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Javed Miandad after Pakistan's defeat in Bangalore 1996

I wasn't an avid follower back then, but Miandad is class, no one can deny that!
 
The only match I watched as a sole scorecard on ceefax in-vision on the BBC here in the UK, ticked by - Couldn't believe the jump in runs after those last few overs of the Indian innings....

Hate Jadeja ever since he smacked Waqar around like a pinata... Plus he starred with Celina Jaitley in Khel; The Jammy B'std!

Akrams injury was a blow,

But Aamir Sohails brain exploding onto Prasads gentle bean pole Ishant Sharma-MK --1 frame, was what was the most distressing; Wristy Anwar and the original bandana man, were killing them up until then.

Don't hate on Miandad; At least he built - Unlike the disgraceful 99 WC Final side...

Never forget how I wished the scorecard would skip to the target even when Waqar was batting right till the end.

Still, we can take heart from the manner of India shooting themselves in the foot, arm and head... I mean when your team is rebuilding you don;t forfeit the match by rioting in your own ground - lol - Hilarious scenes in that SL Semi-final - and at home too!
 
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The only match I watched as a sole scorecard on ceefax in-vision on the BBC here in the UK, ticked by - Couldn't believe the jump in runs after those last few overs of the Indian innings....

Hate Jadeja ever since he smacked Waqar around like a pinata... Plus he starred with Celina Jaitley in Khel; The Jammy B'std!

Akrams injury was a blow,

But Aamir Sohails brain exploding onto Prasads gentle bean pole Ishant Sharma-MK --1 frame, was what was the most distressing; Wristy Anwar and the original bandana man, were killing them up until then.

Don't hate on Miandad; At least he built - Unlike the disgraceful 99 WC Final side...

Never forget how I wished the scorecard would skip to the target even when Waqar was batting right till the end.

Still, we can take heart from the manner of India shooting themselves in the foot, arm and head... I mean when your team is rebuilding you don;t forfeit the match by rioting in your own ground - lol - Hilarious scenes in that SL Semi-final - and at home too!

for some indian fans, beating us in the world cup is as good as winning the worldcup.
 
Had pakistan lost in 2009, they would have had the honor of loosing two finals of 20-20 WC in a row.
What's the point of your post?


IPL would have come into existence anyhow, cuz BCCI wouldnt have allowed any other organization in the country to run a show.
IPL is a 20-20 league which made use of the 2007's success. The win helped, wasnt the SOLE reason for the IPL's existence.

What the heck was your point? Sure IPL would have come but its success was due to Misbah's unfortunate shot.

2009 loss was a much bigger tragedy than the 1996 loss.
 
This happened 25 years ago today.

It's still arguably the most haunting white ball defeat in the history of Pakistan cricket.
 
Thats the one that got away.. Even with India having home advantage in my opinion Pakistan was a better team on paper.
 
Bangalore 96, Centurion 2003, and T20 WC 2007 Final. Three of the very best.
 
T20 will provide an opportunity to lock horns again.
 
Was around 2 years old at that time so obviously, I didn't watch that game but to me, I think Wasim was the biggest culprit of that loss.

Now I don't think Pakistan will be able to beat India in the WC because of the massive gulf between the both nations.
 
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This loss hurt Miandads legacy. He was totally past it and used all sorts of political, media connections to play this world cup.
 
Poor Wasim, got 'injured' right before the match vs India 96 WC

&

Who can forget the 1999 WC final loss. Wasim sure had a 'role' in that as well.

Pakistani fans sure deserve an apology
 
Probably the most unforgettable match I have ever watched . Haven’t seen the roads of Mumbai as deserted ever before or after that 96 match . Back in those days , Pakistan was clearly a better team and we didn’t expect to beat you guys . Who can forget Tony Grieg going bonkers when Jaddu was assaulting Waqar . And haven’t seen 50,000 people go as silent when Anwar and Sohail were taking the game away . And Imran Khan’s menacing commentary when Miandad was batting And the night long celebrations that followed .....


And the heartbreak a few days later ......😁
 
JM should never have been selected to play in that world cup. He was way past his best and a shadow of the legendary player he was.

This defeat still hurts to this day.

Both waqar and aquibb were poor with the ball. Inzi and ijaz abysmal with the bat.

Add to that the stupidity of amir sohail getting into a slanging match with prasad and getting out next ball.
 
Why didn't JM retire along with IK during the 1992 WC ? Even JM had the chance to end on a victorious and historical note. It was foolish of him to continue and then end his career in such a losing fashion.
 
