T20 World Cup final, Pakistan vs England as it happened: Curran, Stokes star as Eng win by 5 wickets

England defeat Pakistan to clinch title – ‘Undoubtedly best team in the tournament’

Player of the final: Sam Curran

Player of the tournament: Sam Curran

What a tournament he has had.

ENG 138/5 (19 overs): What a turn of events for Ben Stokes from Kolkata 2016. He hits the winning runs in yet another memorable win for his team to remain unbeaten on 52 off 49. England become the first team ever to hold the ODI and T20I World Cups for the first time. This is their second T20 World Cup triumph. Credit to Pakistan for fighting till the end but England deserved that win. Sam Curran was the star with the ball with 3/12 from his four overs, and Ben Stokes gets the job done with the bat.

ENGLAND ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

ENG 137/5 (18.4 overs): Fifty for Ben Stokes! The star all-rounder gets his first T20I half-century off 47 balls. What a time to get it! He gets there with a classy punch past cover for four. England need 1 off 8.

ENG 132/5 (18.2 overs): OUT! Mohammad Wasim bowls it full and Moeen Ali chops the ball on. The left-hander departs for 19 off 13 as Liam Livingstone comes to the crease. England need 6 off 10.

ENG 131/4 (18 overs): Quiet over by Haris Rauf, five runs from it. England need 7 off 12, they could do it without taking any risk.

ENG /4 (17 overs): Another big over for England! Moeen shows composure and hits M Wasim for fours either side of the wicket, before ending the over with a top edge over Rizwan for four. It seemed we would have a tight finish but England are running away with this. They now need 12 off 18.

ENG 110/4 (16 overs): Stokes goes big! Iftikhar comes to to finish Shaheen’s over and is hit for a four and six by the left-hander. He moves on to 39 off 38. England now need 28 off 24.

ENG 97/4 (15.1 overs): Oh dear, Shaheen returns to the attack with courage but he’s off the field after just one ball due to the pain in his knee. Big moment in the game and you’ve got to feel for the left-arm pacer.

ENG 97/4 (15 overs): It was turning into another good over for Pakistan, by Haris Rauf this time, but Stokes manages to punch the last ball past cover for four. England now need 41 off 30.

Shaheen Afridi is back on the field and looks to be running freely.

ENG 89/4 (14 overs): Stokes survives! He slips while trying to scamper back but Haris Rauf can’t get the direct hit from mid-on. That was a superb over for Pakistan by Naseem, just two runs from it. Stokes needs to get a move-on here, he’s batting on 21 off 30. England need 49 off 36.

ENG 84/4 (12.3 overs): OUT! Brook was looking edgy in the last few overs and he’s on his way back now. Shadab strikes as the right-hander finds Shaheen in the deep (20 off 23). Moeen Ali is the new batter but some concern for Pakistan as Shaheen is limping off the field, having possibly injured it while taking the catch.

ENG 83/3 (12 overs): Another tidy over for Pakistan, just four runs from it. Naseem returns to the attack and bowls fast to beat both batters. A sensational stop by Haris Rauf too at the boundary to save one run. Pakistan took a review for caught behind off the last ball but the review showed no edge (Stokes the batter).

ENG 79/3 (11 overs): Top over from Shadab, just two singles from it. England’s batters content not taking any risk against the leg-spinner.

ENG 77/3 (10 overs): Brilliant shot from Stokes, what timing. M Wasim offers a bit of width and the left-hander punches it past cover for four. Eight runs from that over. England are in a strong position at the halfway stage of their innings.

ENG 69/3 (9 overs): Streaky four for Stokes as he attempts a reverse sweep and gets an under-edge past Rizwan. Eight runs come from that Shadab over. Pakistan need to break this partnership soon.

ENG 61/3 (8 overs): A couple of wides from M Wasim in his first over. Brook is backing away and exposing his stumps consistently, trying to remain positive. Seven runs from that over as Brook takes a painful blow to his elbow off the last ball.

ENG 54/3 (7 overs): Leg-spinner Shadab Khan, Pakistan’s trump card in the middle overs, joins the attack and concedes just five runs in his first over. Ben Stokes has plenty of experience of big occasions and is looking in no rush at the moment.

ENG 45/3 (5.3 overs): OUT! Huge moment in the match as Haris Rauf dismissed Jos Buttler! The right-arm pacer gets one to nip away and the right-hander edges it to Rizwan. Buttler departs for 26 off 17 as Harry Brook comes to the crease. The MCG is buzzing and Pakistan believe.

ENG 43/2 (5 overs): What a shot! Buttler shows his full range and plays an audacious scoop for six. Naseem bowled four superb deliveries to the right-hander in that over, beating the outside edge on each occasion, but even gave five wides to England. Not the over Pakistan needed.

