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Former star pacer Shoaib Akhtar, better known as Rawalpindi Express, is rooting for the slugfest between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 on November 13 at the MCG.
A rejuvenated Pakistan lifted their game when it mattered the most and stormed into the T20 World Cup final with a convincing seven-wicket win over New Zealand on Wednesday. Pakistan first restricted New Zealand to 152/4 and then chased down the target with consummate ease, riding on skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan's attacking fifties to book their place in the final after 13 years.
The win over New Zealand, last edition's runners-up side, also kept the prospect of a mouth-watering India-Pakistan final in Melbourne on Sunday alive, provided Rohit Sharma's men beat England in the second semifinal in Adelaide on Thursday.
“India, we have reached Melbourne and now we are waiting for you. Wish you the best of luck and hope you reach Melbourne. I want an India vs Pakistan final and, once more, they face each other. The whole world is waiting for it,” Shoaib was quoted as saying.
“Well done, Pakistan, well done. Prayers have helped Pakistan reach the final. We have a habit of making comebacks. Pakistan batted brilliantly. New Zealand should have bowled first and they misjudged the pitch,” he added.
An India-Pakistan clash generates much interest, mostly to the level of obsession, which was evident in the Group stage when Virat Kohli earned plaudits for orchestrating his team's much talked-about victory under pressure.
The last time Pakistan played in a T20 World Cup final, they won the tournament after beating Sri Lanka.
This will be Pakistan's third appearance in the T20 World Cup final. They had finished runners-up to India in the inaugural edition in 2007 before claiming the title two years later.
Pakistan were on the verge of an early exit after defeats against India and Zimbabwe but luck smiled on them when Netherlands knocked South Africa out of the tournament to open up an opportunity for Pakistan.
Pakistan's mentor and Australia's batting legend Matthew Hayden also want the battle of arch-rivals in the T20 World Cup 2022's final.
"Tonight was very special. That fast bowling attack you saw did an unbelievable job. I don't think we have seen our best yet, which is probably the scarier part for whoever faces us (in the final)," Hayden said.
Talking about the match, while chasing 153, Babar rode on his luck to register his highest score in the tournament -- 53 off 42 balls -- while Rizwan made 57 off 43 deliveries as Pakistan romped home with five balls to spare.