Why didn't JM retire along with IK during the 1992 WC ? Even JM had the chance to end on a victorious and historical note. It was foolish of him to continue and then end his career in such a losing fashion.

Political recall, hadnt played an ODI since 1993 and was recalled for world cup.

Pakistan always has a habit of selecting senior players in world cup squads who are past their best. Same thing happened in 2003.
 
Miandad was utterly finished by then, really should not have been playing. I remember (I was 11/12 at the time, like the OP) his innings was almost painful to watch from such a great batsman.

But of course he had a long and illustrious career and he wanted a shot at winning the world cup at home.
 
Why didn't JM retire along with IK during the 1992 WC ? Even JM had the chance to end on a victorious and historical note. It was foolish of him to continue and then end his career in such a losing fashion.

Don't think he should have retired after 1992 as he still had a couple of years in him but 1996 was stretching it too far.
 
JM should never have been selected to play in that world cup. He was way past his best and a shadow of the legendary player he was.

This defeat still hurts to this day.

Both waqar and aquibb were poor with the ball. Inzi and ijaz abysmal with the bat.

Add to that the stupidity of amir sohail getting into a slanging match with prasad and getting out next ball.

All Pakistan needed to do was play sensible cricket after the start Sohail and Anwar got off to .But they threw the wickets away .

Also the Indian spinners lead by Kumble choked Pakistan batting very well
 
All Pakistan needed to do was play sensible cricket after the start Sohail and Anwar got off to .But they threw the wickets away .

Also the Indian spinners lead by Kumble choked Pakistan batting very well

That's right we were 113 for 2 after 15 overs. By the time Rashid Latif was the sixth batsman out 27 overs later, we had only scored another 108 runs. No idea what happened but Miandad's innings was one of the main reasons for our failed chase.
 
The other thing ludicrous about Miandads selection for this WC was the fact that not only he was 39 years old but he also hadn't played any cricket since 1993 and inactivity is a killer at that age. He looked like a grandpa every time he batted in this world cup.
 
Have little memory of this 96 match but dont think any game can surpass Mohali in my living memory. The hype, tension, media and public attention was simply out of the world. For me, the rivalry that we knew growing up in 90s ended with that game. Every India-Pak match since that game is boring and simply dont have the same feeling.
 
Why didn't JM retire along with IK during the 1992 WC ? Even JM had the chance to end on a victorious and historical note. It was foolish of him to continue and then end his career in such a losing fashion.

IK came back to play. He pretty much lost the game due to his poor knock and then saved by Inzzy.

JM may have thought that something similar may happen to him. It turned out differently. No one saved the game after he played a poor knock.

If it was not for Inzzy, IK would have been heavily criticized for playing such a poor knock as well. Both were past sale by date.
 
The other thing ludicrous about Miandads selection for this WC was the fact that not only he was 39 years old but he also hadn't played any cricket since 1993 and inactivity is a killer at that age. He looked like a grandpa every time he batted in this world cup.

Miandad = the Dhoni of 1996?
 
Agreed that Javed was struggling and couldn't keep up the pace, but as Savak said he hadn't played since 1993 (due to injuries and team politics keeping him out). He was selected more on reputation and for doing a holding job similar to what Imran did in 1992 (though Imran could and did up the pace).

I still think Javed is no way to blame for the loss, yes he could have helped to win it by accelerating and might be a small reason for loss.

The main reasons were poor batting by the lot, especially when the openers had the game under control and then Sohail's stupidity, poor bowling by Waqar and brilliant hitting by Ajay Jadeja.
 
....and offcourse Wasim Akram allegedly clubbing the night before and turning up injured on the day, along with other allegations contributed to Pak's lost.
 
Yes there are rumours of the game being fixed but I really don't think so. It would take a special kind of **** to do that to your country in a world cup quarter final. I'm sure Wasim and co were not angels but they weren't that.

I remember Waqar's last few overs went for a truck load of runs which meant we were effectively chasing 290 instead of 260. That was a huge factor and sadly, Miandad's innings was the next deciding factor. Aamer's silly behaviour etc also contributed but we should have still won.
 
Yes there are rumours of the game being fixed but I really don't think so. It would take a special kind of **** to do that to your country in a world cup quarter final. I'm sure Wasim and co were not angels but they weren't that.

I remember Waqar's last few overs went for a truck load of runs which meant we were effectively chasing 290 instead of 260. That was a huge factor and sadly, Miandad's innings was the next deciding factor. Aamer's silly behaviour etc also contributed but we should have still won.

