The Pakistan national team advanced to the Cricket World Cup semi-finals after a thrilling quarter-final victory over England, reviving memories of historic Pakistani cricket triumphs over the English — widely considered the founding fathers of the sport.
Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi delivered a stunning performance, taking six wickets for just 43 runs and dismantling England's batting order, who could not surpass 218. Pakistan responded with 221 for the loss of just three wickets.
Pakistan's Australian coach Jason Gillespie had tears in his eyes as his team clinched qualification on the final ball, saying: 'This team is fighting for 200 million people and their trust in us. Today we kept our promise.'
A Pakistan-England cricket match always carries dimensions that go beyond the boundary ropes — history, heritage, and identity — making every Pakistani victory over England about far more than just a sporting result. Celebrations in the streets of Karachi and Lahore were thunderous until the early hours.
Pakistan now face India in the semi-final — the most anticipated fixture in the history of international cricket by far, a match that always brings the subcontinent to a standstill and stirs the emotions of a billion people on both sides.
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