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Table Of Contents
Pakistan Champions have had a good start so far in the World Championship of Legends 2025. Their first match was a no result due to rain, but in the second match they defeated England Champions and made their mark in the tournament. Hafeez played a dhamakedar innings of 54 runs in the top order, while Aamer Yamin gave the finishing touch with 27* runs. Sharjeel also showed some fire in the opening. In bowling, Rumman Raees and Aamer Yamin maintained the economy and Sohail Tanvir made a crucial breakthrough. They defended a score of 160 and won the match by 5 runs – which shows that the team can handle pressure as well. There is a lot of experience within the team – Mohammad Hafeez is a thoughtful captain, and there is variety in the bowling attack. Pakistan’s bowlers know how to control the flow of the match, and their lower-middle order is also doing a good job of finishing. The performance so far shows that Pakistan Champions are becoming a silent killer team – a bit of a low-profile start, but when they come into the match they make a full impact. Even more clinical performances are expected from them in the upcoming matches, especially when they are up against a team of power-hitters like West Indies.
The campaign of West Indies Champions has been a bit inconsistent. Till now they have played three matches in which they have won one and lost two. Their last match was against Australia in which they got a huge defeat by 8 wickets – Chris Lynn ruined their bowling and finished the match in just 9.3 overs. Lendl Simmons, Bravo and Gayle showed a bit of fight in batting but the total of 142 was less by modern T20 standards. In bowling, Ashley Nurse and Nikita Miller gave away 96 runs in 12 overs – clearly the bowling unit collapsed under pressure. This team has individual match-winners - power hitters like Gayle, Smith, Bravo and experienced bowlers too - but they have not yet found rhythm as a team. Wickets fall in the middle overs and the bowling has lacked yorker or death overs execution. The team will have to show both discipline and consistency if they have to win against a composed and tactical team like the Pakistan Champions. This match is a chance for them to make a comeback - either they will get momentum or the path to the semi-finals could be difficult.
Headingley's pitch is considered balanced for T20 matches. Both batsman and bowler get help here. But most of the matches are high scoring. The pitch becomes flat as the match progresses, so batting second seems a little easier.
This ground is famous for runs. It is common to score above 180. In 2024, the average score decreased a little, but still it is a good ground for batting. If a batsman gets set, he gets a big score here.
Fast bowlers take wickets, but their economy rate is a little higher. Spinners have a little problem. Batting is easy in the powerplay, but bowlers have a chance in the death overs. Jordan Thompson does well here, especially in the powerplay and at the end. Sometimes spin also comes in handy, as Jaffer Chohan showed.
Role of the toss
The team that wins the toss mostly bowls first. Because the pitch becomes easier with time. That's why chasing seems easy. Such a pattern is being seen in recent matches.
This is the first official clash between Pakistan Champions and West Indies Champions at Legends level, so direct T20I or WCL records are not available. But if we talk about old international rivalry between the players of these two teams, then it is full of history. Hafeez vs Pollard clash has always been exciting – Hafeez sometimes tied him with a tight line and Pollard replied by hitting big sixes. Kamran Akmal vs Sheldon Cottrell is also an interesting battle – Akmal sometimes attacked early and Cottrell used to come back with his salute celebration. Sohail Tanvir and Dwayne Smith are also such names who have created some great impactful moments against each other. Smith's aggressive style and Tanvir's unorthodox bowling action - whenever they came face to face, there were fireworks. So even though this match is the first chapter of their official H2H record, the background of the rivalry is old and intense. So for the fans, this is going to be a full money-vasool encounter - a T20 Dhamaka of nostalgia, rivalry and legends!
Mohammad Hafeez (c), Kamran Akmal (wk), Shoaib Malik, Sharjeel Khan, Asif Ali, Umar Amin, Aamer Yamin, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Rumman Raees
Injury Update: None
Chris Gayle (c), Dwayne Smith, Lendl Simmons, Chadwick Walton (wk), William Perkins, Kieron Pollard, Ashley Nurse, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Nikita Miller, Shannon Gabriel
Injury Updates: None
Disclaimer: CricOpinion provides predictions based on analysis, understanding, and intuition. Refer to records and stats before making decisions. You are not bound to follow these predictions. CricOpinion is not responsible for any losses, damages, or consequences resulting from the use of this information.
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