PAK vs SA: T20 World Cup 2022, 36th Match, Super 12 Group 2, Pakistan won by 33 runs.
A comprehensive performance by Pakistan with the bat, ball and in the field. Babar’s men kept picking wickets at regular intervals throughout the innings. Shadab Khan both with the bat and ball was amazing today. He turned the game in both innings. In the ninth over the leg-spinner picked up two crucial wickets from Temba Bavuma 36(19) who was looking in good touch at the time along with Aiden Markram 20(14) who is in good form.
Team India; led by Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam for Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa are all fighting for the available two spots for the semi-final stage of the ICC World T20 2022. Group 2 leaders India and second-placed South Africa are favourites to secure their respective spots for the World Cup semi-finals in Australia.
This in turn affected the DLS score required of the side after the rain break. Earlier in batting Pakistan was in trouble with 47/4. Iftikhar Ahmed 51(35) first with Muhammad Nawaz 28(22) steadied the ship with a 52-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Then Shadab Khan 52(22) and Iftikhar took the South African bowling apart with an 81-run partnership for the sixth wicket in just 35 balls. The proteas kept dropping their chances which didn’t help either.
Staring at the exit door in their must-win encounter against South Africa on Thursday, Babar Azam-led Pakistan eventually lived to fight another day to revive their ICC World Tr20 2022 campaign with an impressive win over the Proteas at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Resuming their World Cup rivalry against the bogey opponent, the India’s arch-rivals Pakistan defeated South Africa by 33 runs in a rain-affected match to keep their semi-finals hopes alive at the T20 World Cup 2022.
Pakistan’s second-successive win in the Super 12 stage means the Group 2 has been thrown wide open once again at the T20 World Cup. The 2009 world champions have climbed to the third spot in the current Group 2 standings of the ICC World T20 2022. Babar’s misfiring Pakistani side still has an outside chance of making it to the semi-finals of the ongoing edition of the ICC event in Australia.
PAK vs SA – Pakistan: How To Qualify For Semi-Finals
Third-placed Pakistan will meet Shakib Al Hasan-led Bangladesh in their final fixture of the Super 12 stage on Sunday. Besides beating Bangladesh, Pakistan will require either Team India or South Africa to avoid winning their respective matches on Sunday. If South Africa suffer a defeat or have their final game called off, Pakistan will only need to defeat Bangladesh to eclipse the Proteas by winning more matches (3) than the Temba Bavuma-led side. If Zimbabwe upstage India, Pakistan can advance to the next round with a win over Bangladesh on the basis of a superior Net Run Rate (NRR).
PAK vs SA – What’s Next for Team India?
For Rohit Sharma-led Team India, the plan is simple. Win the final Super 12 match on Sunday and enter the semi-finals. Interestingly, India only needs to score a point in their final fixture against Zimbabwe to advance to the semi-finals. If Pakistan lose to Bangladesh and Netherlands defeat South Africa, Virat Kohli-starrer Team India can still enter the semi-finals with a superior NRR despite losing the match against Zimbabwe.
PAK vs SA – South Africa entering The Semis? What’s for Bangladesh In Semi-Final Race?
Bangladesh will have to beat Pakistan and then expect South Africa to settle for one point in their final group match against the Netherlands to remain in the hunt for the T20 World Cup semi-finals. Second-placed South Africa only need to beat Netherlands to enter the semi-finals. If rain gods make their presence felt on Sunday and South Africa’s match is abandoned, then Pakistan only need to beat Bangladesh to secure their berth for the semi-finals. South Africa will have less wins (2) than Pakistan in this scenario. Thus, South Africa will have to defeat Netherlands to seal their berth in the semi-finals on Sunday.
