ICC Champions Trophy 2017: It was a fairytale end to what has ended up being a watershed tournament for Pakistan cricket.
"I hope we see a closer game of cricket than we did in the two semi-finals, as well as a mutual respect and enjoyment of the spectacle from the opposing fans," says Graeme Smith.
ICC Champions Trophy 2017: I left the ground Sunday feeling as many South African fans will be feeling.
Players like Faf du Plessis and David Miller are excellent at using their feet, but it’ll come down to their execution on Sunday.
South Africa’s performance was anything but convincing, having looked reassuringly strong against Sri Lanka in game one.
"Sri Lanka is a potential banana skin for any side, with the energy and skill its side has, and it was noticeable that the track wasn’t coming on as well as players have come to expect at the Oval," says Graeme Smith
Many adjectives have been used to describe McCullum’s captaincy during the tournament. The word I will use is “revolutionary”. He was radical and innovative yet not reckless.
A closer look at the game shows two very evenly matched sides. Both teams have powerful bowling line-ups and a plethora of destructive batsmen.
There have been comparisons between this match with the 1999 World Cup semi-final between South Africa and Australia due to the fluctuating nature of the game.
The history between the Proteas and Blackcaps stretches back to 1932 but is not spoken with the same reverence as the rivalry between their rugby counterparts.
