LIVE: Pakistan vs Canada – ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Group A cricket match

Host: England
Final: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
Winners: Pakistan – by eight wickets
Teams: 12
Player of the tournament: Tillakaratne Dilshan

England’s home T20 World Cup got off to the worst possible start when they lost to the so-called minnows, the Netherlands, at Lord’s. The hosts still qualified for the Super 8s but that is where their campaign ended along with that of holders India and Australia, following two heavy losses.

Pakistan recovered from a typically slow start to find themselves in the semifinals where Shahid Afridi starred against South Africa left rueing another last-four stutter.

Tillakaratne Dilshan’s unbeaten 96 off 57 helped Sri Lanka romp their semifinal against the West Indies by 57 runs.

The tournament was held a few months after the horrific armed attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus while on tour in Lahore, Pakistan. The pre-final anthems were especially poignant.

Teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir removed Dilshan for a duck to set off a batting collapse that even Kumar Sangakkara’s 52-ball 64 was of no help.

Afridi duly obliged in the chase with another half-century before posing at the end in his trademark celebration.

Read more: India vs Pakistan, shocks, records, stars: History of the ICC T20 World Cup