1987 World Cup Semi-Final, Pakistan v Australia - 33 years on

[Muhammad]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-australia-1st-sf-reliance-world-cup-1987-88

Long time ago but memories of this heartbreaking loss are still fresh.

One that particularly stands out is of a young Steve Waugh smashing Saleem Jaffar for a six in the expensive final over of the Oz innings in near silence.

Was Imran’s last game before retirement though of course we now know there was more to come.

 

[Mamoon]

The day that destroyed Pakistan cricket for the next 33 years and counting.

Winning the 1987 World Cup would have changed the landscape of Pakistan cricket forever.

It would have helped us develop into a professional unit and understand the process of achieving success.

Instead, we ended up winning the 1992 edition and the way we won that tournament destroyed our mentality.

It ushered an era of cornered tigers and unpredictability nonsense that has bred nothing but inconsistently and mediocrity.

On the contrary, India produced a much bigger cornered tigers moment 9 years before we did but they did not allow it to define their cricket culture, because they were smart enough to realize that the way they won the 1983 World Cup was not a recipe for consistency.

 

[Dulex9]

Only watched highlights.

The first 3 wickets went very cheaply and Imran, Main dad went to resurrect the whole innings before Imran's wicket. Wasim and others fought hard, but it was too much in the end.

It could also have been an India vs Pakistan final.

 

[Dulex9]

Pakistan should have won that world cup, the 99 world cup and the 96 world cup they were the strongest team and had the chances, Wasim missed the QF.

 

[Saj]

Really should have won this match and the tournament.

But another flop when it really mattered.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Pakistan should have won that world cup, the 99 world cup and the 96 world cup they were the strongest team and had the chances, Wasim missed the QF.

Not 1987. I look at the lineup and I see about 4 or 5 quality players. You need couple more.

Definitely agree about 96.

In 99 the problem was that lot of the big names were in their last legs hence they lost. Few of them should never have been picked but desi mentality meant the players have the authority to do as they please especially if they are established stars.

 

[Nadeemp]

Not 1987. I look at the lineup and I see about 4 or 5 quality players. You need couple more.

Definitely agree about 96.

In 99 the problem was that lot of the big names were in their last legs hence they lost. Few of them should never have been picked but desi mentality meant the players have the authority to do as they please especially if they are established stars.

I saw that game live on tv. Salem Jaffer went for 18 runs in a over and changed the momentum.

 

[Nadeemp]

Pakisntan shoul have won the 1987 World Cup, the won 92, should have won the 96 cup (!that was one hell of a team). And should have won 99 World Cup, had defeated Australia In regular game .

99 onwards Pakistan has the absolute crap team during world cups

 

[Nikhil_cric]

That Australian team was the first truly professional ODI team and their fielding, running between the wickets etc. was a class above the rest.

 

[angrypathan]

Not 1987. I look at the lineup and I see about 4 or 5 quality players. You need couple more.

Definitely agree about 96.

In 99 the problem was that lot of the big names were in their last legs hence they lost. Few of them should never have been picked but desi mentality meant the players have the authority to do as they please especially if they are established stars.

Not a single player in the 99 line up was on their last legs, except maybe Ijaz Ahmed. The only other weak link was Wajahatullah Wasti. It was the 2003 World Cup where everyone was on their last legs.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Not a single player in the 99 line up was on their last legs, except maybe Ijaz Ahmed. The only other weak link was Wajahatullah Wasti. It was the 2003 World Cup where everyone was on their last legs.

Really? Wasn't miandad like 36? I might be confusing the years.

 

[Bewal Express]

Mistake by IK not to bowl the last over, too many wickets lost at the start, followed by some poor umpiring by Shep in the middle and loss in a game we should have won

 

[silentkiller187]

Really? Wasn't miandad like 36? I might be confusing the years.

Miandad was long gone by 1999, he tried to make a comeback in the 1996 world cup.

 

[Dulex9]

1987: Had Imran, Maindad, Rameez, Wasim, Qadir and co

1996: Anwar, Sohail, Salim Malik, Inzy, Maindad as anchor, Waqur, Latif, missed Wasim, really had the best team of the tournament

1999: apart from Wasti, they had a well balanced, dynamic team, really should have done better in their batting. South Africa had a very good team too in that world cup.

They really should have won at least 2 out of those 3 world cup's.

 

[Dulex9]

How did you feel about the 1987 SF game?

Watching England batting in the 2019 was as tense and nerve wrecking as anything I have saw in my entire life. I wanted to just go to sleep when Eoin Morgan got out at 86-4.

That chase, how nervous and tense were you at the start and when 3 wickets quickly fell and then the partnership began to develop and you felt that Imran and Maindad would get some momentum, what was your thoughts on that? That was the biggest game of Pakistan's cricketing life apart from the 92 world cup after.

 

[Varun]

For some reason in my mind, World Cups only started becoming legit after 1992.

1987 seems like some bygone era. Was it a 60-over game back then?

 

[NishanKonar]

For some reason in my mind, World Cups only started becoming legit after 1992.

1987 seems like some bygone era. Was it a 60-over game back then?

1987 WC was 50 overs - bcoz Indian winters are have too short days for 60 over games !

 

[Markhor]

Another winnable World Cup that slipped out of a strong Pakistan team's hands.

 

[Slog]

Prolly strongest Pakistan side ever.

As per many people the streets of the major cities went empty and the country was in a state of sadness following this. Even McDermott said the then Lahore stadium was eerie and you could hear a pin drop.

 

[Slog]

1987 WC was 50 overs - bcoz Indian winters are have too short days for 60 over games !

I think he says that cuz of colored clothing

 

[Varun]

I think he says that cuz of colored clothing

Coloured clothing, day night games, official sponsors, white balls, sight screens and the first where South Africa and Sri Lanka became mainstream teams.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-australia-1st-sf-reliance-world-cup-1987-88

Long time ago but memories of this heartbreaking loss are still fresh.

One that particularly stands out is of a young Steve Waugh smashing Saleem Jaffar for a six in the expensive final over of the Oz innings in near silence.

Was Imran’s last game before retirement though of course we now know there was more to come.

On that day, the entire Pakistan was after Salim Jaffer's head.
(And it amazes me that he is still attached with Pak cricket).

But I think it was McDermott - and rightly so, he won player of the match award.