Now, that is a victory to savour for a long time! Pakistan defied all odds and predictions to pummel tournament favorite England with a commanding performance to book a berth in Sunday’s final at The Oval.

This was as good a performance as could be expected in a knockout game. It was after a long time that Pakistan dominated a strong opposition in all three departments of the game. I am absolutely thrilled by this incredible turnaround by Sarfraz Ahmed’s team and really proud at its resilience and commitment after a forgettable defeat to India in its first match.

Pakistan’s win was set up by a top-class bowling effort replicating the performances against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Even an in-form England team struggled to break the shackles in the middle overs despite a solid start. For the third successive time, Pakistan roared back in contention with the older ball even as the spinners tightened the screws.

Hasan Ali has truly come of age. He has displayed impeccable control and penetration with the old ball. Today, his line to both right and left-handers was perfect. Junaid Khan, Rumman Raees and the spinners complimented Hasan brilliantly as Pakistan didn’t miss Mohammad Amir, who had to sit out due to back spasms.

Pakistan’s fielding is often the barometer by which its performance is judged. The players were charged up and I was hugely impressed by the body language and commitment by the fielders.

Our bowling unit becomes lethal when it gets the support of the fielders and that’s exactly what we saw today. Restricting a team of England’s potential to a score of 211 speaks volumes about the ability of the bowlers despite the pressure of a knockout game.

What pleased me further was the almost flawless batting performance that followed the world-class effort with the ball. Fakhar Zaman was once again outstanding. I feel so happy that he hasn’t been overawed at all by the occasion and seems to have a great temperament meant for big games.

Fakhar gave Pakistan a tremendous launching pad with his aggressive and purposeful batting at the top of the innings. Fakhar’s demeanour and approach at the crease is refreshing and he led the charge, which helped Pakistan get close to the target quickly.

I also kept a close eye on Azhar Ali’s innings. The opener was the perfect foil to Fakhar and his calmness allowed Fakhar to express himself fully. Azhar and Fakhar can make a great pair if they continue to play with the same style and approach. On the other hand, Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez must have regained confidence with their cameos and their return to form augurs well for the final.

Talking about the final, the game is surely going to be huge regardless of the opposition. Both Bangladesh and India are capable sides and I see a close semi-final match tomorrow at Edgbaston.

If India makes it through, the fans will get to see an Indo-Pak tournament final and nothing comes close to matching the excitement of such a game.

Pakistan players need to take the match as another game and must take India as any other opposition. The records and numbers of the matches gone by matter little in the final, hence Pakistan must stay relaxed and enjoy the occasion rather than letting its opponents rattle them.

Pakistan now doesn’t need to do anything different. It has a tremendous game plan in place, which has worked brilliantly in the last few matches. The focus should be on minimizing the errors and maximizing the talent available in the eleven.

In the meantime, let us all enjoy this unexpected stellar run by Pakistan which has brought great joy to the fans in the country and around the world. A magnificent achievement is now just one game away. Give it your all boys!

This article was originally published here at ww.icc-cricket.com