T20 World Cup 2022: Pakistan VS New Zealand - Key moments that doomed New Zealand in the semi-final

There’s often a feeling that supporting the Pakistan national cricket team is a journey full of ups and downs, but it is better to enjoy the ride rather than trying to make head or tail of the twists and turns. 

And that has been true for them in this tournament too. However, their seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first semi-final showed a method to their madness. 

For one, their openers finally fired. This might sound like a surprising sentence to read in more ways than one since few expected that it would take this long for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to come to the party in the first place. 

But they made a poor start to the tournament and struggled throughout – until this match. Here, in a chase that required patience rather than consistent big hitting, they were in their element. 

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are at their best when they can take their time and score big without worrying too much about their strike rate. 

Both scored half-centuries and at a decent rate before they were dismissed. But by the time they were gone, the game was already decided. 

The other thing worth noting is that Pakistan’s new-found middle order also continued to get the job done. Mohammad Haris, a relative unknown before this tournament, scored another key knock. 

And Shan Masood, who’s also waited long for his chance in T20Is, was on hand to get them over the line and scored the winning runs to boot. 

And all this is without even mentioning their biggest strength and how it did the job yet again – their bowling. 

Shaheen Shah Afridi looks like a different bowler now that he’s back in rhythm. Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Naseem Shah played their roles to perfection, getting early movement. 

And Haris Rauf troubled the Kiwis with his pace, whereas Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan kept things tight in the middle overs on a pitch, offering plenty of assistance to the slower bowlers. 

Little wonder that, after the match, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson readily admitted that his side was outplayed. 

“We are very disappointed to not make Pakistan work a lot harder, but they were outstanding. We were outplayed. It’s a tough pill for us to swallow. At the end of the day, Pakistan certainly deserved to be winners.” 

Yet perhaps the most frightening quote of the day came courtesy of Pakistan mentor Matthew Hayden. “I don’t think we have seen our best yet, which is probably the scarier part for whoever faces us.” 

Indeed, it is frightening to think what this side is capable of at its best – mainly since their weak areas have been addressed.