‘Very emotional campaign’ - Matthew Hayden opens up on Pakistan's 2022 T20 World Cup journey

Pakistan registered a massive victory against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) as the Men in Green are now headed to Melbourne for the finals of the showpiece event Down Under.

Babar Azam’s side was initially down and out after two successive losses that included a shock defeat to Zimbabwe in the Super 12 stage. However, some luck coupled with a dominant performance against the Kiwis sealed them a date against England in the finals.

Pakistan mentor Matthew Hayden opined the team's journey, stating that it has been nothing short of "emotional", considering the highs and lows the team went through.

“It's a very emotional campaign. A beautiful metaphor for this team that, at its heart, has got raw talent mixed with the passion of a nation that loves the game. The highs have been excellent in this tournament for Pakistan,” said Hayden while speaking to the media after the team's practice session in Melbourne.

"I think there have been some key performances, for me, the other day was off the field when Babar was throwing in warm-up balls to Rizwan; that's very reflective of a culture that's working, hoping, and building that commonality. I think that's a beautiful moment,” added Hayden.

“When it comes to these huge tournaments, we know what it means. It means the opportunity to lift the World Cup; it means the opportunity to set nations alight and alive again, reinvigorate a nation through its national team's performance,” he concluded.

Pakistan are now on course for their final game as both teams are sweating it out to play for the coveted title on Sunday. Given that both the nations have a title each, the winner of the current edition will level West Indies’ record for most titles (2) in the tournament history.