In a thrilling match at the County Ground in Northampton, Pakistan Champions emerged victorious over West Indies Champions by 20 runs in the first semi-final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024.
Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan faced early setbacks with three key batsmen—Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, and Shoaib Malik—departing without contributing significantly. The West Indies bowlers capitalized on favorable conditions early on, swinging the ball under cloudy skies.
However, skipper Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal steadied the innings with a crucial 77-run partnership. Akmal’s aggressive innings of 46 runs off 31 balls, including eight boundaries, provided momentum. After Akmal’s dismissal, quick wickets fell including Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq.
Younis Khan anchored the innings with a composed 65 runs before falling to Fidel Edwards. Aamer Yahim and Sohail Tanvir further bolstered Pakistan’s total with a 61-run partnership lower down the order. Pakistan eventually set a competitive target of 199 runs for the West Indies to chase.
In response, the West Indies had a slow start, managing just seven runs in the first four overs. Chris Gayle attempted to accelerate with boundaries but was dismissed for 26 runs by Sohail Khan. The West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals despite Ashley Nurse’s quickfire 36 off 24 balls. Rayad Emrit’s brisk 29 off 9 balls provided late fireworks but wasn’t enough to overhaul Pakistan’s total.
Sohail Khan starred with the ball for Pakistan, claiming four crucial wickets and restricting the West Indies to 178 runs. Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik supported with two wickets each, ensuring Pakistan’s passage to the WCL 2024 final, where they will face either India or Australia.
