It was probably the evening of the tournament. Although the matches were played in daytime in St Lucia, the drama unfolded after dusk Pakistan time and went on past midnight. Pakistan and England both needed to emerge victorious for Pakistan to make it into the semi finals. Pakistan's first challenge, in the form of South African opposition, was hard enough. But it was the second challenge — England's victory over New Zealand — that was infinitely harder because it was something over which Pakistan had no control.

In the match against South Africa, the start was a nightmare — three quick Pakistani wickets for hardly any. Then the Akmals came together to save Pakistan. The two brothers would have saved Pakistan millions of times in their heads, playing backyard cricket as children in Lahore. This time it was for real. Their partnership pushed the score towards respectability. Next came Afridi, who was overdue for a cameo and finally got one. It wasn't earth-shattering, but 30 runs in a T20 scorecard is nothing to sneeze at.

The final overs left us with a sense of being unfulfilled. Misbah and Razzaq were at the crease but neither could properly close the deal. Pakistan's eventual total of 147 did not feel quite enough, but considering that at one point the team was tottering at 18 for 3 after five overs, it was actually a Godsend.

When South Africa batted, Pakistan's bowling and fielding were suddenly on song. There were dot balls galore and catches were plucked out of the air that would have been difficult to hold even in dreams. Reputations are not made out of nothing, and South Africa soon revealed why they are known as chokers. The required run-rate climbed into double-figures, yet the South African batsmen still kept scratching around for singles. Tails up and morale sky-high, Pakistan's spinners, led by the brilliantly accurate Saeed Ajmal, delivered one miserly over after another.

Umar Akmal became Man-of-the-Match for his sparkling 51 made under nerve-wracking circumstances, but the award could easily have gone to Saeed Ajmal as well. He conceded a stingy 26 from four overs and took the wickets of Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, and Johan Botha — more or less the cream of South African batting. Most amazingly, he bowled at the death and kept his nerve in the last over, in which he conceded only five runs and took the wicket of Botha, who had raced to 19 from eight balls.

If you saw South African captain Graeme Smith during the post-match conference, then you know what utter despair looks like. On the verge of tears, face dragged down, voice crushed and shoulders sagging, he was a broken man trapped in South Africa's perpetual season of major tournament failures. They are one of the world's most talented teams but have a cruel history of fluffing the clutch games. In a way they are the reverse of Pakistan, who as we know can squander straightforward matches but will often click when it matters most.

Victory over South Africa secured, Pakistani fans entered the most tantalising phase of the evening. It involved a new level of anxiety because Pakistan was merely a bystander. More or less 170 million, starting with Shahid Afridi, prayed for English victory over New Zealand, which would guarantee Pakistan a semi final spot. For their part, England were confirmed a spot regardless of the outcome, which at first glance suggested that they would have no real incentive to win. But England captain Paul Collingwood was adamant that his team's winning momentum must not be interrupted, and they delivered a professional performance to knock New Zealand out.

For Pakistan supporters, the experience of cheering England bordered on the surreal. Here was a team that went about its tasks with discipline. There were no tantrums, no sloppy fielding, no unsightly dismissals, and no insane running between the wickets. To Pakistani fans, who have long been conditioned to expect the worst from their famously temperamental side, it felt quite novel.

I am not sure how many of us would permanently switch to supporting a clinical team like England over a daredevil team like ours, but as an interlude it was exhilarating. There was even some cross-border sweet justice, indirectly delivered courtesy of the Indian Premier League Eoin Morgan, who top-scored for England, has polished his T20 prowess in the IPL and he used this Indian schooling to great effect against New Zealand, providing an invisible Indian hand to help Pakistan advance into the semi finals.

Depending on how Pakistan's semi final clash against Australia went, your mood right now is either sour or elated. In cricketing terms the odds are against Pakistan, but the force is with them, and there is a good chance they have overcome Australia. Even if they couldn't, it is important to acknowledge that reaching the semi final is a very respectable showing, especially for a team that is constantly battling heavy odds, not just on the cricket field but off it as well.