Pakistan’s hopes of qualifying for the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals had all but ended when they started the mega-event with two straight losses to India and Zimbabwe. The Babar Azam-led side needed to win all the other matches and some other teams’ results to go their way to have any hope of advancing. And that is what exactly happened. In Sunday’s first match, Netherlands shocked South Africa. The following Bangladesh-Pakistan game became a knock-out for the semi-final with that result. Then, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by five wickets to qualify for the semi-finals.

After the first two losses, Babar Azam and Company were severely criticised, but then they achieved the nearly unthinkable feat in style. After the win, Babar Azam tweeted: “Never say never! AlhumduLillah. Keep us all in your prayers.”

Never say never! AlhumduLillah.

Keep us all in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/SDnNy6TjGT

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) November 6, 2022

Talking about the game, fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi returned career-best figures of 4-22 to lead Pakistan into the semi-finals with a five-wicket win over Bangladesh in a do-or-die clash on Sunday. Chasing a modest 128 for victory in Adelaide, Pakistan achieved their target with 11 balls to spare and joined arch-rivals India in the final four from Group 2.

Man-of-the-match Shaheen, who missed the recent Asia Cup with injury, said: “I have improved. Not easy to come back from injury… but I’m trying my best. As a team we are very happy. We’ve played great. Bowl in the right areas and fast was the plan.”

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Asked if he was looking forward to the semis, he joked: “Now we are looking forward to the final.”

Pakistan had looked dead and buried after an opening defeat against India and a shock loss to Zimbabwe, but now they are back among the top.

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