DUBAI: Aussie batter Matthew Wade admitted that he was nervous coming into the semi-final game against Pakistan on Thursday and knowing “potentially” it could be his last opportunity to represent Australia.
In the second semis of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis produced a brilliant partnership to carry Australia to a stunning five-wicket victory over Pakistan and set up a date with New Zealand in the final.
When David Warner and Glenn Maxwell fell in successive overs from Shadab Khan, the chase of 177 seemed doomed, but Stoinis and Wade had other ideas as they put on 81 in 7.4 overs. Stoinis started the comeback as he went after Haris Rauf, but it was Wade who did the most damage with three consecutive sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi after being dropped by Hasan Ali to seal an unlikely success.
“I don’t feel like it’s on the line anymore so much because I’m not 23 anymore. And if this is it, this is it. It’s not really on the line for me. It’s going to be all over, I suppose,” Wade in the post-match press conference said while replying to how his international career might be on the line if the Aussies lost against Pakistan.
“A little bit, I think — I was a little bit nervous coming into the game and knowing potentially it could be the last opportunity to represent Australia,” he continued.
“So, yeah, just really — I feel like this game [against Pakistan] was probably hard on nerves than maybe what the final will be because now we’re in it. We’ve got nothing to lose. We’re going to go out there, do our absolute best. It might be my last game too. As I’ve said to you before in the past, I’m comfortable with it. If it is it, then it’s it. I’ll play as long as they need me and hopefully we can win some games while I’m there,” he added.
Australia will now clash with New Zealand on Sunday in the title match of the T20 World Cup 2021. (ANI)
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