Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman
They defeated Sri Lanka by 37 runs and England by 87 runs before edging past Sri Lanka by one wicket in a thrilling encounter, where Shadab Khan’s unbeaten century proved decisive.
I expect big players to stand up in big games,” Hesson told the Pakistan Cricket Board ahead of the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Hesson believes the big occasion could bring the best out of the experienced pair, who have struggled to make an impact with the bat during the tournament. “You are talking about two of the greatest players in Pakistan’s history in the top three. Despite their lack of substantial contributions, Pakistan have managed to reach the final with three successive victories.
Hesson said the team’s ability to win games without significant contributions from some of its established batters was an encouraging sign. “The fact that we have been able to achieve the wins that we have without the top order performing as well as we know they are capable of is a good sign,” he said. To get three wins in a row without contributions from a few of our key players is a good sign,” he said.
He also backed them to produce a match-winning performance when it matters most. “A couple of our key players are searching for that match-winning performance, and there’s no better place to do it than in a final. Pakistan’s campaign has not been without setbacks. They suffered an eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in their final league fixture, but Hesson remained satisfied with the team’s overall progress. “It’s been a pretty good couple of weeks. We have played some decent cricket without being perfect.