2022 T20 World Cup: England Win in Australia, Pakistan Heartbreak

The Tournament in Australia

The 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was held in Australia from October to November 2022 — the first T20 World Cup in Australia since the format's 2005 inception. Eight teams competed in a group stage before the Super 12 format with the final held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The MCG crowd for the final — 80,462 — was a record for any ICC T20 World Cup final. Australia had been the reigning champions, having won the 2021 edition in the UAE.

Group Stage Upsets

The 2022 tournament produced significant upsets. Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan — a shock result that complicated Pakistan's progress through the Super 12. The Netherlands defeated South Africa in one of T20's most remarkable group stage results. Ireland's victories over Scotland and Zimbabwe demonstrated how competitive the associate nations had become. The group stage dynamic meant several major teams had to win every remaining match after early slip-ups, raising stakes from the tournament's opening days.

Pakistan's Semi-Final Defeat by England

Pakistan reached the semi-finals but were restricted by England's pace attack — Mark Wood, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes — before England's batting chased down the target with relative comfort. Pakistan's semi-final exit generated enormous debate about their batting approach in pressure situations. The loss was their second consecutive T20 semi-final exit and raised questions about their ability to win knockouts in world events.

The Final — England vs Pakistan

England defeated Pakistan in the final at the MCG. Ben Stokes played a calculated innings of 52* that anchored England's chase of Pakistan's 137. Stokes' innings was almost entirely without the aggression that defines T20 batting — each run was worked rather than struck — but it proved that intelligence as much as power wins T20 finals. Sam Curran was named Player of the Tournament for his wicket-taking throughout the competition.