NASSER HUSSAIN: England will fear Pakistan’s bowlers… but I’m backing Jos Buttler’s batters!

Pakistan is just mercurial. They may lose their first two matches of this Twenty20 World Cup and be on the brink of going out, but after that they could win any match and got a huge favor when the Netherlands beat South Africa.

That sums up Pakistan and has been their story over the years. They are so talented and can deliver world class performances, but they can also implode and crash.

Notably, they are in the final against England. Everyone compares their progress to Imran Khan’s cornered tigers of 1992 and there are clear similarities.

England secured their place in the Twenty20 World Cup final with a stunning win against India

Babar Azam has been criticized in the Pakistani media and by ex-players, just like Imran all those years ago, and Babar had a little bit back with them when they won their semi-final against New Zealand.

There is no doubt that Pakistan’s strength lies in their bowling. They probably had the best bowling attack in the league, even in that painful defeat to India at the very beginning when only their last eight balls really let them down.

Their best bowler in Shaheen Shah Afridi did not play in the T20 series against England due to injury and looked like he would have come back too early in this tournament. But he is getting stronger with every match and will be a real threat tomorrow.

Lead-off hitters Jos Buttler and Alex Hales knocked on a stunning 170 partnership to seal the win

If the MCG pitch is the same as we saw earlier in the tournament, then conditions could be a bit tough for Shaheen and his company, especially with the rain in Melbourne.

Pakistan made a mistake against India by misinterpreting the terms and playing an extra batter and spinner when they should have played against Mohammad Wasim.

That was a surprise, with Australians like Matthew Hayden and Shaun Tait knowing the conditions here so well in their backrooms, but it’s one they’ve since corrected.

Pakistan is a bit like India in that their opening strokes in Babar and Mohammad Rizwan are still playing a bit of old-fashioned white-ball cricket, even if they were teetering against New Zealand.

England in form will take on Pakistan, who defeated New Zealand in the other semi-final

The fact is that they have to be a little careful at first because they don’t have the England stroke depth. Their middle order was fragile at times and they can be conservative up front as 20 overs can be a long time for them.

But they know that if they hit a par score, their bowling attack can win the game for them. Or if they bowl first and keep the opponent’s score low, their methods and their batting rate can work.

Babar and Rizwan had quiet tournaments before the semi-finals – the captain had scored just 39 runs in the World Cup before making a half-century against New Zealand – but they both showed their class when it mattered most.

Shaheen Shah Afridi remains one of the most dangerous bowlers with limited overs in world cricket

Pakistan has found a gem here in the form of 21-year-old Mohammad Haris. Once Fakhar Zaman was injured and out of the squad they needed someone more explosive after the openers and Haris was just that man in the last few games.

He has that fearless arrogance of youngsters and has given them another attack option in addition to the likes of Shan Masood, who is more orthodox.

One thing that stands out about Pakistan here is the quality of their field work – and they knocked New Zealand off the field, which is not something you associate with them.

I’ll be surprised if the MCG is packed on Sunday, but there will be a sea of ​​green, as we saw at the SCG in the semi-finals, and England will have to deal with the majority of the opposition, as they did so superbly against India in Adelaide on Thursday.

England’s positive and explosive batting approach has paid off in the tournament so far

So Pakistan will be a big threat, but as I said after the semi-finals, if England play like they did against India, they can win from any side.

They played the perfect match on Thursday and Pakistan will know that they can’t be below par in any way.

This is a battle of the strongest attack in the tournament, in Pakistan, against the best batting formation, in England. I’m excited for Jos Buttler and his side to avenge that 1992 final defeat over 50 on the same ground. But once they get that cornered tiger mentality, you’d be crazy to write Pakistan off.

PAKISTAN: PLAYERS TO WATCH

Shaheen Shah Afridic

The pacemaker with the left arm gets early wickets again with the new ball, which he can swing.

The MCG has provided movement for this World Cup and there has to be resilience as well.

Shaheen is now almost fully fit and his speeds are up, but whether he will be ready to play in the Test series against England next month remains to be seen.

Babar and Rizwan

I cannot separate Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan because they come as a couple.

They are extremely consistent and when they don’t fire, Pakistan’s strike power looks weak.

But when they get off to a good start, like in the semi-final against New Zealand in Sydney, the rest falls into place. Both batsmen have to push a little harder against England.

Shadab Khan

I like Shadab as a cricketer. He is three dimensional and threw his leg spin beautifully in the SCG group match against South Africa.

He is excellent on the field and made the crucial run from Devon Conway in the semi-finals. And he gives the ball a good strap when it comes in. It strikes me that he likes the big occasion. A cool, calculated, calm character.

The firing of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan could be the key to stopping Pakistan