SYDNEY: A resurgent Pakistan declared Wednesday “the sky’s the limit” as captain Babar Azam rediscovered his form to help power them past New Zealand in Sydney and into a Twenty20 World Cup final against either India or England.
Azam and Mohammad Rizwan got off to a flying start in pursuit of 153, putting on a 105-run opening stand in 12.4 overs to set up victory and a place in Sunday’s showpiece at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
If Azam had been under pressure after making just 39 runs in the tournament’s Super 12 stage, he did not show it, reaching his fifty off 38 balls in front of 36,443 strongly pro-Pakistan spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Rizwan’s half-century followed, off 32 balls and they went on to become the first opening pair to post three century stands in T20 World Cup history before Azam fell for 53 off 42 balls.
Pakistan’s seven-wicket win capped a remarkable comeback from the 2009 T20 World Cup winners who had been on the brink of elimination after last-ball defeats to India and Zimbabwe in their first two matches.
“The guys have worked hard and we have always believed,” said Rizwan.
Pakistan beat the Netherlands and South Africa, but still needed the Proteas to choke against the Dutch for an unlikely lifeline, which they capitalized on by beating Bangladesh in their final Super 12 game.
“I don’t think we have seen our best yet, which is probably the scarier part for whoever faces us,” said former Australia opening batsman Matthew Hayden, who has been a mentor to the team.
“Sky’s the limit. You can never beat down class.”
Pakistan’s bowlers set the tone after Azam lost the toss. Aided by some razor sharp fielding they kept New Zealand to a below par 152-4.
Rizwan became the second wicket to fall with 21 still needed, but Mohammad Haris’s 30 off 26 balls helped complete a deserved, if nervy, victory with five balls to spare.
“Obviously, me and Babar decided to go after the new ball and the pitch was difficult,” said Rizwan, who was named player of the match.
“When we finished the powerplay, the discussion was for one of the guys to go deep.”
New Zealand, who topped Group 1, were aiming to make their second consecutive final, but their hunt for a maiden World Cup again fell short.
Teams batting first had won five from six games played in Sydney this tournament and when New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss he had no hesitation in asking Pakistan to bowl, but it proved to be tough going.
In an eventful opening over, Finn Allen hit Shaheen Afridi for four off the first delivery then was given out the next ball lbw.
It was overturned on review because for Afridi to promptly do the same again and this time it was plumb.
Conway was run out for 21 by Shadab Khan and they suffered a big blow when Glenn Phillips was caught and bowled by Mohammad Nawaz for six.
Daryl Mitchell and Williamson took more risks after reaching the 10-over mark at 59-3, with the first six of the innings coming in the 13th over.
Williamson fell on 46 to an Afridi yorker before Mitchell, unbeaten on 53, and Jimmy Neesham, who scored 16, added 29 runs in the final three overs.
“At the halfway mark we thought we had a competitive total but it was disappointing not to make Pakistan work harder,” said Williamson, who saw his usually sharp fielding side shell a series of catchable chances, including Azam when on nought.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” he said.
“I think if we want to be honest, we wanted to be more disciplined with our areas. Like I said, Pakistan deserved to win.”
‘Sky’s the limit’: Azam finds form to power Pakistan into T20 final
https://arab.news/g29b7
‘Sky’s the limit’: Azam finds form to power Pakistan into T20 final
- Azam and Mohammad Rizwan got off to a flying start in pursuit of 153
- Pakistan's seven-wicket win capped a remarkable comeback from the 2009 T20 World Cup winners
Arsenal thrash Villa 4-1 while Chelsea and Man Utd both held
- Arsenal end Aston Villa’s 11-game winning streak
- Wolves earn third point of season against Man United
LONDON: Arsenal closed out 2025 in emphatic fashion, smashing third-placed Aston Villa 4-1 on Tuesday to surge five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers, who collected their third point of the season, while Bournemouth grabbed a point at stuttering Chelsea, forcing a 2-2 draw after a frantic first-half display.
Man United are sixth, level on 30 points with fifth-placed Chelsea.
At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal slammed the door shut on charging Villa, ending their club-record winning run of 11 games.
Goals by Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Zubimendi early in the second half gave Arsenal control of a game that had looked fraught with danger.
Gabriel bundled in the opener from a corner in the 48th minute before Martin Odegaard slid a pass through for Zubimendi to score four minutes later. Arsenal secured the points when Leandro Trossard fired home from the edge of the area before Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to add the fourth.
Ollie Watkins grabbed a consolation goal for Villa in stoppage time.
“I think it was amazing,” Jesus told Sky Sports. “It’s always hard to play against them... The mentality of the team is really, really growing and each game is growing even more and I think we are winning today because of the mentality.”
Arsenal top the standings with 45 points, while second-placed Manchester City can close the gap when they play at Sunderland on Thursday.
Villa are six points adrift of Arsenal.
It took six minutes at Stamford Bridge for Bournemouth to shock Chelsea when David Brooks grabbed the opener. Cole Palmer equalized from the spot in the 15th minute and Fernandez put Chelsea ahead with a bullet shot eight minutes later.
Justin Kluivert brought Bournemouth back level in the 27th, to grab a point, adding to the London side’s unenviable record of one win in seven league games. Chelsea sit fifth, while Bournemouth are 10 spots below them.
Man Utd struggle
Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee made the most of a rare start by giving the depleted hosts the lead with a deflected shot from the edge of the box in the 27th minute.
But Wolves managed to level just before the break thanks to a header from Ladislav Krejci.
Patrick Dorgu briefly celebrated what he thought was a 90th-minute winner, but it was chalked off for offside.
“We struggled in all the game,” United boss Ruben Amorim said. “We had a lack of creation... the fluidity offensively wasn’t there.
“We didn’t play well. When you don’t play well with the ball, you struggle without it.”
Wolves have three points from 19 games, 15 points from the safety zone.
Newcastle United’s Joelinton scored after 65 seconds and Yoane Wissa doubled their lead five minutes later in a 3-1 thrashing of 19th-placed Burnley, who are winless in their last 10 games.
Josh Laurent pulled one back in the 23rd minute, but Bruno Guimaraes sealed Newcastle’s rare away win with a goal in stoppage time.
Everton climbed to eighth in the standings with a 2-0 win over their former manager Sean Dyche and Nottingham Forest thanks to goals from James Garner and Thierno Barry.
West Ham United drew 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion in a game that featured three penalties in the first half.
Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, from the penalty spot, scored before the break for West Ham, while Brighton’s Danny Welbeck struck from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute but fired another off the crossbar.
Joel Veltman scored for Brighton in the 61st minute to secure the draw.
There are four more games on New Year’s Day, including fourth-placed Liverpool hosting Leeds United at Anfield.