Pakistan had a far better team. Despite Waqar getting thrashed and giving 40 runs in 2 overs, 290 was comfortably within reach after such a great start. Aamer lost his cool unnecessarily.
 
How can you say Miandad was the next deciding factor when Ijaz and Inzy made 12 each and not particularly fast, Salim Malik got 38 not too fast and Miandad made 38. Rashid Latif nearly won it with a quick 26 but then got out.
 
How can you say Miandad was the next deciding factor when Ijaz and Inzy made 12 each and not particularly fast, Salim Malik got 38 not too fast and Miandad made 38. Rashid Latif nearly won it with a quick 26 but then got out.

I can say it because Miandad used up 64 balls and only scored 38 runs. It wasn't a test match - it was a world cup QF knock out game in which we were chasing 290. He needed to score faster or get out. When he came in to bat we needed less than a run a ball and when he got out the RRR was over 10. Of course it is not ONLY his fault but his innings was a critical factor in our defeat.

That is not to say anything or take anything away from his great career and pride of Pakistan and Karachi etc
 
I agree with you about him being slow but my point is the others (Inzy, Ijaz and Malik) were probably to blame equally if not more.
 
Manjrekar: "It was a great game of cricket. I remember Javed Miandad, after the match, came to our dressing room. It was his final game and he loves India in a different way. He wanted to beat India, of course, but once the match was over he was happy that India was one of the teams that was going through. He came in and spent some good 30 minutes with us, hugging us, and he was very emotional and he shared his emotions with us in the dressing room. I will never forget that."

I for one was crying my eyes out and couldn't stop crying for hours and hours. It took me years to get over this defeat. Infact, I don't think I have yet. I was 11 at the time, now I am 25 (nearly 26): the pain eases but never disappears.

Interesting how Miandad reflected on it, the players have a different viewpoint simply because of the friends they make in cricket and the places they visit.

Miandad was finished, he was struggling through out the tournament. He tried but he could not keep with the run rate. He should not have been in the side at all. However Inzamam, Ejaz also failed and Amir Sohail he ruined the chase by his recklessness.
 
This match made Prassad immortal, somehow he was spanked left and right in other matches across his career but went super sayan mode against Pak in WC matches.

I never understood what was the point of that jibe by Sohail.
 
IK came back to play. He pretty much lost the game due to his poor knock and then saved by Inzzy.

JM may have thought that something similar may happen to him. It turned out differently. No one saved the game after he played a poor knock.

If it was not for Inzzy, IK would have been heavily criticized for playing such a poor knock as well. Both were past sale by date.

Imran Khan's innings at Auckland in the semi-final should surely rank as one of the worst in World Cup history.
 
IK came back to play. He pretty much lost the game due to his poor knock and then saved by Inzzy.

JM may have thought that something similar may happen to him. It turned out differently. No one saved the game after he played a poor knock.

If it was not for Inzzy, IK would have been heavily criticized for playing such a poor knock as well. Both were past sale by date.

Imran’s semifinal innings was as bad as Misbah’s Mohali knock. The only difference was that the likes of Umar, Afridi, Razzaq etc. couldn’t pull off what Inzamam and Miandad did.

Had Imran played that innings in the age of social media and PP, he would be blasted like no tomorrow.
 
Here is a fun fact:

The last time Pakistan did not lose a Test match in Australia, Javed Miandad was still playing ODI cricket for Pakistan. :)))
 
Here is a fun fact:

The last time Pakistan did not lose a Test match in Australia, Javed Miandad was still playing ODI cricket for Pakistan. :)))

The scoreline may not suggest it, but some tests came close. Pakistan had a decent chance in few tests to win, but they let it slip.
 
Horrible day.

The build up, Wasim's injury, then Waqar getting smashed to all parts.

Terrible times.
 
Imran’s semifinal innings was as bad as Misbah’s Mohali knock. The only difference was that the likes of Umar, Afridi, Razzaq etc. couldn’t pull off what Inzamam and Miandad did.

Had Imran played that innings in the age of social media and PP, he would be blasted like no tomorrow.

Tbh history is kind to IK in they WC because he took it upon himself to waste the new ball as the ball would seam for the first 20-30 overs and there were two new balls at each end. You must also remember he was playing with a horrible shoulder problem for which he was getting pain killing injections for. If you keep that in mind, he outperformed himself in that tournament
 
That score should still have been chased considering it was a beautiful Chinnaswamy track under lights. Unfortunately, the overrated Pakistani middle-order was simply not good enough.
 
