T20 World Cup semi-final: "We knew if we attacked, the other team would be on backfoot" - Babar Azam on Pakistan openers' approach in powerplay vs NZ

Pakistan captain Babar Azam shared their approach for the first semi-final match of the T20 World Cup against New Zealand on Wednesday, November 9. He stated that their plan was to capitalize on the powerplay overs and put the Kiwi bowlers under pressure.

Pakistan defeated the Blackcaps by seven wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground to make their second appearance in the tournament final since 2009.

After being asked to field first, a spirited Pakistan bowling unit led by Shaheen Afridi (2/24) restricted New Zealand to a moderate 152/4.

In response, openers Babar Azam (53 in 42 balls) and Mohammad Rizwan (57 in 43 balls) built a solid opening stand of 105 runs to set the tone. Pakistan eventually chased the target with five balls to spare.

They continued their unbeaten run against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the ICC tournaments, which now stands at four defeats in four meetings.

Speaking in a post-match press conference about how they made mistakes in the Super 12 stage, Babar Azam said:

"Sometimes when you think about certain plans and when you go inside (the pitch), you are unable to execute them. Then you eventually have pressure. In T20 you have to take risks, sometimes else you cannot set up a good total. When you try to do something extra, you tend to make mistakes."

Babar further added that their plan was to attack and put the New Zealand bowlers under pressure in the first six overs.

After a poor performance by the Pakistan openers in the Super 12 stage, many experts suggested changes in the opening combination. The popular notion was for Babar Azam to bat at No. 3. The Men in Green skipper managed just 39 runs in five matches in the group stage, while Rizwan accumulated 103 runs.

Speaking on the struggles of Pakistan's openers in group fixtures, Babar Azam said:

"There was nothing going in our mind (regarding splitting the opening pair). We were waiting for our time. In cricket you intend to score runs in each game but there are ups and downs which many go through."

Pakistan will meet either India or England in the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup on November 13 at the MCG. The two sides will clash in the second semi-final tomorrow (November 10) at the Adelaide Oval.