Babar Azam "very confident" after returning to form in semi-final win

Babar had endured a torrid start to the tournament and looked to be heading home with just 39 runs to his name across five Super 12 matches until the Netherlands' shock win over South Africa

Babar Azam declared that confidence has returned to his batting after the Pakistan captain guided his country to the T20 World Cup final with a half century that saw off the threat of New Zealand.

Babar had endured a torrid start to the tournament and looked to be heading home with just 39 runs to his name across five Super 12 matches until the Netherlands' shock win over South Africa opened the door for their unlikely qualification for the knockout phase.

The 28-year-old, one of the classiest batters in the game, made use of that life, stroking 53 off 42 balls to slam the door on New Zealand's hopes of overcoming Pakistan after Kane Williamson's men had been restricted to 152 for 4 by a fine bowling performance.

"Very confident about my batting," said Babar afterwards, with Pakistan now waiting to find out who of India or England they will face at the MCG on Sunday. "I struggled a little bit in a few matches, but I feel good, so I continue that momentum in the final."

Ahead of the semi-final, Pakistan batting coach Matthew Hayden had warned that Babar wasn't far away from "some fireworks" despite striking at just 61.9 runs per 100 balls through the first stage of Pakistan's tournament.

That backing was vindicated in Sydney, where Babar and Mohammad Rizwan compiled their third hundred-run opening partnership at T20 World Cups, the most ever achieved by a single pair.

"Babar and Rizwan rightly are our No.1 combination," Hayden said. "[In 2007] Adam Gilchrist had a lean World Cup [during] that undefeated campaign for Australia. In the last match against Sri Lanka, he went on to score an incredible hundred and realised his potential.

^{Shaheen Shah Afridi set the tone for Pakistan on Wednesday (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)}

"We all feel pressure at times in our career. Cricket, when it's all said and done, is a very difficult game. You can't continue to keep punching out hundreds and fifties and strike rates of 140-plus. There's got to be moments when there's a lull.

"Don't be surprised whatsoever if you see some fireworks because very special players don't often stay down for long."

Babar also credited Shaheen Shah Afridi, who dismissed Finn Allen in an all-action opening over to begin the semi-final and then returned to bowl Williamson. For Afridi, this competition comes after a period on the sidelines, and his pace has been down on previous occasions. But he too appears to be peaking at the right time.

"He set the tone," said Babar, "and after the injury day by day he's improving because you see him playing for the team and performing after the injury. Everyone knows he's the best bowler in Pakistan and in the world, so we know he's bowling and he's doing fine out there."

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