T20 World Cup final: How can Jos Buttler's England overturn 1992 World Cup fate at MCG?

The semi-final stage of the T20 World Cup 2022 is done and dusted with England and Pakistan earning victories in their respective matches and advancing to the final encounter. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is all set to host the grand finale of the T20 World Cup. Going by the current form in the tournament, England will start as favourites in the final. Ahead of the Pakistan vs England match, we compare England's journey of the T20 World Cup to that of their performance in the 1992 World Cup. 

How did England fare in 1992 ODI World Cup?

England made it to the final of the 1992 ODI World Cup (also called Benson Hedges World Cup) only to fall short after losing to Pakistan in the final. Out of the 10 matches played back then, England won seven matches and lost three which included a defeat at the hands of lower-ranked Zimbabwe. The Graham Gooch-led team played two matches against Pakistan with the first match at Adelaide Oval getting washed out, while Pakistan won the final by 22 runs.

England's performance in the T20 World Cup 2022 in a nutshell

The current England team under Jos Buttler has an almost near-perfect record at the ongoing T20 World Cup compared to that of the team back in 1992. England's match against Australia was washed out, while they were stunned by lower-ranked Ireland under DLS method. Besides these two roadblocks, England cruised through the rest of the matches in Australia.

T20 World Cup 2022: Why England holds an edge over Pakistan?

The England vs Pakistan T20 World Cup final is a battle between England's batting arsenal and Pakistan's bowling firepower. England has been the most destructive batting team in the powerplay and their matchup against Pakistan bowlers in the powerplay will play a huge role in determining the context of the match.

Not only has skipper Jos Buttler been the prolific run-getter for the team in this format but has been scoring runs at a fast pace in the middle overs between 7-15. The bowlers have also been impressive led by their leading wicket-taker in the tournament, i.e Mark Wood. The current  England squad have players who hold experience playing in big matches similar to the final of the T20 World Cup. The final should be an exciting contest to watch between bat and ball if the weather permits.