Pakistan captain Babar Azam silenced his critics, scoring a brilliant half-century to help his team reach the final of the ongoing T20 World Cup. Babar, who was going through a lean patch since the Asia Cup in September, scored 53 off 42 balls as Pakistan defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in the semi-final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. However, prior to the semi-final, Babar and his opening partner, Mohammad Rizwan, who hit 57 off 42 against the Kiwis, faced criticism from several current and former Pakistan players for their lean patch.
During a post-match press conference, Babar gave a befitting response to the critics who were not happy with his and Rizwan's performances.
"Mere khyaal se zehen me aisa kuch nahi tha. Ham apne waqt ka wait kar rahe the. Ye cricket hai, aap koshish karte hain ki aap har match me perform karein. Par ups and downs chalte rehte hain. Tanqeed sab hi karte hain, ham achha bhi karte hain toh vo karte hain. Ye jeet aap enjoy karein, Pakistan me jo aawam hai, aur jo yahan pe crowd tha, vo bhi enjoy karein, aur jo TV pe baithe hain, vo bhi enjoy karein. (We were waiting for our time. This is cricket and you try to do your best in every game, but there are ups and downs. We always try to give our best. Everybody criticises, even if we perform well. So, Pakistan fans back home and those who were here in crowd should celebrate this win. The ones who are sitting in television should also do the same)," Babar said during a post-match press conference.
After opting to bat, New Zealand were restricted to 152/4 by the Pakistan bowlers.
In reply, Pakistan chased down the total with five balls to spare.
Pakistan will now take on England in the final in Melbourne on Sunday.