Pakistan Defeats West Indies to Secure Spot in WCL 2024 Final
Younis Khan-led Team Advances to WCL 2024 Final with Only One Loss in the Tournament.
Pakistan Champions defeated West Indies Champions by 20 runs in the first semi-final of the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024, held at the County Ground in Northampton on Friday.
Setting a challenging target of 199 runs, the Pakistani bowlers delivered a brilliant performance, ensuring their team’s progression to the final. Pakistan will face the winner of the semi-final between India and Australia in the tournament’s finale.
In the first semi-final of the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024, Pakistan Champions defeated West Indies Champions by 20 runs at the County Ground in Northampton on Friday.
After setting a challenging target of 199 runs, the Pakistani bowlers put on an impressive performance, restricting West Indies to 178 runs. Sohail Khan was the standout bowler, taking four wickets. Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik also contributed with two wickets each.
West Indies had a slow start, scoring only seven runs in the first four overs, but Chris Gayle soon found his rhythm, hitting boundaries in the fifth over. However, his innings was cut short by Sohail Khan, who dismissed him for 26 runs. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Ashley Nurse’s quickfire 36 off 24 balls and Rayad Emrit’s rapid 29 off 9 balls provided some resistance. Nurse was run out by Kamran Akmal, and Emrit fell to Shoaib Malik.
Batting first, Pakistan had a shaky start, losing Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, and Shoaib Malik early. However, a crucial 77-run partnership between skipper Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal steadied the innings. Akmal scored 46 off 31 balls before being dismissed. Younis Khan’s 65-run effort was pivotal, and a late 61-run partnership between Aamer Yamin and Sohail Tanvir ensured a competitive total. Yamin scored 37 off 17 balls, while Tanvir contributed 33 off 17 deliveries.
For West Indies, Fidel Edwards took three wickets, Sulieman Benn grabbed two, and Jerome Taylor and Dwayne Smith picked one wicket each. Pakistan’s victory has set them up for a final clash against the winner of the India vs Australia semi-final.