This was the strongest team Pakistan ever took to an ODI World Cup. Javed Miandad aside, the players were mostly in their primes. Every base was covered from batting to pace to spin. Perhaps it lacked the all-round depth of the 1999 side, but I've always believed in backing your specialists in their primary roles over bits and pieces.

Even after Jadeja's onslaught, Pakistan were well in the chase. The strokeplay of Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail as they dismantled India's bowlers in the first 10-15 overs was breathtaking. Watch it back on YouTube - even the Bangalore crowd who were pin drop silent had to applause and acknowledge that onslaught.

We were 84-0 after 10 overs. I don't back our guys to score 84 from the first 10 today. All they needed to do was knock it around sensibly from there. However the dismissals of Anwar, Sohail, Ijaz and Inzamam was unforgivable, especially the first two because they were set.

1996 is a microcosm of nearly all the World Cup encounters between the two sides where India maintain their composure under pressure while Pakistan's lack of game awareness is repeatedly exposed. Out of all the defeats, this one stings the most because of the disparity between the two sides in 1996, Pakistan being the defending champions and playing in Asian conditions.
 
This was the strongest team Pakistan ever took to an ODI World Cup. Javed Miandad aside, the players were mostly in their primes. Every base was covered from batting to pace to spin. Perhaps it lacked the all-round depth of the 1999 side, but I've always believed in backing your specialists in their primary roles over bits and pieces.

Even after Jadeja's onslaught, Pakistan were well in the chase. The strokeplay of Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail as they dismantled India's bowlers in the first 10-15 overs was breathtaking. Watch it back on YouTube - even the Bangalore crowd who were pin drop silent had to applause and acknowledge that onslaught.

We were 84-0 after 10 overs. I don't back our guys to score 84 from the first 10 today. All they needed to do was knock it around sensibly from there. However the dismissals of Anwar, Sohail, Ijaz and Inzamam was unforgivable, especially the first two because they were set.

1996 is a microcosm of nearly all the World Cup encounters between the two sides where India maintain their composure under pressure while Pakistan's lack of game awareness is repeatedly exposed. Out of all the defeats, this one stings the most because of the disparity between the two sides in 1996, Pakistan being the defending champions and playing in Asian conditions.

Chasing in high-pressure games is never easy. Even if you get a good start.
 
Poor Wasim, got 'injured' right before the match vs India 96 WC

&

Who can forget the 1999 WC final loss. Wasim sure had a 'role' in that as well.

Pakistani fans sure deserve an apology

Yup, you had your cameras on him wherever he went and hence you know that and have evidence. lol
 
Horrible day.

The build up, Wasim's injury, then Waqar getting smashed to all parts.

Terrible times.

Waqar lost Pakistan the game I think.
Also, Aamir Sohail, had he not lost his cool Pakistan would've chased it with overs to spare.
 
Yup, you had your cameras on him wherever he went and hence you know that and have evidence. lol

His mysterious should injury right before the India match, ( well I will give him the benefit of the doubt here, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was no 'injury'

Key members of the Pak side partying hard till 4am at night club before the 99 WC final...

Saeed Anwar getting out next ball after getting his hand grip replaced,

Yeah ofcourse, Wasim was a such a champion never involved in anything..


Oh Pahleasee...
 
If you consider the CT final a fluke victory by Pak, then this was also a fluke victory by India. A less qualified team defeating a tournament favorite.
 
Jadeja’s freak innings ultimately won the game for India. Yes we had a shot after Anwar and Sohail had India on the mat after the first 8-9 overs. Sohail’s brain **** against Prasad was criminal, otherwise he could have finished India off himself.

A very tough loss to take, I was 15 at the time. Pakistan was miles better than India at that time, so any loss was unexpected and shocking.
 
This was the strongest team Pakistan ever took to an ODI World Cup. Javed Miandad aside, the players were mostly in their primes. Every base was covered from batting to pace to spin. Perhaps it lacked the all-round depth of the 1999 side, but I've always believed in backing your specialists in their primary roles over bits and pieces.

Even after Jadeja's onslaught, Pakistan were well in the chase. The strokeplay of Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail as they dismantled India's bowlers in the first 10-15 overs was breathtaking. Watch it back on YouTube - even the Bangalore crowd who were pin drop silent had to applause and acknowledge that onslaught.

We were 84-0 after 10 overs. I don't back our guys to score 84 from the first 10 today. All they needed to do was knock it around sensibly from there. However the dismissals of Anwar, Sohail, Ijaz and Inzamam was unforgivable, especially the first two because they were set.

