T20 World Cup 2022: “We'll be waiting for you in Melbourne" - Shoaib Akhtar shares message for India after Pakistan reach final

Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar stated that he is eagerly awaiting an India-Pakistan T20 World Cup 2022 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, November 13.

The Men in Green progressed to the final after beating New Zealand by seven wickets in the first semi-final on Wednesday, November 9. Team India, meanwhile, will lock horns with England in the second semi-final on Thursday, November 10.

After Babar Azam and Co.'s thumping win over the Kiwis, Akhtar shared a video message stating that he's looking forward to an India-Pakistan final. In a short clip shared on Twitter, the former speedster said:

“India, we have reached Melbourne and now we are waiting for you. Wish you the best of luck and hope you reach Melbourne. I want an India vs Pakistan final and, once more, they face each other. The whole world is waiting for it."

Incidentally, India and Pakistan squared off in their first Super 12 game in front of a packed MCG stadium on October 23. The match went down to the wire before a batting masterclass from Virat Kohli saw the Men in Blue win the cliffhanger.

The talismanic batter remained unbeaten on 82 off 53 balls and won the Player of the Match award for his breathtaking knock.

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Pakistan beat New Zealand convincingly to reach the T20 World Cup final

Opting to bat first at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), New Zealand never really got going. They lost Finn Allen in the first over before Devon Conway and Kane Williamson tried to build a partnership. But Conway's stay in the middle was cut short owing to Shadab Khan's brilliant effort in the field.

Williamson then paired up with Daryll Mitchell but the boundaries were hard to come by. The Kiwi skipper was eventually knocked over by Shaheen Afridi for 46 off 42 balls.

Mitchell (53* off 35) scored a quickfire fifty to take the team's total to 152/4 in 20 overs.

It looked like a challenging total at the halfway stage as Pakistan's batting unit has often struggled to get going in the ongoing T20 World Cup. However, Babar Azam (53) and Mohammad Rizwan (57) came out all guns blazing, stitching together a 105-run opening stand.

The Men in Green ultimately won the game by seven wickets with five balls to spare.

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