for New Zealand, winning by seven wickets, whilst England thrashed India – many people’s favourites for the Cup – by 10 wickets in Adelaide.
Now they are each looking for the final victory that would round everything off.
Head to head
The teams have played each other 28 times before in T20I cricket and England have won 18 matches to 9 for Pakistan, with one resulting in a no result.
Eight of those matches have been played in the last two months. England travelled to Pakistan in September for their first tour of the country in 17 years to play a seven match T20I series and managed to win it by four matches to three.
They met again in Brisbane for World Cup warm-up match on the eve of the tournament and England won that as well by six wickets.
And, in terms of World Cups, England have won both their previous meetings as well by 48 wickets in 2009 (the year that they won the trophy) and by six wickets the following year.
1992 Final
However, if Pakistan are looking for favourable omens, they no longer need to look further than the last time these two teams met in a World Cup final, which was also in Melbourne in 1992 in the ODI version of the game.
On that occasion, England went into the game as favourites but an Imran Khan inspired batting performance helped Pakistan make 249/6 from their 50 overs and they were able to bowl the English out for 227. A similar level of performance from them on Sunday could bring them trophy success.
Injury news
England have a selection dilemma with both Dawid Malan and Mark Wood missing the India game through injury. Phil Salt and Chris Jordan replaced them and Jordan did his chances of being selected for the final itself no harm with a controlled bowling performance.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have no reported fitness doubts.
Key players
Much may depend on the performance of the respective openers.
Mohammad Rizwan
Rizwan was the number one ranked T20 batter in the world until he was displaced by Suryakumar Yadavrecently. Although not at his brilliant best in this tournament so far, he produced a Player of the Match performance against New Zealand and he has the ability to score big runs quickly.
Babar Azam
The same could be said of his partner and captain Babar Azam.
He had been enduring a difficult tournament prior to the New Zealand match and was the beneficiary of an early drop, but he made full advantage of that by making a half century and, ominously, may be playing himself into form just in time for the final.
Jos Buttler
When he was first given the job after succeeding Eoin Morgan as England’s white ball skipper, Buttler seemed to find the added responsibilities were impairing his natural game.
However, he now seems to be growing into the role and has begun to produce for his country the same level of performances he turned out for the Rajasthan Royals in this year’s India T20 league, earning himself the MVP award.
Alex Hales
Hales was in the international wilderness for three years after he was banned for recreational drug use and it took a freak injury to Jonny Bairstow to earn him a recall.
Picking up a winner’s medal would complete his redemption and, as he showed against India, he is a man for the big occasion.
Prediction
The recent record between these two and their previous history in World Cups suggest England start marginal favourites, but nothing should be taken for granted.
This tournament has already produced more than its fair share of shocks and it would be entirely fitting if the trophy were finally be lifted by a team that had seemed down and out at one stage.
●●●
VISIT OUR BLG TO GET YOUR FIX FOR ALL OF THE MOST CURRENT CRICKET NEWS STORIES & FEATURES