1996 is a microcosm of nearly all the World Cup encounters between the two sides where India maintain their composure under pressure while Pakistan's lack of game awareness is repeatedly exposed. Out of all the defeats, this one stings the most because of the disparity between the two sides in 1996, Pakistan being the defending champions and playing in Asian conditions.

Agree. that 96 team of Pakistan was a seriously good team. This is what Talent is called. Rashid Latif came at 6 or 7 down and was still hitting Kumble for sixes and along with Miandad could have taken the game away.
I distinctly remember that night. It was a few weeks or a month after Diwali. My whole town in Hoshiarpur celebrated as if it was another Diwali night, bursting left over crackers into the night.
 
If you consider the CT final a fluke victory by Pak, then this was also a fluke victory by India. A less qualified team defeating a tournament favorite.

It was not a fluke because India beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup as well including several other high profile matches including the Independence Cup Final in 1997.

That Pakistan team was full of hot air that dominated India in bilaterals but got rinsed in high-profile matches.

The gap between India and Pakistan in 1996 was not as big as the gap between India and Pakistan today, and that is why the same set of players have played 5 ODIs between 2017 and 2019 with India winning 4 of those 5 ODIs.
 
It was not a fluke because India beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup as well including several other high profile matches including the Independence Cup Final in 1997.

That Pakistan team was full of hot air that dominated India in bilaterals but got rinsed in high-profile matches.

The gap between India and Pakistan in 1996 was not as big as the gap between India and Pakistan today, and that is why the same set of players have played 5 ODIs between 2017 and 2019 with India winning 4 of those 5 ODIs.

So no importance of bilateral series then? If Pakistan's record in bilaterals is superior then bilateral ODI's don't matter and if Pakistan wins big tournaments and does poorly in bilateral ODI series, then bilateral ODI's matter, yeah right :))
 
Miandad was well past prime, just replace him with a Batting spin all-rounder, Pakistan would have won the game.

Saeed Anwar
Aamir Sohail
Ijaz Ahmed
Inzamam
Saleem Malik
Batting Allrounder
Rashid Latif
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Aaaquib Javed /Saqlain Mustaq
Mushtaq Ahmed
 
Miandad was well past prime, just replace him with a Batting spin all-rounder, Pakistan would have won the game.

Saeed Anwar
Aamir Sohail
Ijaz Ahmed
Inzamam
Saleem Malik
Batting Allrounder
Rashid Latif
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Aaaquib Javed /Saqlain Mustaq
Mushtaq Ahmed

There was no all-rounder in the World Cup squad. Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, and Azhar Mahmood all debuted a few months after that tournament.

In domestic cricket, you had Asif Mujtaba and Basit Ali scoring runs consistently, the latter of whom was pressured into giving up his WC place for Miandad.

With respect to the match itself, Wasim Akram's withdrawal at the last hour had a monumental impact on the outcome. The three other main reasons for India's victory were:

1. Waqar Younis bowling half-volleys to Ajay Jadeja at the death
2. Aamir Sohail's brain fade against Venkatesh Prasad
3. Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam ul Haq, Salim Malik, and Javed Miandad's slow batting

Even if one of those three factors turned out differently, Pakistan would have won.
 
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So no importance of bilateral series then? If Pakistan's record in bilaterals is superior then bilateral ODI's don't matter and if Pakistan wins big tournaments and does poorly in bilateral ODI series, then bilateral ODI's matter, yeah right :))

Except that Pakistan flops in tournaments 99% of the time. If Pakistan establishes itself as a strong tournament team, I wouldn’t care about them getting battered in bilateral cricket.

The problem is that tournament or bilateral cricket, Pakistan gets rinsed 99% of the time, which indicates that Pakistan is a deeply mediocre team.
 
Except that Pakistan flops in tournaments 99% of the time. If Pakistan establishes itself as a strong tournament team, I wouldn’t care about them getting battered in bilateral cricket.

The problem is that tournament or bilateral cricket, Pakistan gets rinsed 99% of the time, which indicates that Pakistan is a deeply mediocre team.

Pakistan has always been a mentally weak cricket team. That's why they only seem to perform when they are liberated from pressure (i.e. when they are underdogs and have nothing to lose).

This whole myth of cornered tigers actually betrays the fact that it's only when the players are liberated from pressure that they raise their performance.

