Update: New Zealand defeated Pakistan in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, thereby leaving Pakistan out of the tournament now.
Earlier post. Pakistan and New Zealand are facing eachother in the Semi Finals of Champions Trophy Cricket Tournament right now. As of writng these lines, Pakistan is 166/5 off 39 overs. Run rate = 4.25
Pakistan and New Zealand have so far played 79 ODIs with eachother. Pakistan has won 47 (61.68%) and New Zealand has won 29 (38.31%). While the historical and statistical balance is heavily tilted in favor of Pakistan, Cricket results depend on how a team perform on any given day. To repeat Pak Captain Younis Khan’s words
“We need 2 good days”
I also second Younis Khan’s words where in a recent interview he said that Cricket is more than a game in Pakistan. He said that Cricket unites Pakistan (against all ethnic, sectarian and parochial divides) and a win for Pakistan will certainly go a long way in fostering unity among the Pakistanis. A loss however, should also be taken with dignity.
New Zealand require another 7 runs with 6 wickets and 22 balls remaining.
The game is already lost. What a sad performance
Pakistan is actually playing against 13 players. Umpiring has been deplorable:
– Umar Akmal’s lbw decision
– NZ bowlers bowling bouncers over the shoulder and umpires not calling them wides
– Atleast one legit lbw decision not given on the bowling of Saeed Ajmal. Even computerized animations showed the ball hitting the stumps.
This is just to take my mind off the game in progress:
ATP has not noticed that an icon of Pak Film industry passed
away on Thursday. I wonder why?
Good job by the last 3 men standing :)
233/9 gives some fighting chance to Paklistan. It now seems much better than (say) 182/7 or 192/8 which Pakistan were at earlier stages.
This is no way to win the match. Unless we start doing some serious scoring very soon, we have lost the game.