Najam Sethi's article on Pakistan team during 1992 World Cup

[GujjarSher]

I think most of us were children during the 1992 World Cup so pretty interesting to see how the public/media was reacting to Pak team when they were struggling before the famous Cornered Tigers approach took hold. Wonder what the discussions on this forum would've been like... I'm sure many would've called for Imran Khan's immediate sacking!

http://www.najamsethi.com/get-going-imran/

Get going, Imran
Posted on Thursday, March 5, 1992 in The Friday Times (Editorial)

The Pakistan cricket team is not firing properly on any one of its 11 cylinders, including the three in reserve. From all accounts, the boys seem demoralised, listless and wayward. Of the matches played thus far, we were badly mauled by the Windies and deeply humiliated by the English. As for the one against Zimbabwe, our exploits were nothing to write home about. What, in God’s name, is going on and why?

Even before the team left, it was abundantly clear that Waqar Yunus was unfit. He couldn’t bowl a single over during net practise. Where the expert doctor diagnosed a stress fracture, our selectors thought otherwise. In the event, he had a free ride to Australia and back.

Then, no one thought it worthwhile to import some white balls and give the boys a chance to check them out. The shine on the white ball lasts longer than on the red and it also seams more. As it is, our batsmen and bowlers are all at sea with it now.

The selection of the team was undoubtedly bungled. Saleem Jaffar and Akram Raza were declared non trata and sent back post haste. How did they change their colours overnight and become unsuitable for Australian pitches? Now we have two second-rate leg spinners and are sorely missing out on an off-spinner like Iqbal Qasim.

As for captain Imran Khan’s ‘fierce motivation’ to win the cup, we don’t like it one bit, Khan says that his motivation is of a purely private nature. He is concerned about the fate of his cancer hospital and has been advised to stay in the limelight if he wants to raise funds for it. No one has the courage to tell him plainly that his private motivation is adversely affecting the morale of his team. If every player were to follow suit and play for himself, as Imran is doing and as Rameez Raja did against the Windies, rather than for team and country, we might as well ask the boys to pack their bags and call it a day.

Then there is the issue of who should lead the team. Saleem Malik is properly in line to become captain after Imran and Miandad retire. When the team left,Miandad was thought a non-starter ad Malik was appointed vice-captain. When Miandad was desperately recalled, Malik lost his due and sulked. What a royal mess this is.

If both Imran and Miandad are ageing, unfit warriors, wouldn’t it have been proper to appoint star batsman Saleem Malik and star bowler Wasim Akram as captain and vice-captain respectively and tell Khan and Miandad to groom them in the jobs under their tutelage in the World Cup? A leaf from the Windies’ book might have been taken. After Vivian Richards voluntarily retired as captain, he said he was available to play in the World Cup under Richardson. Although the Windies foolishly didn’t take Richards up on his generous offer, Imran Khan could well have responded in the same spirit in the twilight of his grand career. After all, aren’t former captains Kapil Dev and Vengsarkar playing under Azharuddin in the Indian team? Isn’t former captain Botham playing under Gooch? Pity the Pakistani selectors who must eve now scrape and grovel before the whimsical Great Khan.

Imran Khan now says he won’t play in a match unless he can bowl also. This is ridiculous. Khan has an honourable place in the team as a batsman, not as a bowler. Why doesn’t he get off his high horse and stop farting about? As it is, he stands out like a sore thumb among his middle-class playmates who are beginning to resent his standoffish ways and authoritarian behaviour.

It isn’t too late to sort out things, have a determined go at the Cup and give us our money’s worth. The captain needs to establish a line of communication with the boys. What is missing is a sense of comaraderie. This should be followed by continuous pep-talks. Some important cricketing lessons, too, should be drummed into them after their private irks and kinks have been ironed out. (Did you see how the England bowlers fruitfully sacrificed pace for seam, swing and accuracy while Akram and Jawed were hopelessly panting in to the wicket and spraying their balls all over the place?)

Imran Khan is the greatest cricketer Pakistan has ever produced. He made a mistake in announcing his retirement some years ago. But he was wise enough to repair his error and return to cricket when his country needed him. His country still needs him, immediately as a batsman and strategist of high quality and later as a guiding force behind efforts to build a new team to take on England in the gruelling 5-Test series in the summer.

But Khan must put duty to Pakistan first and his private obsessions second. And this change of heart and mind must be immediately and clearly reflected before the team. Otherwise, he will have only himself to blame for a bitter end to a truly glorious career.

 

[Gunner786]

smart guy

 

[Zeshan547]

We all would be bashing imran khan more than misbah after that disastrous start to the world cup.

 

[iafzal]

Sethi was no different than a typical Pak fan? I am sure most of us would be had been saying the same after Pak's first 3 games in WC 92.

 

[Nido]

Lol...I was just noticing the kind of teminologies he was using back then ...How stupid I was to think that terms like 'what in God's name', 'might as well', 'Royal mess' might have been recent additions to English language and that South Asian writers used to be very 'Proper' and 'formal' when it came to penning English Articles in those good ol' days

 

[Saj]

Seems he didn't know much about cricket back then & even less nowadays.

How on earth this guy has become Chairman PCB is beyond me.

 

[Major]

Seems he didn't know much about cricket back then & even less nowadays.

