It had all the essentials of a classic. With lights on in Birmingham and the trophy of the World Championship of Legends up for grabs, the Champions of Pakistan strolled out, all the confidence in the world, with Sharjeel Khan swinging his bat like a bazooka. A final total of 195? Not bad, that’s winning the title. Or it should have been anyway. Then came not just an AB de Villiers masterclass that was so destructive and so clinical, but a performance that left Pakistani fans bewitched, staring blankly into their bowls of chai.
Failure to Capitalize on a Strong Platform
Let’s first mention where it went right, but was only slight – the Pakistan batting. Yes, Sharjeel Khan thumped 76 off 44, and Asif Ali and Umar Amin provided some explosive cameos after, but take Sharjeel away and the strike rate disappears into the abyss. In Shoaib Malik, you have 20 off 25 – the cricketing equivalent of a traffic jam in Karachi – slow, frustrating, and completely out of place at rush hour. There was no intent in the middle overs; 126/2 in the 14th over was a platform to aim for 210+, but instead, Pakistan cobbled together 195. The middle-overs performance gave South Africa some breathing room, and with de Villiers to come, that’s all they need.
The AB de Villiers Superstorm
Now speaking of Villiers, let’s get onto the tsunami in a helmet. If the first innings was a missed opportunity, the second was a one-man wrecking machine. Like Diwali fireworks over Lahore, AB de Villiers illuminated Edgbaston with a stunning 120 off 60 balls, featuring 12 fours and 7 sixes. Every bowler Pakistan had got swatted away like an unwanted WhatsApp forward. Wahab’s pace? Nope. Ajmal’s guile? Nope. Is Imad’s dumb attempt to turn into a wrist spinner? Nope. The man was not playing cricket; he was conducting a bat symphony. And let’s not forget JP Duminy’s ice-cold 50 off 28 that meant AB didn’t have to slow for a partner.
Toothless Bowling and Sloppy Fielding
But the match wasn’t just lost to excellence—it was also capitulated by butter fingers and toothless bowling. Pakistan’s attack looked more like a nostalgia festival—reminding everyone of the time they could bowl—with no expectation of delivery. Imad Wasim went for 38 from a mere two overs.His spell resembled a faulty valve — runs gushed from Tanvir with no end in sight. Hafeez rolled his arms over for an over, as if to check the water temperature before jumping in, and then decided to retreat. There were no yorkers at the death, no cutters that stuck, and there was no pressure whatsoever. And yet the fielding didn’t help at all. There were several missed run-out chances combined with a lack of urgency that turned the last few overs of a tense chase into an altogether meaningless net session for South Africa!
So, how did a bright start deteriorate into a one-sided thrashing? Simple. Pakistan Champions built a fortress, but forgot to lock the gate immediately. A mediocre finish with the bat, a bowling attack that looked like it was stuck in 2012, and a front-row view of one of AB’s T20 masterpieces- this final was theirs to lose, and they did. South Africa Champions were ruthless, Pakistan were reactive. And in contemporary T20 cricket, that is the only margin you need.
Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.
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