Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist described Sunday’s T20 Cricket World Cup final between England and Pakistan as a “lottery” in what promises to be a “real clash of the titans”.
England booked their spot in the big dance with a resounding 10-wicket victory over India, while Pakistan chased down New Zealand’s total of 153 with five balls to spare.
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Both teams have not won the T20 World Cup for some time, with Pakistan and England last winning the tournament in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
But one nation’s longstanding drought will come to an end on Sunday — weather permitting — and Gilchrist is as excited as ever.
“It’s just a lottery,” Gilchrist told foxsports.com.au.
“And that’s what makes it intriguing. I don’t’ think anyone can confidently, with any great authority, predict who is definitely going to win any of these games, and that’s what has made it such a compelling tournament.
“I think it’s been just a remarkable event, showcasing the closing of the gap of lesser-known nations in comparison to the big dogs of world cricket. It’s been absolutely brilliant.
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“Then some extraordinary skill and athleticism, but the unpredictability is what’s made it really intriguing and I think that carries through to the final.
“Both teams will be riding emotional highs so it could be a real clash of the titans.”
However, fellow Aussie great Brett Lee believes the dominance of England’s batting performance in the win against India could come back to bite.
Opening pair Jos Buttler and Alex Hales were at their brilliant best, blasting an unbeaten 170 to defeat India.
But Lee noted the fact Buttler and Hales spent the entire innings out in the middle may backfire through no fault of their own.
“They absolutely blew India away,” Lee said.
“They took the situation and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. They backed themselves and obviously went out there and played with freedom.
“Now, the conundrum for England is that their other batters haven’t had a hit in the past 24-48 hours, the guys batting No. 3, 4 and 5.
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“In a pressure situation, what happens if England are 3-20? Then all of a sudden you’ve got that middle order that were sitting back watching guys like Hales and Buttler absolutely nailing them.
“That’s a bit of a concern. Even though you win so well, other players didn’t get a hit. It is what it is.”
It could become an ever larger problem when Pakistan’s world-class bowling attack is brought into the picture.
So much so that Lee believes the nation has “more chance” of taking the spoils home.
“I guess for Pakistan, they’ve got such a great bowling attack,” Lee said.
“So they need those big names like Shaheen Shah Afridi, he needs to do exactly what he did at the SCG. He’s Mitchell Starc-esque, isn’t he? He’s got a similar sort of profile; he’s tall, strong at the crease, he shapes the ball back in beautifully. He’s a superstar of world cricket.
“Then you’ve got Naseem Shah and guys that can bowl quick pace. (Haris) Rauf, I mean, Pakistan have probably got the best bowling attack going around at the moment.
“It’s going to be tough. I still think Pakistan (will win) if they turn up with that right presence and, under the guidance of Matty Hayden, they’ve got more chance of doing that I reckon.”