ENG 32/2 (3.3 overs): OUT! Haris Rauf strikes in his first over and England have lost their second wicket in the powerplay. Phil Salt whips one for four but then pulls one to mid-wicket. The right-hander departs for 10 off 9 as Ben Stokes comes to the crease.

ENG 28/1 (3 overs): Shot! Shaheen drifts onto the pads and Buttler flicks it past mid-wicket for four. The England captain continuing to look solid.

ENG 21/1 (2 overs): That’s the way England bat. That’s the way Jos Buttler bats. An early wicket, some movement, Naseem Shah swinging the ball away, but the England captain caresses the ball for two fours through cover. Salt gets a four too, streaky.

ENG 7/1 (1 over): OUT! Of course, Shaheeh Shah Afridi. Hales is bowled by a peach. And there he goes again, with yet another wicket in the first over. Atherton was saying the crowd were quiet, Pakistan looked a little flat in the first few deliveries, but that will lift them all up.

• 22.8% of Shaheen’s career wickets have come in his first over and his battle against England’s opening pair will be a fascinating one to watch.

Innings break: Nasser Hussain said there were some drizzles before the Pakistan innings ended. But looks like rain continues to stay away for now. Reminder, that we need at least 10 overs for a result.

PAK 137/8 (20 overs): Shaheen swings hard and gets a top edge over the keeper for four. But a solid las over by Jordan, six runs and a wicket from it.

Pakistan finish with 137/8

PAK 131/8 (19.3 overs): OUT! Third catch in the deep for Livingstone. M Wasim slogs the ball and has to walk back for 4 off 8. Outstanding last over from Jordan so far. The new batter is Haris Rauf.

PAK 131/7 (19 overs): Sam Curran finishes with a bowling spell that will be remembered for a long time. The left-arm medium-pacer returns with 3/12 from his four overs, after getting the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood and Mohammad Nawaz. Chris Jordan will bowl the last over with Mohammad Wasim Jr on strike.

PAK 129/7 (18.3 overs): OUT! Another shot in the air and another catch for Livingstone in the deep. Nawaz walks back for 5 off 7 as Curran gets his third wicket.

PAK 127/6 (18 overs): Brooks drops a straightforward chance at point before Pakistan pick up three overthrows. Last two overs coming up, Pakistan would want to get past 150 at least.

PAK 123/6 (17.2 overs): OUT! Another big blow to Pakistan. Jordan bowls it short and Shadab mistimes tha ball straight to mid-off. The right-hander departs for 20 off 14 and England are in firm control of the contest.

PAK 121/5 (16.3 overs): OUT! Curran returns to the attack and strikes! Shan connects well but finds the fielder at deep mid-wicket. The left-hander walks back for 38 off 28 as Nawaz comes to the crease.

PAK 119/4 (16 overs): Stokes offers some width and Shadab pounces on it with a cut for four. He then pulls one in the gap and picks up three. The right-hander is playing a crucial knock for his team again. Stokes, meanwhile, finishes with figures of 1/32 from his four overs.

PAK 106/4 (15 overs): A boundary for Shan as he cuts one from Jordan for four. But not much else for Pakistan in that over, eight runs from it. Five overs remaining in the Pakistan innings and they need to go big.

PAK 98/4 (14 overs): Buttler decides to bowl Rashid out and the leg-spinner is hit for a four in his last over by Shadab. But he finishes with excellent figures of 2/22.

PAK 85/4 (12.2 overs): OUT! The dangerous Iftikhar is out for a six-ball duck! Stokes with a beauty that takes the right-hander’s outside edge. England well on top now.

PAK 84/3 (11.1 overs): OUT! Adil Rashid strikes again and it’s the big wicket of Babar Azam. The leg-spinner bowls a superb googly and the right-hander, cramped for space, hits the ball straight back. The Pakistan skipper departs for 32 off 28 as Iftikhar Ahmed comes to the crease.

PAK 84/2 (11 overs): Big over for Pakistan! Livingstone comes on to bowl and Shan decides to go after him. The left-hander steps out twice and picks two boundaries straight over – the first was a four and the next a six. Just what Pakistan needed.

PAK 68/2 (10 overs): Babar and Shan run hard between the wickets and manage to pick nine runs from that Rashid over. That’s the halfway mark of the Pakistan innings and their total is close to what India’s was in the semifinal, which means a big finish is imperative.

PAK 59/2 (9 overs): Jordan comes on to bowl and Babar clips one stylishly in the gap for four. Nine runs from that over.

PAK 45/2 (7.1 overs): OUT! Adil Rashid joins the attack and strikes with his second delivery. Mohammad Haris steps out and tries to go big but is caught by Ben Stokes at long-on. The right-hander departs for 8 off 12 as Shan Masood comes to the crease.

PAK 45/1 (7 overs): Stokes returns to the attack and bowls a quiet over, just six runs from it. Haris is swinging hard as always but isn’t quite getting his timing right.

