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At the start of the tournament, the two sides were not considered as clear favourites to win the T20 World Cup 2021. But, Australia regained their form despite a few hiccups in the ‘group of death’ whereas Pakistan have had an unreal run in Group 2 with five consecutive wins including the end of age-old jinx against India in the World Cup events. Babar Azam-led are now favourites to win the trophy, especially because they have been playing in their own backyard but they should be well aware of what happened in the 2010 edition of the event when Michael Hussey snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Shaheen Afridi factor
Shaheen Afridi has been the most-talked-about member of the Pakistan squad ahead of the semi-final. It was Afridi’s fiery spell in the opening match against India that scripted history and started Pakistan’s dominant run in the Super 12 stage. Surprisingly, the only match where he went for nine runs per over was against Namibia. The left-arm pacer’s opening spell can be the deciding factor against Australia as Aaron Finch is still not in the best of forms.
Rizwan, Malik’s availability
Pakistan suffered a scare as Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik missed the training session before the semi-final because of mild flu. There were also reports that backup wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed and Haider Ali may replace them for the semi-final clash. It is yet to be seen if Rizwan and Malik play in Australia. If not, it will be a major blow for Pakistan as they have been a well-oiled unchanged side throughout the Super 12 stage.
Warner’s return to form
David Warner was struggling to score before the T20 World Cup 2021. While Warner’s first half-century came against Sri Lanka, he looked more like his old self against West Indies in the final game with his highest score in T20 World Cup. His experience in the big games will come into play and he will also have a point to prove after a dismal show for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL)
Australian bowling attack
The Australian bowling has been top-notch in the tournament so far. Few years ago, Josh Hazlewood would not have been considered as T20 material but the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) gig in the second phase of IPL 2021 seemed to have transformed him completely. Now, he is the prime wicket-taker for Australia and prevents sides from getting off to a flier. Mitchell Starc has complimented Hazlewood well and has been the first choice for Finch in death overs. In the middle overs, leg spinner Adam Zampa has been economical and taken wickets, except the match against England.
Pakistan’s weak links
In the pre-match press conference, Azam backed his non-performing players ahead of the knockout clash. Batting at no.3, Fakhar Zaman has not been able to deliver and Pakistan have been overdependent on the likes of Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali to finish off the match. Zaman’s best came against Afghanistan when he scored 30 runs. He will be tested against an in-form Australian attack. On the other hand, Hasan Ali has leaked run in middle and death overs while Haris Rauf has done his job well. It will be interesting to see how Pakistan skipper utilizes Ali’s overs as Australian batters will look to target him, especially the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis towards the end.
