‘It will make the T20 World Cup bigger’ – Shoaib Akhtar wants India and Pakistan to lock horns in final clash

The T20 World Cup 2021 is in its business end and cricket lovers all over the world are occupied. While Pakistan, England, and Australia have sealed a semi-final berth, three teams are in contention to get the remaining spot – India, New Zealand, and Afghanistan. While the Kiwis, who have matters in their own hands, are the front-runners to qualify for the knock-out stage, former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar wants India to go through.

Akhtar apparently wants to see Pakistan battling it out against their arch-rivals in the final clash. It has to be noted that Pakistan and India met in their respective opening clash of the competition. While the Virat Kohli-led side was touted favourites for the fixture, the Men in Green stunned them with an emphatic 10-wicket triumph. This also brought an end to India’s long-running winning streak against Pakistan in World Cup events.

India have a fair amount of chance: Shoaib Akhtar

As India suffered another defeat against New Zealand, their World Cup campaign seemed all but over. However, emphatic wins against Afghanistan and Scotland ignited hopes among the Indian fans. While India’s chances of going through are still on the knife’s edge, Akhtar wants to see the inaugural-edition champions piping New Zealand and Afghanistan to get the semi-final ticket.

“Many people are saying that New Zealand should (beat Afghanistan to) knock India out of the tournament. I cannot speak on behalf of New Zealand. I only hope that Pakistan top the (Group 2) chart. We shouldn’t worry about the rest of the outcomes,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.

“If you beat Scotland, you top the group. You shouldn’t worry about which team you could play against. Yes, I do have a wish, as I had said earlier, that why play just one match against India? Why not play the final? And a final (between India and Pakistan) is possible. It will be good for cricket if India play the final against Pakistan. This is going to make the World Cup bigger,” he added.

For the unversed, the New Zealand vs Afghanistan clash on Sunday (November 7) would decide India’s fate in the competition. A win for the Kiwis will end India’s chances while Afghanistan’s triumph will keep them in contention. In case, Afghanistan wins, India would need to defeat Namibia by a certain margin in their last league-stage game to qualify.