The knockouts of the ICC limited overs' tournaments have seen the emergence of some unlikely heroes who have excelled under pressure. Meanwhile, from New Zealand's Grant Elliott in the 2015 World Cup semifinal to New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell in the first semifinal, the list has a few characters who have outdone the stars in their respective line-ups to take their team home.
On Thursday night, at the Dubai International Cricket Academy, Matthew Wade joined the list by helping Australia end Pakistan's unbeaten run in the ICC men's T20 World Cup. The Aussies grab a five-wicket win in the semifinal. Wade's unbeaten 17-ball 41 and his lap-shot assault on Shaheen Shah Afridi, one of the premier pacers of the tournament. Matthew wade adjusted the player of the match in the second semi-final.
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What Matthew Wade said after the Semi Final against Pakistan :
"I am happy that I got the opportunity to reinvent myself, go away and come back with more confidence. And I feel like I belong at the international level now," Wade said after Australia set up a final against New Zealand, riding on Wade and Marcus Stoinis's exploits to overhaul a target of 177 with an over to spare.
"I reinvented myself as a batsman and all of a sudden, I am playing as a keeper-batsman and now batting at 7. Feel like the older I am, the more eyes wide open I am a little bit more about the opportunity I got. Didn't worry me to go down the order.Hasn't worried me at all whether I captained or not. I am just grabbing every opportunity I get."
Matthew Wade said after the match on Thursday
Having been in and out of the side for a decade now, Wade's career more resembles some of his sub-continental counterparts than those Down Under. But he seems to have made peace with it.
"I don't know when my last game will be. I treat every match like it potentially could be
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"It's not the first time I have come back. I have been dropped four or five times, probably the most in Australian cricket. I am proud that I can come back and hopefully at the end of my career, I can look back on what's left and I can be proud that I could contribute to what we have done.", Matthew Wade emphasized.