Pakistan Champions Archives

India crush Australia to set up World Championship of Legends Final with Pakistan

NORTHAMPTON: A combined batting and bowling effort led India Champions to crush Australia Champions by 86 runs and set up the World Championship of Legends final with Pakistan Champions.

Chasing a mammoth target of 255, Australia Champions were in all sorts of trouble as they lost Shaun Marsh in the second over of their inning at County Ground, Northampton.

Ben Dunk then joined Aaron Finch in the middle, however, they could not keep up with the required run rate as Dunk was dismissed after scoring just 10 off seven deliveries.

Finch also failed to contribute to the chase and was cleaned bowled by Pawan Negi on 16 off 17 deliveries.

Callum Ferguson added 23 off 19 balls while Nathan Coulter-Nile scored 30 off 13 deliveries.

Tim Paine remained unbeaten with a 32-ball 40.

Australia Champions were restricted to 168/7 as India sailed through to the WCL 2024 final against Pakistan Champions.

After being put to bat first, India Champions posted a total of 254/6 in their 20 overs as four of their batters smashed fifties.

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Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan launched an onslaught on the Australia Champions bowlers as the former smashed a 19-ball fifty while Yusuf hit a fiery knock of 51 on just 23 deliveries.

Opening batter Robin Uthappa set the stage with his 65 off 35 deliveries after losing his batting partner Ambati Rayudu on 32 in 3.1 overs.

Suresh Raina was quick to follow him as he was dismissed for just five runs, leading to Yuvraj Singh’s arrival at the crease.

Singh scored 59 off 28 balls before Peter Siddle disturbed his timber.

It was then Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan show who both smashed fiery fifties to power India to 254 for six in their 20 overs.

For Australia Champions, Peter Siddle was the pick of the bowlers, as he bagged four scalps.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan Champions advanced to the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024 after beating West Indies Champions by 20 runs earlier today.

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Pakistan thump West Indies to reach World Championship of Legends Final

NORTHAMPTON: Skipper Younis Khan scored a gutsy half-century before Sohail Khan’s four-for led Pakistan Champions to down West Indies Champions and qualify for the World Championship of Legends final.

Chasing a daunting 199-run target, the West Indies Champions’ batting unit unfolded on 178 on the penultimate delivery of the innings and thus succumbed to a 20-run defeat.

The West Indies Champions were never in the run chase as they, after getting off to a scratchy start, lost wickets at regular intervals.

However, Rayad Emrit glimmered a ray of hope for the West Indies Champions when he hit Shoaib Malik for three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over but Sohail Khan returned to bowl the final over and denied the late comeback.

Ashley Nurse remained the top-scorer for the West Indies Champions with his 24-ball 36 in the middle, followed by Emrit (29) while the rest made modest contributions.

Sohail Khan starred with the ball for Pakistan Champions, taking four wickets for 21 while Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik bagged two each.

Put into bat first, Pakistan Champions accumulated 198/8 in the allotted overs against a disciplined West Indies Champions’ bowling attack, led by Fidel Edwards.

Edwards ran through Pakistan Champions’ top-order, reducing the second-placed side to 10/3 in two overs Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Khan and Shoaib Malik perished cheaply.

With Pakistan Champions in tatter, captain Younis Khan joined Kamran Akmal in the middle and together they anchored the innings.

The duo added 79 runs for the fourth wicket before Dwayne Smith cleaned up Akmal in the 12th over to draw curtains on his fighting knock.

Akmal fell agonizingly short of a well-deserved half-century, scoring 46 off 31 deliveries, laced up with eight boundaries.

Younis then knitted a brief one-sided partnership with hard-hitting batter Shahid Afridi (1) and 11 runs to the total to take Pakistan Champions to the 100-run mark.

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Afridi was caught at point off SSulieman Benn, who struck again on the next delivery to send Misbah-ul-Haq packing for a golden duck as Pakistan Champions slipped to 100/6 in 12.4 overs.

Younis was then involved in yet another crucial partnership for Pakistan Champions when he raised 34 runs for the seventh wicket with Aamer Yamin before finally perishing in the 16th over.

