Pakistan: Road to the final

Pakistan have not had it easy on the way to their second successive final of the ICC World Twenty20.

A loss against India in a warm-up game in front of a packed house meant the Younus Khan team would be under the scanner and life would hang by a thread.

What did not make matters any better was an abysmal show against England in their first group game, going down as they did by 48 runs at the Oval. The media back in Pakistan had started calling for Younus' head. "Why does he keep smiling?" they screamed.

In fact, things came to a point where the beleaguered skipper had to explain his smiling ways. "I like to laugh in the face of adversity" followed by his comments on how Twenty20 is pure fun and how Pakistan were in a state of war, did not win him any patronage with his bosses in the Pakistan Cricket Board.

An 82 run cake-walk over the Netherlands saw Pakistan eventually make it to the Super Eights stage but that was only expected. Their real test would once again come against the rampaging Sri Lankans and they would once again disappoint. Tillekaratne Dilshan was in his elements for the Lankans, and the men from the Emerald Isles prevailed by 19 runs.

It was then that destiny smiled. Swing bowler Yaseer Arafat sustained an injury and had to be sent home and in flew Abdur Razzaq, who had found a new lease of life after parting ways with the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The all-rounder, making a comeback after two years, made a huge statement against New Zealand, sharing the new ball with the talented Mohammad Amir. The new ball pair managed to restrict the Kiwis in the first six overs and then it was all about a five wicket burst by Umar Gul that sealed the deal for Pakistan, who raced away to a six wicket win, chasing a paltry 100 for victory.

With Ireland to brush aside for a berth in the semi-finals, Pakistan suddenly looked the side to beat. Indeed as expected the Irish were no match for Kamran Akmal's grit with the bat, Shahid Afridi's guiles with the bat or Gul's lethal movement. Pakistan had made it to the last four and were all set to take on the South Africans.

The Trent Bridge wicket in Nottingham had served the spinners well right through the ICC World Twenty20 and the Proteas did well to restrict a powerful Pakistani batting line-up to 149.

The Graeme Smith led dug-out were charged up. Victory should not be rocket science. After all, a target of 150 would not have unnerved a list studded with Smith, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, AB deVilliers, JP Duminy, Albie Morkel.... All looked well till Afridi struck.

A four wicket haul by the end of his quota of four overs had all but sealed South Africa's fate. One of the favourites for the Championship, the Proteas fell agonisingly short by seven runs.

For the second time on the trot, Pakistan had made it to the finals of the ICC World Twenty20. The trials and tribulations of the journey would only be so symbolic of the turmoil the country has gone through since that dramatic last final against India that afternoon at the Wanderers two years back.

Leading run-getter:

172 (ave.57.33) in 6 matches - Younis Khan

Most wickets:

12 (ave.10.75) in six matches by Umar Gul
12 (ave.11.25) in six matches by Saeed Ajmal