ON THIS DAY
Follow UsRedemption is most satisfying when attained immediately. Pakistan learned this in the most delightful way when the Men in Green lifted the T20 World Cup on June 21, 2009, two years after losing an excruciating final game against arch-rivals India in the 2007 T20 World Cup.
The cricketing world was still figuring out the most optimum approach to playing T20s when the second edition of the T20 World Cup took place. The Indian Premier League had just started gaining momentum, and the defending champions, India, looked leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the nations.
After losing the 2007 T20 World Cup, the Pakistan cricket team didn't really have a confident run in T20Is either. They had lost a one-off T20I against Bangladesh in 2008 before reaching the final of T20 Canada 2008-09 tournament, only to lose to Sri Lanka. Younis Khan’s only encouraging win in the shortest format of the game came against Australia in another one-off T20I, held in Dubai in May 2009 - one month before the Men in Green lifted the World T20 Championship.
Held in England this time, the 2009 T20 World Cup saw the hosts as the favourites for obvious reasons. The English side was clubbed in Group B with Pakistan and the Netherlands. Two teams would advance into the Super 8 stage, and Pakistan could only beat the Netherlands to progress further.
No one expected last edition's runners-up to go all the way after suffering a comprehensive 48-run loss to England in the tournament's first game. However, with Australia eliminated from the Super 12 and Pakistan avoiding a dangerous-looking South Africa team in the Super 8, Younis Khan and Co. were optimistic.
The only Asian team to dominate the tournament was Sri Lanka, who had won all five group-stage games to reach the semis. On the other hand, Pakistan had revived their form just in time by beating New Zealand and Ireland after losing the first match against the Lankans in Super 8.
In the semis, the Pakistan team was pitted against South Africa, who had beaten India, West Indies and hosts England in the Super 8 and were the obvious favourites. However, a Man of the Match performance by Shahid Afridi saw Pakistan beat the Proteas by just seven runs. They met Pakistan in an all-Asian T20 World Cup final for the second edition running.
The Men in Green weren't the favourites in final as well against an unbeaten Sri Lanka side, so far in the tournament. But as was the case that edition, Pakistan thrived in such conditions, and they delivered.
Bowling first, Sri Lanka was reduced to 26/3, with Abdul Razzaq taking a brace and Mohammad Amir removing the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan on the opening maiden-wicket over the match. Though skipper Sangakkara would make a fighting 64 runs, the remaining batting line-up crumbled like a house of cards, and Sri Lanka posted a meek target of 139.
While Razzaq had taken a three-fer, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul and Amir had one scalp each to their names. Sri Lanka's bowling line-up, with the likes of Lasith Malinga and Muthiah Muralidaran, looked lethal, but Pakistani batters looked confident. Openers Shahzaib Hasan and Shahzaib Hasan provided a steady start for the experienced hands batting down the order to finish the game.
Shahid Afridi's 40-ball-50 ensured no hiccups in Pakistan's title-winning game after they were reduced to 63/2 in the 10th over. Pakistan won the match with eight balls remaining to lift the trophy at the Lord's.
Shahid Afridi would win the Man of the Match as Tilakaratne Dilshan took the Man of the Series. Since then, Pakistan are yet to lift a World Cup title.
