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funguy · Aug 5th, 2004, 10:12 AM

The 90's

Imran Khan had announced his retirement but was persuaded at the highest level to take his decision back. Pakistan toured the West Indies under his captaincy and drew the series which they should have won but for some poor umpiring.

The stage was now set for the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Some old timers like Abdul Qadir and Mudassar Nazar had retired, some new players had entered the stage, none more promising then Waqar Yunus, a fast bowler from an obscure town in the Punjab called Burewalla. He would make a huge impact in a matter of the year.

click above

For the 1992 World Cup, Imran had discovered the young, burly batsman from Multan called Inzamamul Haq. In Imran's judgment, Inzamam had it in him to win the World Cup for Pakistan.

click above

But the nucleus of the team was built around the old stalwarts:
Imran himself, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, and Salim Malik.
Pakistan got off to a disastrous start, losing to the West Indies, India and South Africa but lucky to have salvaged a point in the match against England which was abandoned because of rain. When Pakistan arrived in Perth, it needed to win every match henceforth to make it to the finals. This Pakistan duly did, beating Australia and Sri Lanka and then New Zealand at Christchurch. Pakistan, against all odds found itself in the semifinals, to play New Zealand at Auckland. This semi-final turned out to be the most thrilling match of the World Cup. Played before a capacity crowd, in an atmosphere of utmost seriousness for the stakes were not only high but the highest. New Zealand made 262 setting Pakistan a stiff target of over five runs an over. Pakistan responded but lost wickets and when Inzamam joined Javed Miandad Pakistan needed to make 122 in 14 overs, an asking rate of more than 8 runs an over. Pakistan needed a miracle and it was provided by Inzamam who hammered 67 off only 37 balls, an innings of savage power hitting. Pakistan won.

The final against England, played under floodlights at the Melbourne Cricket ground before 86,000 people, was something of an anticlimax. Fired up by their spectacular win at Auckland, Pakistan made 249 and dismissed England for 227, Wasim Akram taking 3 for 49, two of the wickets in successive deliveries, those of Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis that broke the back of England's batting.

click above

Throughout the World Cup, Imran Khan was nursing a serious shoulder injury and had to have cortisone injections to relieve the pain. Yet, Imran Khan played on with courage, leading the team with inspiring personal example. He said before the start of the World Cup that he would be returning home with the trophy. He kept faith in himself and Pakistan's Cricket public. It was his finest hour and the right moment to retire.

click above

Javed Miandad led Pakistan to England and it was an acrimonious tour with the English media accusing Pakistan fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Yunus of sharp practices namely tampering with the ball to get it to swing when it was old. There was not a scrap of truth in the allegations and was a poor excuse for losing the series. Pakistan cricket was now on a roll.

Pakistan cricket is inherently strife ridden and is periodically rocked by revolts. After Miandad, Wasim Akram was appointed Captain but found the team members unwilling to play under his captaincy. When the team was to tour New Zealand, Salim Malik took over, only to lose the captaincy in the wake of allegations made about betting and match fixing.

Yet it is quite remarkable that these periodic jolts have never affected the performance of the Pakistan team. It is equally remarkable that despite the absence of any kind of infrastructure Pakistan keeps finding top-quality players. Nothing better reflects this than the case of Hasan Raza, a Karachi schoolboy who made his test debut at the age of 14 years and 227 days, the youngest ever to play. There are other young cricketers who are in their early 20s and are considered stars. By comparison, Saeed Anwar is a veteran, though arguably the best opening batsman in cricket.

Pakistan continues to keep faith in its young cricketers and continues to find them. The nursery still remains the streets and alleys and vacant plots and rooftops but so long as cricket remains a passion, the pipeline will not dry up. The story of Pakistan cricket is all the more remarkable in that it has achieved so much on just natural talent. Perhaps, it is just as well that there is no meddling. An acorn will grow into a sturdy oak on its own. All it needs is sunlight and water.

Credits: Excerpts from Omar Qureshi's work with some modifications from yours truly.

