T20 World Cup: Babar Azam 'feels at home' after New Zealand win
Pakistan qualified for the final of the event
SYDNEY: Pakistan captain Babar Azam has opened up after his side qualified for the final of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
The Men in Green defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in the semi-final on Wednesday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“We had a good start in the first six overs and later on we had a good spin attack. The fast bowlers also finished very well. Our plan before going inside was to utilise the first six overs and later on everyone can come and chip in,” Babar said while speaking during the post-match presentation ceremony.
“I think he [Haris] is a young guy and showing his aggression,” he added.
Azam also thanked the crowd for coming out in numbers to support the Pakistan team.
“Thanks to the crowd, feels like we are playing at home,” he said. “We will enjoy this moment, but at the same time we will focus on the final.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was disappointed about getting knocked out before the final.
“I thought Pakistan played nicely and then we managed to wrestle back some momentum. At the halfway mark we thought we had a competitive total but disappointing not to make Pakistan work harder [in the chase],” said Williamson.
“It's a tough pill to swallow. Fielding was okay but I think if we want to be honest, we wanted to be more disciplined with our areas. Like I said, Pakistan deserved to win. Throughout the round-robin stages, we played nicely and today we weren't at our best. Having said that, we know the fickle nature of T20 cricket,” he added.
It must be noted that Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam slammed half centuries as Pakistan powered past New Zealand.
They will meet either England or India — who play on Thursday in Adelaide — in the November 13 decider at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Pakistan set the tone at the Sydney Cricket Ground with some razor-sharp fielding and disciplined bowling that restricted New Zealand to just 152-4.
In front of 36,443 strongly pro-Pakistan spectators, Rizwan (57) and Azam (53) took apart the Black Caps´ renowned bowling attack in a 105-run opening stand, and despite a nervous finish after both fell, they completed a deserved victory with five balls to spare.
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