Historically we have invariably lost whenever the onus has been on Pakistan to win or when expectation has risen for them to win:

1. 1987 World Cup semi-final
2. 1996 World Cup quarter-final
3. 2nd test vs India at Delhi 1999
4. 1999 World Cup final
5. 2nd test vs Australia at Hobart 1999
6. 2004 series against India
7. 2007 T20 World Cup final

I actually think the 2009 World T20 is the only time in my lifetime when Pakistan have performed consistently and risen to expectations.
 
Pakistan loses to India in World Cups regardless of the strength of their team.

One can blame Miandad, Akram, Waqar or Misbah, fact remains this bubble needs to pop in a proper world cup game. It will not depend on the strengths of the sides as much as on mental makeup on the day.

Pakistan has a good history in tournaments - big and small - but it is blotted by their India hangups.
 
Pakistan has always been a mentally weak cricket team. That's why they only seem to perform when they are liberated from pressure (i.e. when they are underdogs and have nothing to lose).

This whole myth of cornered tigers actually betrays the fact that it's only when the players are liberated from pressure that they raise their performance.

Historically we have invariably lost whenever the onus has been on Pakistan to win or when expectation has risen for them to win:

1. 1987 World Cup semi-final
2. 1996 World Cup quarter-final
3. 2nd test vs India at Delhi 1999
4. 1999 World Cup final
5. 2nd test vs Australia at Hobart 1999
6. 2004 series against India
7. 2007 T20 World Cup final

I actually think the 2009 World T20 is the only time in my lifetime when Pakistan have performed consistently and risen to expectations.

Totally agreed, and even without the weight of expectations, Pakistan has faltered more often than not. 2002 Champions Trophy, 2003 World Cup, 2004 Champions Trophy, 2006 Champions Trophy, 2007 World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy, 2015 World Cup, 2019 World Cup etc. were all tournaments where Pakistan were not among the heavy favorites to win and they flopped.

I think winning the 1987 World Cup instead of 1992 would have done Pakistan cricket a lot of good and ushered an era of professionalism and disciplined cricket. Pakistan were the pre-tournament favorites and played disciplined cricket throughout the tournament before stumbling in the semifinal.

That 1992 World Cup destroyed the mentality of Pakistan cricket with the romanticism over the unpredictability and cornered tigers nonsense that means nothing.
 
Pakistan loses to India in World Cups regardless of the strength of their team.

One can blame Miandad, Akram, Waqar or Misbah, fact remains this bubble needs to pop in a proper world cup game. It will not depend on the strengths of the sides as much as on mental makeup on the day.

Pakistan has a good history in tournaments - big and small - but it is blotted by their India hangups.

Imran and Wasim are the biggest culprits as far as this streak is concerned. Pakistan had no business losing the 1992 and 1999 World Cup matches. Both are equally responsible for creating this monster.

The streak will obviously end one day and the captain who pulls it off and the player who produces the standout performance will become cult-heroes.
 
There was no all-rounder in the World Cup squad. Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, and Azhar Mahmood all debuted a few months after that tournament.

In domestic cricket, you had Asif Mujtaba and Basit Ali scoring runs consistently, the latter of whom was pressured into giving up his WC place for Miandad.

With respect to the match itself, Wasim Akram's withdrawal at the last hour had a monumental impact on the outcome. The three other main reasons for India's victory were:

1. Waqar Younis bowling half-volleys to Ajay Jadeja at the death
2. Aamir Sohail's brain fade against Venkatesh Prasad
3. Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam ul Haq, Salim Malik, and Javed Miandad's slow batting

Even if one of those three factors turned out differently, Pakistan would have won.

If you place someone like Asif Mujtaba in place of Javed Miandad, the team would have been much stronger.

The planning is crucial, that is why Sri Lanaka won 1996 WC. They had deep batting with Vaas at number 9 , and only two pacers . They also used Jayasuriya and D Silva effectively.

Wasim , Mushtaq , Waqar could give 30 overs

Amir , Malik , one more bowling and one more batting allrounder could give 20 more overs. That would have further elongated batting as Wasim would be at number 9
 
Pakistan has a good history in tournaments - big and small - but it is blotted by their India hangups.

No we are a deeply mediocre tournament team, who has never won a tournament of any credibility. Winning the 1992 WC, 2009 WT20 and 2017 CT means nothing, we need to win bilateral ODI series, only then we can hope to win a tournament of any meaning.
 
