Pakistan vs England, T20 World Cup 2022 Highlights: ENG beat PAK by 5 wickets, crowned champions

Buttler finishes his chat and strolls over to lift the trophy. The firecrackers go up, they are bursting all around the colossal MCG. Their talismanic captain retired just a few months before this tournament and they had a bit of a low phase under Buttler. But here they are now, as undisputed champions of white-ball cricket. There were questions over Ben Stokes' place in this batting lineup even until the semi-final but he is the man who pushed them to the title today. As he did in the 2019 World Cup and as he did in that famous Headingley Test. That's it from us here for this tournament but we have a lot of good stuff coming up on this match for the rest of the day. Goodbye and goodnight!

"This is the icing on the cake, to win the T20 World Cup, just immensely proud. A long journey and a few changes, but we're reaping the rewards. Fantastic tournament, Pakistan was a valuable time for the group, but this is a way away from the Ireland game.

On Matthew Mott, double World Champion himself: "He's fitted in really well, quite a few Aussies with us. He's led the coaching staff really well, gives the players great freedom and allows us to go out and trust ourselves.

"Adil's over was outstanding, he's always the guy we throw the ball to to take something happen. It wasn't easy at all, got away to a decent start which controlled the run-rate, and that man Ben Stokes was there at the end. He's the ultimate competitor. In anything he does, a hell of a lot of experience to bank on, he timed it perfectly the impetus he and Moeen had took it away from Pakistan."

“Congratulations to England, they fought well. We felt like home here, got great support at every venue. Thanks for your support. I just told the boys to play our natural game, but we fell 20 runs short and the boys fought well with the ball. Our bowling is one of the best attacks in the world. Unfortunately Shaheen's injury put us off, but that's part of the game.”

They walk to the dias crestfallen. Iftikhar Ahmed collecting Shaheen Afridi's medal. 

Australia great Mel Jones is conducting the ceremony. Firrst the officials get their mementoes before Sam Curran is given the player of the match and player of the tournament awards. 

"A little bit lost for words. We're going to enjoy this," he says. Curran's death over bowling has won them a lot of matches in this tournament. 

Figures of 3/12 is hard to look past but Curran says that Stokes dserved this award more. "I don't think I should be getting this, the way Stokesy played there... we're going to enjoy this occasion, very special. They had big square boundaries, so into the wicket, it offered for the seamers, nipping around and a challenge for the chase. The way I bowl, I go into the wicket with my slower balls and keep the batsmen guessing. World Champions, how good! (On Stokes) People question him, but there's no questioning him... he's the man!"

He seems a bit lost for words towards the end. That nightmare over in Kolkata when Brathwaite made everyone remember his name off Stokes seems many centuries ago now. From that ruin emerged what has to be one of the most consistent big-match player of this generation accross formats. “In finals, especially chasing, you forgot all the hard work that came first. To restrict them to 130, the bowlers have to take a lot of credit. With Ireland being so early in the competition, we had to address it, we can't carry baggage in tournaments. The best teams take it on the chin, and move onto the next challenge. A pretty good evening,” says Stokes. 

Hales missed out on the 2019 World Cup despite being an integral part of England's white bal revolution before that. He may not have done much in the final but there is no T20 World Cup 2022 title without Hales for England. "I didn't think this chance would come again, so special to be involved, this is the icing on the cake. Pakistan are a high-quality attack so took time to find my feet... got a decent ball today!" he says. 

Ben Stokes hits the winning runs, of course it's him who does it! England are the first team to hold the ODI and T20 World Cup titles together. They are the foremost white ball team of this era and they have proven it. Out come the England bench, they are all over Stokes. Jos Buttler punches his fist, it was only a couple of months ago when there were people questioning if he should be leading this team after struggling to get his first win under his belt. Well, this is his team allright, he has carried forward Eoin Morgan's legacy. 

Scores are level. He has got their in 47 balls, the man for the big matches. Stokes beats cover to send it to the boundary. What a superstar! England just a run away from being the first team to hold both the ODI and T20I World Cup titles.  

Pakistan fighting till the end, Wasim cleans up Moeen with a yorker. It remains almost impossible for them but they continue to fight. 

Moeen Ali b Mohammad Wasim 19 (12), England 132/5 in 18.2 overs

Stokes and Moeen scamper for two off the third ball of the 18th and England now need just eight to win. Almost there…

It's all coming together. Moeen takes a hard swinging at a short one, takes the top edge and flies behind to the boundary. England need just 12 to win from 18!

In just four balls, the momentum has shifted completely. Moeen wallpos Waseem through the covers, then pulls a short one fine for another boundary. Suddenly, Pakistan need just 20 to win off 22!

13 runs off that over, England need 28 to win from 24. If that boundary was gold dust, this six are specks of diamond. Smashes it over long-off, Ben Stokes is in the zone allright.  

Right from the middle of Stokes's bat. He thought he was gone two balls earlier when his shot fell just short of Babar at long-on. Now he hits a boundary that is just gold dust for England. 

That was the right thing to do in the end. Afridi finally delivered the first ball but he was struggling big time. He is finally convinced to go off and Iftikhar Ahmed comes in to finish this 16th over. 

He is struggling here. Just before he came in bowl, he was having a long conversation with the physio before this. He first takes a dummy run. And then he pulls out of his run up for the first ball. Babar Azam coming in and having a conversation with him…

Slow delivery outside off, Stokes steps back and slaps it through mid-on. That is a much needed boundary for England. 

A sight for sore eyes for the Pakistan fans. England are 89/4, need 49 to win from 36. It looks like a straightforward chase on paper, especially considering England have Stokes and Moeen in the middle with Livingstone, Curran and Woakes to come. And yet such is the ferocity of Pakistan's fight that it's anyone's game at the moment.  

But it looks like Shaheen Afridi may have hurt himself while taking that brilliant catch. Pakistan have dialed it up in these last two overs, putting their bodies on the line in the field. Brook smashes Shadab to long-off, Afridi is in play, he comes forward and takes that catch absolutely flat. Afridi is hurt because he jabbed his knee into the ground.  

Brook c Shaheen Shah Afridi b Shadab Khan 20 (23), England 84/4 in 12.3 overs

Almost a mix-up in the end as Brook goes for a single off the last ball of the 10th. He is at the middle of the pitch when Stokes sends him back, the throw is not that great and so he is safe. 

Wasim trying the yorker length fourth ball of the 10th, Stokes leans into the drive and it was placed and timed so beautifully that it beats the fielder to the boundary. 

Stokes tries to reverse sweep Shadab off the thir ball of the ninth over. Gets a bottom edge and it sneaks through to the boundary behind the wicketkeeper.