He remained the top-scorer for Pakistan Champions with a 45-ball 65, featuring six fours and a six.

Yamin then joined forces with Sohail Tanvir and the pair did well to bolster the total as they registered a quickfire 61-run partnership which lasted with the latter’s dismissal on the penultimate delivery.

Tanvir made an 18-ball 33 while Yamin scored an unbeaten 40 off 18 balls, peppered with two fours and three sixes.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan will face either India Champions or leaders Australia Champions in the final of the World Championship of Legends on Saturday in Birmingham.

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Younis Khan reveals must-have trait for a captain

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has discussed the crucial role and necessary traits for a successful captain after Pakistan Champions’ victory over India Champions in the World Championship of Legends.

While addressing the media after the match, Younis Khan dedicated the victory to Pakistan fans, who were left heartbroken after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 debacle.

He advised the fans to remain patient and back the team in crucial times.

“The advice to the fans is to stay patient as change cannot happen overnight. We cannot just remove the current players and bring players from outside, this cannot work,” said Younis Khan.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan team is facing massive criticism from fans and former players alike over their disastrous performance in the T20 World Cup, with many calling for a change in leadership.

Talking about the captaincy, the former captain shed light on the qualities of a good captain.

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“A captain should be someone who is capable of leading the side, who can handle the pressure. It’s not just about batting or bowling, a captain should think of every player, even if the player is on the bench,” Khan stated.

“You should know the player’s technique, his energy and skills. Only then, you can get the best out of them,” he added.

Moreover, he cited the examples of former Pakistan captains Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram, who took the best of their players and built a team that served the nation for years.

“We talk about the great Imran Khan, Javed bhai (Javed Miandad), or Wasim Akram. Why were they good coaches [or captains]? Because they gave us players like Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, and Shahid Afridi. According to me, a leader should be a good motivator alongside being a good batter or bowler,” Khan concluded.

Younis Khan-led Pakistan Champions are currently sitting at the top of the World Championship of Legends standings with eight points from four games.

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Pakistan beat England to reach World Championship of Legends semi-finals

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan Champions continued their unbeaten run in the World Championship of Legends as they defeated England Champions to qualify for the semi-finals at Edgbaston here on Sunday.

While batting first, Pakistan Champions posted a mammoth 196-4 in 20 overs courtesy of half-centuries by Sohaib Maqsood and Shoaib Malik.

They had a shaky start to their innings as Stuart Meaker dismissed opening batters Kamran Akmal (11) and Sharjeel Khan (13) in the same over with 28 runs on the board.

However, Sohaib Maqsood and Shoaib Malik helped the team recover with a 121-run partnership for the third wicket.

Darren Maddy provided the breakthrough as he castled Malik after he had scored 51 off 33 with the help of five boundaries and two sixes.

Sohaib Maqsood played a quick 64-run knock from 44 balls featuring two boundaries and six sixes before falling prey to Chris Schofield.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Abdul Razzaq then added 39 runs in the last three overs to help Pakistan Champions score 196-4. Razzaq scored 20 off 9, while Misbah scored 23 off 14.

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Stuart Meaker led the bowling for England Champions with the figures of 2-25.

In response, England Champions bundled out for 117 runs in 17 overs, suffering their second consecutive loss in the tournament.

Aamer Yamin gave Pakistan its first success with the wicket of England captain Kevin Pietersen (4).

Meanwhile, Ian Bell scored run-a-ball 11 before getting run out in the fifth over.

Phil Mustard scored 30 off 17, while Kevin O’Brien scored 24 off 17 but failed to get England out of the trouble as wickets kept falling at an alarming rate.

England’s lower order collapsed miserably as they lost six wickets for a meagre 37 runs, bundling out for 117. Overall, only four batters managed to reach double figures.

Saeed Ajmal led the bowling with the figures of 3-12, while Abdul Razzaq picked two wickets.

The 79-run victory extended Pakistan Champions’ lead at the top of the World Championship of Legends standings with eight points from four games. They are followed by Australia Champions and India Champions with four points each.

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