You cant blame JM for the loss

Yes he was past it but the reasons for the defeat was waqar condeding 20 runs too many at the death and the top order collapse Better was expected from the likes of inzy and ijaz once the top order momentum was set

Even a 50-60 partnership between them too wouldve won the game for pakistan

JM did what he did in 1992 take the match deep but apart from rashid who hit a few the rest folded like a pack of cards
 
ah yes that was a heartbreak , it was the ever cricket tournament i watched. 96 was the year i started following cricket.

99 was a bigger heartbreak though.
 
You cant blame JM for the loss

Yes he was past it but the reasons for the defeat was waqar condeding 20 runs too many at the death and the top order collapse Better was expected from the likes of inzy and ijaz once the top order momentum was set

Even a 50-60 partnership between them too wouldve won the game for pakistan

JM did what he did in 1992 take the match deep but apart from rashid who hit a few the rest folded like a pack of cards

You most certainly can blame Javed Miandad. Yes he was not the only culprit but he was a major culprit. Strike rate of barely over 50% - the batsman at the other end would have needed to play an absolute blinder to get us close at that rate. It was a pathetic innings.

Cricket had changed significantly between 1992 and 1996. 290 for example was actually a chasable score in a way that it wasn't in 1992.
 
Overall in 1992 we were just not playing well at the time we played India but I agree with others that 1996 and 1999, we were just on a completely different level to India. There really is no excuse for us to lose those two games.
 
Was too young to have watched the match or have any memory of it. Personally, I didn't enjoy the 2011 semifinal win at Mohali much too as the quality of cricket was poor from both sides and the wicket itself was a dour one.

My favourite Indo-Pak world cup encounter will always be 2003 world cup one, probably because it was nostalgic for many reasons as that was the first world cup I remember following closely, the vibe of that world cup in South Africa was very enjoyable for some reason, the quality of cricket in that match was much better from both sides with Anwar scoring a beautiful ton in the first innings and Sachin playing that knock in the chase. I think world tournaments in South Africa bring a colourful vibe, exact opposite of world tournaments in say the West Indies.
 
I am sceptical of Wasim doing anything funny in this game.

After all, wouldn't it be easier to control a fix from within the playing XI than outside?
 
Imran and Wasim are the biggest culprits as far as this streak is concerned. Pakistan had no business losing the 1992 and 1999 World Cup matches. Both are equally responsible for creating this monster.

The streak will obviously end one day and the captain who pulls it off and the player who produces the standout performance will become cult-heroes.

I agree - but for their many achievements, I am willing to give them a pass :)

Also agree any captain who pulls off a win over India will be a cult hero. I will be the first one to kiss his feet :)

I remember Pakistan used to lose to India all the time until Australasia cup last ball six happened in Sharjah and suddenly Pakistan had a hold on India for over a decade. A bit like the 4 minute mile. A talisman event like that is overdue. Champions Trophy failed to spark a run so waiting for the next miracle.
 
You most certainly can blame Javed Miandad. Yes he was not the only culprit but he was a major culprit. Strike rate of barely over 50% - the batsman at the other end would have needed to play an absolute blinder to get us close at that rate. It was a pathetic innings.

Cricket had changed significantly between 1992 and 1996. 290 for example was actually a chasable score in a way that it wasn't in 1992.


It was chaseable but a tough difficult score, 300 scores werent chased everyday then

Like i said they scored about 25 runs too many but we were still tho in pole position to win after the blitz start If it wasnt for the top order brainfaids and collapse The set batsmen like sohail and anwar shouldve gone on and scored a ton and better was expected from inzy and ijaz

113-1 became 184-5 - thats where the game was lost

Majority of the blame lands with the top 4 collapse Miandad was holding an end up

Just needed someone to stick around with him
 
Pakistan has always been a mentally weak cricket team. That's why they only seem to perform when they are liberated from pressure (i.e. when they are underdogs and have nothing to lose).

This whole myth of cornered tigers actually betrays the fact that it's only when the players are liberated from pressure that they raise their performance.

Historically we have invariably lost whenever the onus has been on Pakistan to win or when expectation has risen for them to win:

1. 1987 World Cup semi-final
2. 1996 World Cup quarter-final
3. 2nd test vs India at Delhi 1999
4. 1999 World Cup final
5. 2nd test vs Australia at Hobart 1999
6. 2004 series against India
7. 2007 T20 World Cup final

I actually think the 2009 World T20 is the only time in my lifetime when Pakistan have performed consistently and risen to expectations.
Actually yeah you are right. Also that 2007 T20 WC group game I think vs India is one more example. Only a group stage game but high pressure due to it being vs India. They had bowl outs at the end due to a tie, and someone like Sehwag and Robin Utappa hit the wicket but our frontline bowlers couldn’t hit the wicket once iirc. Smh.
 
