T20 World Cup Final, Pakistan-England: Heavy Rain Expected as Pakistan’s Inspiration Meets England’s Brilliance for MCG Title | Cricket News

MELBOURNE: The MCG, that familiar polished concrete cauldron in which so much cricket folklore is produced, is sad on the eve of the World Cup final.
The colosseum is sunny on Saturday, but forecasts are bleak on match day, for 100% rain, meaning ticket offices are largely devoid of those last-minute heartbroken hopes that always give the pulse to a race.
The fan zone is just a little livelier, all manufacturing effect, food carts, smells and babies in prams. Forgotten melodies merge into melancholy glances. Everyone present here breaks into a painful, embarrassed nod.
There will be rain and there will not even be the India-Pakistan final and it’s all absolutely unfair and it shows in their faces, especially those of the Pakistani fans!

This is a far cry from the swirling fervor, all color, passion and throbbing heartbeat, that so memorably invaded these consecrated grounds just last month.

Had it not been for the rain forecast, England versus Pakistan, with a hint of unrepeatable dynamism on both sides, would have aroused passions like no other.
Jos Buttler’s powerful England team is still the strongest team on paper, possessing as much “junoon” as the Pakistani atmosphere, favored by luck, magic weaver and God-fearing.

However, the excitability of an India-Pakistan final would have been a different beast, says the masked “Pakistani Hulk” fan, real name Fahad Malik, amid poses and chants of “Pakistani Hulk smash Buttler!” and “Pakistani Hulk destroys Stokes!” After a while he gets tired and leaves, saying the green flags will come out in full force on Sunday, no matter the rain.
That they will, praying for a perfect end to a Pakistani campaign that bore eerie similarities to the team led by Imran Khan’s 1992 World Cup victory. Also that time they had lost against India, had been canceled in the middle of the group stage, then they recovered with some excellent performances before the intervention of the hand of God: Pakistan ran away without result, and split point, under the rain – winning match at Adelaide Oval against England in which the team was sent off 74 in 40.2 overs.

The tide has turned. This time, it was the fortuitous victory of the Dutch over South Africa, also in Adelaide, which showed that fate still had plans for Babar Azam’s changing Pakistan. Then as now, England are on their way to the final at the same MCG.
So, is it written this time? “Yekin hamara zyada hi hota hai (our conviction / confidence is always high),” said captain Babar, one among a brilliant series of big names from the Pakistani team who can ride the pulse of a great race.
“Hamara belief Allah ki taraf if hota hai, Allah humey opportunity deta hai, result Allah hello decide karega … humey bus acchey tarikey if opportunity ko uses karna hai.”

This is what drives Pakistani cricketers, when they have entered that kind of zone, or “dhun”, where nationalist pride, self-confidence, faith and cricket prowess come together to fuel memorable performances on the pitch. of game.
England has also shed the shyness of the past and learned to rely more on passion and a sense of play to unleash their intelligence in the T20. The likes of Buttler, Alex Hales, Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Mark Wood (who is a dubious holder but took part in the networks) and Adil Rashid can be as unconventional in their approach as their Pakistani counterparts, as they are blessed with skill. in cricket and able to embrace the big stage as artists of the caliber of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan or Mohammad Rizwan.
This is not just a tactical intelligence contest, no World Cup final in any sport really is, but a stage for those who can shine best under pressure. So while there are many similarities in cricket between teams, including the addiction to rhythm, on this day it’s all about atmosphere and vision.
While Babar spoke of God, Buttler spoke of the time when, as a child playing in the garden, he pretended to hold a World Cup trophy in his hands. “I’ve certainly had some dreams about that sort of thing,” he said. “It really connects to how you were as a kid, to the kind of things you would have done in the garden with your brother and sister, pretending to raise a trophy … and now having that chance is incredibly special.”

Buttler would like to hang on to the dream one more day. If the gods can’t decide a winner they will make it pay for two days and the trophy will be shared. The organizers must participate in at least one 10 over match, which in the event of a further interruption on Sunday can spill over into the reserve day, which also includes heavy rains. If, as in the India-Pakistan match, we’re bound to have a classic, the rain will challenge the Bureau of Meteorology and stay away long enough.
The green-clad Pakistani fan and the traveling tragic cricket would do better to keep their hand over their heart and cross their fingers, if the sound of the bat hitting the ball echoes around the cavernous MCG on Sunday.