Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh mirrored that thought but went a step ahead and compared the game to the ICC 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand.
The team's remarkable rise has been cricket's biggest fairytale story in recent times but Afghanistan risk isolation following the country's takeover by the Taliban in August.
Babar Azam has led Pakistan team well in the ongoing T20 World Cup and doesn't need to do anything differently in the semi-final against Australia on Thursday, PCB chairman and former skipper Ramiz Raja said on the eve of the game.
Sunrisers Hyderabad star spinner Rashid Khan and all-rounder Mohammad Nabi have joined the franchise in UAE and are currently undergoing quarantine. The team management is confident that they will be kept in the best frame of mind as they ply their trade in the second half of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Many fans had Pakistani flags waving from the windows of their cars.
South Africa will open their T20 World Cup campaign against Australia on October 23 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
'We are pretty sorted in terms of how we are going to start in the first game (versus Pakistan).'
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was awestruck by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's cool demeanour under pressure, describing the legendary Chennai Super Kings skipper as one of the greatest finishers of the game.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Saturday said the T20 World Cup may have to be shifted from India to the United Arab Emirates due to the COVID-19 situation.
He is not seeing what perhaps everyone else around him is seeing: An over-commercialised player who is really an under-performing batsman, observes Sandeep Goyal.
With the ICC headquartered in Dubai, the BCCI, if need be, can take help of the global body which has a huge team of ACU officials who can be hired
Papua New Guinea secured their place in the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup in Australia next year with a 45-run win over Kenya, in Dubai.
Both teams trained on Thursday evening, maintaining social distancing norms and protocols.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between New Zealand and Scotland, in Dubai, on Wednesday.
India-off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has gained a place to be seventh in the latest International Cricket Council bowlers' rankings in Tests.
While there were speculations that IPL will start from September 26, the BCCI decided to advance it by a week in order to ensure that the Indian team's tour of Australia is not jeopardised.
'This will be the first time since 2005 that an England team has toured Pakistan and as such it represents a significant moment for both nations.'
Former India opener Virender Sehwag there can't be a better 'mentor' than Dhoni when it comes to young players, who are a bit introvert and need someone to guide them as they try to express themselves on the field.
The man who made the verbal offer to Sarfaraz is based in Dubai and known to the Pakistani players.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12 Group 2 match between India and Pakistan, in Dubai, on Sunday.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan said it is ready to take legal recourse and seek compensation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India after the ICC ruled in Pakistan's favour in a dispute over the women's series which was not held in September-October in Dubai.
England captain Eoin Morgan is delighted that his team began its T20 World Cup campaign on a winning note as spinner Moeen Ali exploited the conditions to flatten the West Indies, in Dubai, on Saturday.
The BCCI, which provides close to 80 percent of the ICC's revenues, is adamant that a revamp of world cricket must go through, failing which it will pull out of ICC events.
International Cricket Council's new chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat admitted that ensuring a balanced volume of cricket remains a major challenge for the game's world governing body. Despite the growing popularity of Twenty20 and the cricket boards worldwide wanting to play more shortened matches to cater to the public demand, Lorgat feels it is important to maintain a balance.
Sam's brother, Tom, has been drafted into England's squad for the World Cup. In addition, Surrey's left-arm seamer Reece Topley has been added as a travelling reserve. Topley will join the England party in due course
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between Scotland and India, in Dubai, on Friday.
The England players are all set to be allowed to take part in the remainder of the cash-rich Indian Premier League after the postponement of their limited overs series in Bangladesh in September.
India captain Virat Kohli said his side's impeccable tournament record against Pakistan will count for nothing when they face each other on Sunday and they will need to be at their very best to overcome Babar Azam's side in the Twenty20 World Cup.
West Indies captain Kieron Pollard has simple advice for his team after being "demolished" by England in their Twenty20 World Cup opener -- forget the thrashing and revive the title defence.
Neither the batting has worked nor has the bowling clicked in the two matches played so far.
Images from the T20 World Cup semi-final between Pakistan and Australia, in Dubai, on Thursday.
As large as an eight to 10-storey building, the bat weighs 950 kg and is nearly 32 times longer than a standard bat.
Former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan has said that the Men in Blue are not out of the T20 World Cup just because they lost their first game against arch-rival Pakistan.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, on Sunday.
Virat Kohli stepped down as India's 20-overs skipper and lost ODI captaincy too with Rohit Sharma taking over as their sole white-ball leader.
Indian captain Virat Kohli on Saturday said he has "no idea exactly what's happening" when asked about the legendary Rahul Dravid being in line to be the team's head coach after the T20 World Cup.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for Sunday's T20 World Cup game against Pakistan?
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, India skipper Virat Kohli have also opposed the idea of four-day Tests.
Usman Khawaja batted bravely for nearly nine hours to make 141 and help Australia salvage a draw in the first Test against Pakistan, in Dubai, on Thursday.
The national selection committee, led by Chetan Sharma, is fretting over inclusion of an additional fast bowler in India's T20 World Cup squad as Hardik Pandya's chances of bowling during the tournament look bleak.
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