Former champions Australia and Pakistan go head to head in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2010 final at Burt Sutcliffe Oval on Saturday.
Australia put its hands on the trophy in 1988 and in 2002 while Pakistan won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2006.
Australia’s victories came in its own backyard and in New Zealand while Pakistan won the events when they were staged in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The two sides have met six times in U19 Cricket World Cups with Pakistan winning four contests. It won the league games in 1988 and 1998 by 32 and 27 runs respectively before winning by 163 runs in the semifinal in 2006 and by six wickets in the quarter-final in 2008.
One of Australia’s two victories was in the inaugural final in 1988 when a Stuart Law-inspired team defeated Pakistan by five wickets in Adelaide.
Australia’s second and last victory over Pakistan in a World Cup was in 2000 in Sri Lanka where it won its group stage match by 27 runs.
Pakistan captain Azeem Ghumman said: “The team is feeling good and confident. We came into the tournament convinced that we could do well. We came here to win and we hope we can do that.
“We have been together as a team now for a long time and this is a big factor in the way we are playing. We get on well together, we are like a family and we play as a team not just as individuals.”
Azeem said he would like his boys to focus on their preparations rather than worry about Australia.
“I don’t think any one team is especially more challenging. We have not played Australia very much recently so we don’t know them so well but they are a good side. It doesn’t matter who we are playing, we have to get our own game right.”
Australia put its hands on the trophy in 1988 and in 2002 while Pakistan won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2006.
Australia’s victories came in its own backyard and in New Zealand while Pakistan won the events when they were staged in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The two sides have met six times in U19 Cricket World Cups with Pakistan winning four contests. It won the league games in 1988 and 1998 by 32 and 27 runs respectively before winning by 163 runs in the semifinal in 2006 and by six wickets in the quarter-final in 2008.
One of Australia’s two victories was in the inaugural final in 1988 when a Stuart Law-inspired team defeated Pakistan by five wickets in Adelaide.
Australia’s second and last victory over Pakistan in a World Cup was in 2000 in Sri Lanka where it won its group stage match by 27 runs.
Pakistan captain Azeem Ghumman said: “The team is feeling good and confident. We came into the tournament convinced that we could do well. We came here to win and we hope we can do that.
“We have been together as a team now for a long time and this is a big factor in the way we are playing. We get on well together, we are like a family and we play as a team not just as individuals.”
Azeem said he would like his boys to focus on their preparations rather than worry about Australia.
“I don’t think any one team is especially more challenging. We have not played Australia very much recently so we don’t know them so well but they are a good side. It doesn’t matter who we are playing, we have to get our own game right.”
