By Arqum Malik

All everyone talked about when the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup began was the rivalry between Pakistan and India, and the team’s iconic clash on October 24. The jinx everyone kept mentioning was how Pakistan, despite having the upper hand in overall encounters, had never beaten India in a World Cup event — both 50-over and T20.

However, Babar Azam-led Pakistan put an end to the decades-long wait with a 10-wicket thrashing.

Pakistan end decades-old wait with 10-wicket thrashing of India

Now, we turn over to another statistic, and one that has gone under the radar. Pakistan have never beaten Australia in an ICC knockout event.

ESPNcricinfo also said that Australia have won all four ICC knockout games against Pakistan — the 1987 World Cup semi-final, the 1999 World Cup final, the 2010 T20 World Cup semi-final and the 2015 World Cup quarter-final.

All four games broke hearts in a unique way.

Recap

In 1987, the Imran Khan-led side, among the tournament’s favourites, were knocked out in the semi-final by a mere 18-run margin. Before their encounter in Lahore, Pakistan had won five out of six matches.

In 1999, Pakistan beat a struggling-to-find-form Australia in the group stages. By the final, Australia had found it, and Pakistan bore the brunt. An overwhelmingly one-sided match gave Australia their first trophy since 1987, and then, there was no looking back.

In 2010, Pakistan ran into Michael Hussey, who smashed a 24-ball 60 and took apart Mohammad Amir and Saeed Ajmal to potentially give the duo nightmares. Pakistan were the reigning T20 world champions at the time.

In 2015, Pakistan were downed by Australia in the quarter-final, but not before left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz threatened with a spell that still remains in memory.

Come 2021 Now, Pakistan and Australia will face each other again — this time in Dubai. Australia, who have won five 50-over World Cup crowns, including three in a row, still await a

T20 world title in six attempts. They face a side eager to put the past behind them, and riding high on not only 16 consecutive T20I victories in the UAE, but also five successive wins in the tournament. The last time Pakistan lost a T20I in the UAE was in a Super Over against England in Sharjah in

November 2015. The match serves as another one for the stats aficionados, but for Pakistan and their fans, it is so much more — a chance to put the past behind them and get over a spell that would label this squad as the finisher of so-called jinxes.

This article was first published in Business Recorder on Nov 11, 2021