Aug 5th, 2004, 10:12 AM	#4 (permalink)
funguy Moderator Life & Relationships Forum Join Date: Nov 15, 2002 - 1:57 pm Posts: 16,803 Blog Entries: 7	The 90's Imran Khan had announced his retirement but was persuaded at the highest level to take his decision back. Pakistan toured the West Indies under his captaincy and drew the series which they should have won but for some poor umpiring. The stage was now set for the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Some old timers like Abdul Qadir and Mudassar Nazar had retired, some new players had entered the stage, none more promising then Waqar Yunus, a fast bowler from an obscure town in the Punjab called Burewalla. He would make a huge impact in a matter of the year. click above For the 1992 World Cup, Imran had discovered the young, burly batsman from Multan called Inzamamul Haq. In Imran's judgment, Inzamam had it in him to win the World Cup for Pakistan. click above But the nucleus of the team was built around the old stalwarts: Imran himself, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, and Salim Malik. Pakistan got off to a disastrous start, losing to the West Indies, India and South Africa but lucky to have salvaged a point in the match against England which was abandoned because of rain. When Pakistan arrived in Perth, it needed to win every match henceforth to make it to the finals. This Pakistan duly did, beating Australia and Sri Lanka and then New Zealand at Christchurch. Pakistan, against all odds found itself in the semifinals, to play New Zealand at Auckland. This semi-final turned out to be the most thrilling match of the World Cup. Played before a capacity crowd, in an atmosphere of utmost seriousness for the stakes were not only high but the highest. New Zealand made 262 setting Pakistan a stiff target of over five runs an over. Pakistan responded but lost wickets and when Inzamam joined Javed Miandad Pakistan needed to make 122 in 14 overs, an asking rate of more than 8 runs an over. Pakistan needed a miracle and it was provided by Inzamam who hammered 67 off only 37 balls, an innings of savage power hitting. Pakistan won. The final against England, played under floodlights at the Melbourne Cricket ground before 86,000 people, was something of an anticlimax. Fired up by their spectacular win at Auckland, Pakistan made 249 and dismissed England for 227, Wasim Akram taking 3 for 49, two of the wickets in successive deliveries, those of Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis that broke the back of England's batting. click above Throughout the World Cup, Imran Khan was nursing a serious shoulder injury and had to have cortisone injections to relieve the pain. Yet, Imran Khan played on with courage, leading the team with inspiring personal example. He said before the start of the World Cup that he would be returning home with the trophy. He kept faith in himself and Pakistan's Cricket public. It was his finest hour and the right moment to retire. click above Javed Miandad led Pakistan to England and it was an acrimonious tour with the English media accusing Pakistan fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Yunus of sharp practices namely tampering with the ball to get it to swing when it was old. There was not a scrap of truth in the allegations and was a poor excuse for losing the series. Pakistan cricket was now on a roll. Pakistan cricket is inherently strife ridden and is periodically rocked by revolts. After Miandad, Wasim Akram was appointed Captain but found the team members unwilling to play under his captaincy. When the team was to tour New Zealand, Salim Malik took over, only to lose the captaincy in the wake of allegations made about betting and match fixing. Yet it is quite remarkable that these periodic jolts have never affected the performance of the Pakistan team. It is equally remarkable that despite the absence of any kind of infrastructure Pakistan keeps finding top-quality players. Nothing better reflects this than the case of Hasan Raza, a Karachi schoolboy who made his test debut at the age of 14 years and 227 days, the youngest ever to play. There are other young cricketers who are in their early 20s and are considered stars. By comparison, Saeed Anwar is a veteran, though arguably the best opening batsman in cricket. Pakistan continues to keep faith in its young cricketers and continues to find them. The nursery still remains the streets and alleys and vacant plots and rooftops but so long as cricket remains a passion, the pipeline will not dry up. The story of Pakistan cricket is all the more remarkable in that it has achieved so much on just natural talent. Perhaps, it is just as well that there is no meddling. An acorn will grow into a sturdy oak on its own. All it needs is sunlight and water. Credits: Excerpts from Omar Qureshi's work with some modifications from yours truly.