Actually yeah you are right. Also that 2007 T20 WC group game I think vs India is one more example. Only a group stage game but high pressure due to it being vs India. They had bowl outs at the end due to a tie, and someone like Sehwag and Robin Utappa hit the wicket but our frontline bowlers couldn’t hit the wicket once iirc. Smh.

That was horrendous and we basically choked from a good position. Thankfully they don't do bowl outs any more as it was a terrible way to decide a game in any case.
 
Aamir Sohail just lost it.

He was batting so well and then just lost the plot against Prasad.

That started the rot.
 
Actually yeah you are right. Also that 2007 T20 WC group game I think vs India is one more example. Only a group stage game but high pressure due to it being vs India. They had bowl outs at the end due to a tie, and someone like Sehwag and Robin Utappa hit the wicket but our frontline bowlers couldn’t hit the wicket once iirc. Smh.

That's because you don't need express pace just to hit a set of stumps. Basic spinners can do that easily.
 
That's because you don't need express pace just to hit a set of stumps. Basic spinners can do that easily.

My point is it’s embarrassing that full time bowlers whose careers are made on targeting the stumps with accuracy (for the most part) couldn’t hit them one time, but guys who have only bowled a handful of overs probably in their whole careers Sehwag and Uthappa hit them.
 
Many people here very highly over-rates that 96 wc team. It may look like the strongest side on paper but had many loopholes. Below are the points that makes this team a mediocre side in that wc-
1. An half fit Wasim Akram throughout the tournament. He was not available to bowl against the South Africa game and just came to bowl when the match was almost lost, didn't played against new Zealand and india. Most of us thinks he fooled everyone before that quarter final with injury but actually he was unfit during whole tournament.
2. Waqar making a comeback after an injury.
From this wc onwards he was not the same waqar that he actually used to be. Took wickets but gave away too many runs. He was not a threat at all as he was earlier.
3. 38 yrs old Javed Miandad just playing to have a record in his name. Taken the place of inform Basit Ali who could have made the difference in that wc for Pakistan. He was in such a great nick before that wc.
4. Overweighted, overrated and out of form Inzy. He was just an average batsman during mid and late 90s.
The one and only positives from that wc was the rise of anwar-sohail as an opening pair and saqlain's intro to international cricket.
 
Many people here very highly over-rates that 96 wc team. It may look like the strongest side on paper but had many loopholes. Below are the points that makes this team a mediocre side in that wc-
1. An half fit Wasim Akram throughout the tournament. He was not available to bowl against the South Africa game and just came to bowl when the match was almost lost, didn't played against new Zealand and india. Most of us thinks he fooled everyone before that quarter final with injury but actually he was unfit during whole tournament.
2. Waqar making a comeback after an injury.
From this wc onwards he was not the same waqar that he actually used to be. Took wickets but gave away too many runs. He was not a threat at all as he was earlier.
3. 38 yrs old Javed Miandad just playing to have a record in his name. Taken the place of inform Basit Ali who could have made the difference in that wc for Pakistan. He was in such a great nick before that wc.
4. Overweighted, overrated and out of form Inzy. He was just an average batsman during mid and late 90s.
The one and only positives from that wc was the rise of anwar-sohail as an opening pair and saqlain's intro to international cricket.

Waqar was always expensive even before 1996.

Waqar's ER against different countries till 1995,

Eng - 5.3
WI - 4.8
Ind - 4.6
Aus - 4.5
Zim - 4.4
SA - 4.4
SL - 4.3
---------------------
NZ - 3.7

Good bowlers like Dev, Wasim, Ambrose, Walsh, McDermott, Warne, McGrath, etc went for ER of below 4.
 
Yes I agree he was expensive before 96 also but still he was the bowler who can win the games on his day on his own. But from that comeback onwards I feel that he was a pretty ordinary bowler for the rest of his career.
 
Waqar was always expensive even before 1996.

Waqar's ER against different countries till 1995,

Eng - 5.3
WI - 4.8
Ind - 4.6
Aus - 4.5
Zim - 4.4
SA - 4.4
SL - 4.3
---------------------
NZ - 3.7

Good bowlers like Dev, Wasim, Ambrose, Walsh, McDermott, Warne, McGrath, etc went for ER of below 4.

Waqar was a strike bowler He compensated for the fact he was expensive by taking wickets quicker and more often than any other bowlers of his era
 
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