An epic T20 final awaits Pakistan vs England

An epic T20 final awaits Pakistan and England

[{"selector":"#anim-69625faa-ecea-442c-bebb-9f2e5c04a6cb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a167335b-d516-476e-ad17-1d24448c45c2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 217.21444%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-80e4fbf4-7ff9-49ef-befc-c9a424b7f5e8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Post-match platitudes tend to be dominated by controllables and one-percenters.

[{"selector":"#anim-11d16fd6-01fa-4da0-9010-c2c94f0d7e3f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dd6975b5-344e-4295-a09f-a094b443e2e4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 217.21444%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-41aa312f-5b6a-4c90-b815-5fa2c8ee81e0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Following England's seven-match, topsy-turvy series win over Pakistan six weeks ago,

[{"selector":"#anim-f99b2821-4b82-4bbc-a0da-7988ac5fc43b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b18e94ee-c6d1-4182-b0dc-cbd4eddd8b18","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.76021%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-85bd8198-84c9-4ce5-80df-ac4d6172d309 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Having claimed that "laws of nature" ruled the fortunes of his team, Saqlain Mushtaq was roundly criticized.

[{"selector":"#anim-8a295733-333d-4b2e-8784-397195678c8f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7c7b72d-a5ae-43c0-a8a8-d09b31545569","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.76021%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8785109a-7b15-496f-b10e-bc91a4b2db42 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] The fluctuations Pakistan's head coach was expected to oversee, even amid the brickbats, left him a bit befuddled.

[{"selector":"#anim-86ca19e9-c759-44c6-8fb9-6d2a6c9fb818","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-69e03623-024d-43c4-9542-0911f3f319ed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 256.71296%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2eb7ddfd-2482-4eb9-b327-e791e1cbc668 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Prior to collapsing to 28 for 4 in pursuit of an outlandish 212,

[{"selector":"#anim-3fd1d6b7-049b-4b39-880e-f90613219841","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e1a448f-7b06-45c9-9baf-4c9add86027d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 173.55247%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e50d497f-72f5-492e-aebf-7473c0e1c490 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] One bewitching stand saw Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan reach 200 runs.

[{"selector":"#anim-c901246c-4043-4887-8960-65f4d855b6e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1af464d4-ded7-45b3-ad70-d963f616e178","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 160.23392%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4a1bc5a-0c3b-4bf4-a93c-94bc9f7ca251 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Such feral genius cannot be tamed, let alone legislated against, even on the most imposing stage in Karachi.

[{"selector":"#anim-6e03ed5e-7163-478b-b5d0-474b833ac97c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cd9833d4-e1fa-4e0b-9764-79822da83fc9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 258.79626%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7ac328ee-c1f0-409f-9479-9f4993b98112 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] So, what better explanation could there be for this ludicrous logic?

[{"selector":"#anim-2fb2c31e-34a1-441f-b518-594ac2c1491a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-76992216-938b-4c98-ad6b-62fb238c0367","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 258.79626%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-122753ae-3719-4e48-ab47-3351a20f2082 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-16.064568089542334%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] At the MCG, England vs Pakistan in a World Cup final

[{"selector":"#anim-f2a897b8-6cd9-4fbc-a669-048cb5aad722","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb0e53b3-3188-4693-9586-0b6870a9cf5e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 190.45390%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0c515408-0359-4f1d-8d18-68da39be568e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(22.734374971763096%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] This classic encounter last took place in 1992, at the dawn of the white-ball era.