World Cup 1992 anniversary

25th March 1992 marks the anniversary
of Pakistan's only 50 over CWC trophy

The 1992 Cricket World Cup was the fifth staging of the Cricket World Cup, which was organised by the International Cricket Council (the ICC), which was jointly held in Australia and New Zealand from 22 February to 25 March 1992, and finished with Pakistan beating England on this same vary day by 22 runs in the final to become the World Cup champions for the first time.

Obstacles for team Pakistan

Pakistan team was in shambles, because Pakistan's building momentum to the tournament was still being trial-and-tested, as Waqar Younis who was supposed to be heading Pakistan's bowling was at the 11th hour retired due to hairline fracture, furthermore Saeed Anwar the opening batter and companion for Aamir Sohail was also out due to fitness issues, therefore the whole team of World Cup 1992 combination was still being jelled during the tournament kicked started, but like it is always being said, leadership matters, because it is the leader who emphasis' on building a team who makes sure that the team functions accordingly to his plans, which was a major problem for Imran Khan to initiate his plans in accordance, and therefore he required someone who could help him initiate and continue with his plannings.

They were the opposites of each other, but for the country
they shred their grudges and played for the single cause
which sans in today's time

Turbulent times back home

1992 was a year mixed with euphoria and tragedy for Pakistan. While Pakistan won the finals of the Cricket World Cup, thousands died in the flooding that occurred in the northern regions of Pakistan as a result of torrential rains swelling the Indus river. The Nawaz government inaugurated a few projects in the province of Punjab towards the betterment of road networks and ordered a military operation in the province of Sindh to counter the growing language riots and ethnic tension.

Javed Miandad and Imran Khan

They were partners alright, but they always had difference in opinions; totally opposites, and bitter rivals; but they had a common goal, vision and purpose, but also separated by their differentiated backgrounds and nature. Somehow they saw through the mist of bitterness and understood that they were better cooperating instead of  fighting. In the process, enough magic was released to launch a golden era, which also includes the cricket world cup 1992 triumph.

Much has been said about the rivalry between Lahore and Karachi as the basis of the tensions between Imran and Miandad, but it probably had more to do with the taboo subject of social class. They were both burdened by him in their own way: one having less and the other having more. Approaching cautiously, they communicated natural reactions of their kind and accumulated resentments. Class may be a tricky and awkward subject, but it's one for which cricket, a sport that once distinguished between gentlemen and players, is no stranger.

The slights that Miandad perceived are specific, while Imran's are vague. In 1982, Imran testified in a feather field when Miandad was not 280 years old and looked good for 400; this still makes Miandad furious. Imran was also the axis of the rebellion against the initial captaincy spell of Miandad in 1981; This also continues to annoy. On the other hand, Imran's complaints are more about Miandad's intrigues, his penchant for confrontation, and his capacity for political intrigue.

Whatever the circumstances

They both put aside their grudges and grievances placing Pakistan on the numero-uno position in Cricket World Cup 1992 which also known as the Benson-and-Hedges Cricket World Cup 1992, and placed such a partnership in between himself and Miandad which was exception because for the team, they both put aside their egos for the betterment of Pakistan cricket and because of which Pakistan was actually placed into a bowling machine because of Imran Khan's leadership quality, where Imran Khan emphasized on Wasim Akram, and Aqib Javed  in absence of Waqar Younis as mentioned above due to a hairline fracture, but he had faith on his team and I need not to mention the speech and explanation he gave at the toss and when the commentator asked about the t-shirt. Although others have largely criticized his decisions in team selection but still it was the team combination which he and Miandad created which in the end and in the longer run, these were the finds who benefited Pakistan with the likes of Inzamam, Aqib Javed, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar and Amir Sohail (whose replacement we are still in search of by the time I am writing this), Mushtaq Ahmed and the two wicket keepers i.e. Rashid Latif and Moin Khan.