PAK 39/1 (6 overs): Woakes strays in line and Babar pulls it past short fine for four. Haris then whips the last ball over short-fine for four to end the powerplay on a high.

PAK 29/1 (5 overs): A terrific over from Curran, just one run and a wicket from it. This has been a slow start from Pakistan and England would want to close out the powerplay strongly.

PAK 29/1 (4.2 overs): OUT! England have their first wicket and Rizwan is on the way back. Curran bowls it wide and the right-hander chase it only to chop the ball on. He departs for 15 off 14 as Mohammed Haris comes to the crease.

Rizwan is getting treatment after hitting his head on the ground diving in to complete a single. He’s hurt his forehead but it doesn’t seem to be serious.

PAK 28/0 (4 overs): Six! First maximum of the match and it comes from Rizwan’s bat. The right-hander picks the length early and heaves the ball on the leg side. Pakistan’s best over so far, 12 runs from.

PAK 16/0 (3 overs): Good start by Curran too, just four runs from the first over.

PAK 12/0 (2 overs): Woakes starts with a wide down leg but does well to concede just four runs in the over. Babar and Rizwan haven’t played a really aggressive stroke so far.

PAK 8/0 (1 over): Well, that was an entertaining first over. Stokes starts with a no ball before bowling a wide down leg, but Rizwan can’t cash in on the free hit eventually. Rizwan then survives a run-out after setting off for a single that was never on. But luckily for him, Jordan couldn’t get the direct hit from mid-off. Babar then ends the over with a square-cut past point for three.

1.30 pm: Right, the weather is clear for now and we’re ready for play. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are at the crease for Pakistan, Ben Stokes has the new ball in hand for England. The powerplay will be crucial as always. Here we go!

Stat nuggets

• This will only be the third meeting between these two sides in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with England winning on the previous two occasions.
• In this edition of the World Cup, England have been the most destructive batting team in the powerplay, scoring 52 runs for the loss of one wicket on an average every game. Pakistan, on the other hand, have been the most impactful bowling team in the same phase. On average, they have taken two wickets and conceded only 37 runs every game. The battle between these two nations in the first six overs could potentially be match-defining.
• Mohammad Rizwan was the player of the match in the semi-final for his blistering half-century that took the sting out of New Zealand’s bowling attack. Since the completion of the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, he has been the leading run-scorer in the format (1274 runs), averaging 47.2 at a strike-rate of 124.7. During this period, he has scored 32.2% of Pakistan’s runs in wins (Avg: 60.5, SR: 130.3) and thus, he will once again be crucial for them at the top of the order. 
• Jos Buttler led England from the front against India and scored a scintillating 80* (49). Since the last year’s mega event, he has been one of England’s most prolific batters (Runs: 436, Avg: 36.3, SR: 160.9). In this period, Buttler has been particularly destructive between in the middle overs between 7-15, where he has one of the highest strike-rates with incredible boundary hitting ability (SR: 182.3, BPB: 4) and he will be a vital cog in their batting line-up. 
• Shaheen Afridi is currently the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the Super 12s phase, having taken 10 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.2. He has been especially impressive in the powerplay overs where he has taken five wickets and has the joint-best economy rate among bowlers who have bowled 10 overs or more (ER: 5.2, SR: 13.2). 22.8% of Shaheen’s career wickets have come in his first over and his battle against England’s opening pair will be a fascinating one to watch. 
• Sam Curran has been England’s most effective bowler since 2022, taking 22 wickets in 18 appearances. He has been majorly utilized as a death-overs specialist and has, in fact, taken the most number of wickets in this tournament between overs 16-20 (Wkts: 7, ER: 7.3, SR: 7.4). 

The players are making their way out, it’s time for the national anthems.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (w), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi.

England: Jos Buttler (w/c), Alex Hales, Philip Salt, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid.

Both teams remain unchanged.

TOSS: England have won the all-important toss and Jos Buttler has opted to bowl first.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 final between Pakistan and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It is finally the day of the final. Babar Azam and Jos Buttler’s teams are set to clash at the iconic MCG after what has been a memorable edition of the men’s T20 World Cup. There have been a number of thrilling matches, upsets and pieces of individual brilliance over the past weeks and now, we are left with the final two contenders who will battle for the coveted trophy.

Both Pakistan and England have won the men’s T20 World Cup once each and will be determined to get their hands on the trophy again. Azam and Co have had a rollercoaster ride in the tournament but stormed into the final with a convincing win against New Zealand. Buttler’s team has been solid apart from the shock defeat against Ireland in the group stage, with an emphatic victory against India in the semifinals. Both teams have plenty of match-winners in their ranks and if the weather remains clear, we’re surely in for another fascinating contest.

Squads

England: Jos Buttler (w/c), Alex Hales, Philip Salt, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Tymal Mills, Mark Wood, Dawid Malan.

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (w), Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Haider Ali, Asif Ali.