An all-round display by Pakistan led by Shahid Afridi won them the final as they defeated an off-colour Sri Lanka in the Finals to lift the T20 World Cup on June 21. The swashbuckling cricketer almost single-handedly guided the Pakistan chase after a superb bowling performance to be declared the man of the match. Unpredictability and uncertainty in Pakistan cricket, however, did not cease as Younis Khan resigned from captaincy with immediate effect.
Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka suffered early setbacks. The in-form Dilshan was found lacking in facing the rising delivery which was used to good effect by Mohammed Aamer. He ultimately mistimed a hook and gifted his wicket away in the first over. Pakistan looked like a side hungry to win as the trio comprising of Mohammed Aamer, Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul along with spinners Ajmal and Afridi gave nothing away to put the islanders under pressure right from the very first delivery. The fearsome Jayasurya and Jayawardene too did not last long as the Lankans were a dismal 34 for 4 at the end of the powerplay. It was as if Pakistan had clearly thought of a perfect strategy to strangulate Sri Lanka and professionally went about affecting their game plan. Sangakkara restored some parity with responsible innings of an unbea
ten 64, first cutting out all risks to stabilise the ship, and then accelerating towards the end with Angelo Mathews. Mathews’ explosive 35 off 24 deliveries helped them bring some respectability to their total, and Sangakkara’s team ended up with a modest 138 to give the bowlers some chance.
The much hyped Lankan attack, headed by the three ‘M’s – Murali, Mendis and Malinga – could not live upto its reputation as Pakistan batted with controlled aggression to annihilate their assault. The steadiness and composure with which Afridi and company went about their chase was so uncharacteristic of Pakistan – it epitomised the positive outlook the team seemed to have developed towards the latter stages of the tournament. Earlier, Akmal with some breathtaking shots and Shahzaib put on 48 runs for the first wicket, and from thereon it was an Afridi show. Afridi took a lot of singles in his innings of 54, and chose the right moments to go after the bowling. The way he handled the most formidable attack of the tournament was a pleasure to watch, as he batted till the end to hit the winning runs and stand triumphant with his bat and helmet in the two hands of his, like a warlord who had just conquered the world.
For years other nations have expressed their fears in touring the trouble-torn nation, and after the attacks on Lankan cricketers in Lahore earlier this year, it was feared that Pakistan would be removed from the cricketing map. The win left nightmares of its loss to India in 2007 behind, and ensured that the people there had something to cheer about amidst endless misery. Afridi’s coming back of form after a miserable couple of years with the bat made the victory even sweeter, and augurs well for the team.
Younis said in the post-match presentation that it was ‘a gift’ for his countrymen back home. He appealed to the whole cricketing world to remove all inhibitions and tour their country, for without international cricket in Pakistan the future of the sport in the nation would be in jeopardy. “Everybody knows [the situation in Pakistan is] not good but it's not our [the players] fault. Youngsters, especially, need home series because if there is no cricket in Pakistan how can we motivate the youngsters, especially the school level and college level? So I think this will help to build us a new structure in Pakistan,” he said.The 32-year old closed the press conference that followed with a stunner – announcing his decision to quit captaincy, which he later reportedly attributed to his being ‘too old for Twenty20 cricket’.
Even though Lankans were tamed easily, Sangakkara was extremely proud of his teammates. “We’ve had a great tournament and I’m proud of the way the team played and the attitude it showed,” he said.
The next World T20 will take place in West Indies in April, 2010.
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