Kevin Pietersen Predicts Outcome Of T20 World Cup Final Between New Zealand And Australia

Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen has offered his prediction for the T20 World Cup final between trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand and Australia. The match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. With both teams eyeing their first T20 World Cup title, the former England batter cited history to make his prediction. In his blog for Betway, he said that although New Zealand are a well-drilled unit, he wouldn't be surprised if the Aussies emerge as winners in the final.

"New Zealand seem to have all bases covered, but I fancy Australia," he wrote.

"History suggests that when you get these two together in a major final, the Aussies blow the Kiwis away. It's what happened in the 2015 50-over final in Melbourne. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Australia lift the trophy on Sunday," he added.

Both teams finished second in their respective groups before beating two tournament favourites in the semi-finals. The Kane Williamson-led Black Caps stunned England in the first semi-final on Wednesday, before the Aaron Finch-led Aussies edged Pakistan, who were unbeaten during the Super 12 stage, in a thriller on Thursday.

The 41-year-old also lauded the Australian habit of emerging as winners in a do-or-die situation, which David Warner had exemplified in the second semi-final against Pakistan.

"It's the Australian way that when it's do or die, they do. They'll just get the job done. That's why they've been a formidable opponent for such a long time. If they get themselves into a semi-final of a major tournament, they'll find something extra," he wrote.

"David Warner is a great example of that. People like to cut sportspeople down very quickly after a bad run - and make no mistake, Warner was struggling with Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL - but he hasn't had the success he's had because he's a rubbish player. He's shown his class in this competition when his team needed him most. It's not a coincidence," he added.

In terms of all-time T20I head-to-head stats, Australia have won nine games out of 13, but New Zealand won the only game between these two sides at this level, during the 2016 T20 World Cup.

Topics mentioned in this article

Australia Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Kevin Pietersen ICC T20 World Cup 2021 New Zealand vs Australia, Final Cricket