How on earth this guy has become Chairman PCB is beyond me.

Well to be honest, even our past Chairmans like Zaka Ashraf or Tauqir knew any thing about cricket.

 

[96NotOut]

If we had been around back then...

 

[Strike!]

A truly facepalm worthy article.

 

[Saqs]

Re: Najam Sethi's article on Pakistan team during 1992 WC



As soon as he suggested to 'trial' a new captain and vice captain for a World Cup (that's right, the biggest stage of them all for trial and error! ) - I stopped taking anything else seriously.

 

[Nido]

Seems he didn't know much about cricket back then & even less nowadays.

How on earth this guy has become Chairman PCB is beyond me.

I think he knows or at least CARED much more than guys like zaka, Tauqeer and even the dumb jaz butt (despite being a cricketer) would ever have known or cared (before becoming chairmen).

Also I think his amiable, street smart, diplomatic, happy go lucky, funny demeanor, good standing as a veteran journalist among Indians along with his good English communication skills are the very traits we were lacking in our chairmen previously especially in an era when we are an outcast while India leads the cricketing world.
Now, if only he cuts down a bit on his statements on every tiny little thing in media

 

[Saj]

Rather worrying when the PCB chairman is seen as a bit of a 'comedy act' by others who attend the ICC meetings.

Brings back memories of the days of Ijaz Butt.

 

[Nido]

Rather worrying when the PCB chairman is seen as a bit of a 'comedy act' by others who attend the ICC meetings.

Brings back memories of the days of Ijaz Butt.

Are you referring to that Aussie jibe because zaka and najam were taking turns to attend icc meetings or did I miss something specifically said about Najam?

 

[Bewal Express]

The PCB job has been used a reward for political loyalty to who ever has been in power. This guy has absolutely no knowledge of cricket and should be no where near the job. Pakistan has failed to materialise its potential and will always do so until we have people who care for the cricket and not the perks.

 

[s28]

So he wanted to replace a legend with a match fixer ?

Is it any wonder that Pakistan is in a mess ?

The Corrupt elite get to choose who is Captain and they choose to promote their own corrupt friends / servants who will do their corrupt bidding.

 

[srh]

So he wanted to replace a legend with a match fixer ?

Is it any wonder that Pakistan is in a mess ?

The Corrupt elite get to choose who is Captain and they choose to promote their own corrupt friends / servants who will do their corrupt bidding.

You think everybody knew that Salim Malik was a match fixer in 1992 WC.

 

[Saj]

Are you referring to that Aussie jibe because zaka and najam were taking turns to attend icc meetings or did I miss something specifically said about Najam?

I'm referring to more than the Aussie jibe.

 

[corneredtiger85292]

This guy was a joke then and he is a joke now.

A yes man for Nawaz sharif and this is his reward for the work he did before/during the elections

 

[Saj]

Worth a bump on the 25th anniversary....

 

[Syed1]

[MENTION=107441]lonex[/MENTION] this is what I was talking about.


Thanks for the bump Saj bhai.

 

[Hawkeye]

Haha.

This article is probably the reason why ik was so bitter over PSL final success and his feud with Sethi.

But Sethi also seems to be anti ik.

 

[Syed1]

Haha.

This article is probably the reason why ik was so bitter over PSL final success and his feud with Sethi.

But Sethi also seems to be anti ik.

Sethi is a tiny man not fit to polish IK's shoes.


IK has won a world cup for Pakistan, has built a world class university and built international standard cancer hospital in three Pakistani cities, he is also struggling against Pakistan's main issue of corruption.


What are Sethi's achievements other than engineering an election for his master?

 

[Speedster777]

Sethi is a tiny man not fit to polish IK's shoes.


IK has won a world cup for Pakistan, has built a world class university and built international standard cancer hospital in three Pakistani cities, he is also struggling against Pakistan's main issue of corruption.


What are Sethi's achievements other than engineering an election for his master?

Please don't underestimate Sethi's achievements. He deserves credit for being the most incompetent PCB Chairman under whose leadership we lost 3 consecutive world cups and our international raking went to the bottom. Half of the team's name is in ECL thanks to his great leadership skills.

 

[WebGuru]

Read these golden words by Sethi

As for captain Imran Khan’s ‘fierce motivation’ to win the cup, we don’t like it one bit, Khan says that his motivation is of a purely private nature. He is concerned about the fate of his cancer hospital and has been advised to stay in the limelight if he wants to raise funds for it. No one has the courage to tell him plainly that his private motivation is adversely affecting the morale of his team.

)

 

[JibranAnsari]

Hw won the world cup and gave pakistan the state of art cancer hospital. Not bad for a "personal obsession".

 

[Bewal Express]

Hw won the world cup and gave pakistan the state of art cancer hospital. Not bad for a "personal obsession".

Just ignore everything else just think about how many lives have been saved.

 

[Black Zero]

FYI, Pakistan qualified for SF due to weather.
After then you just need two good performances.

 

[Hitman]

Miandad said the same things in his autobiography -

He (Miandad) also accused Imran of deliberately denying him the chance to try and beat Gary Sobers' then Test record score of 365 during a match against India at Hyderabad in 1983.

Javed was flabbergasted when, having reached 280 not out, Imran decided to declare.

"Off the field at the end of the second day, there was no talk of a declaration. Imran never brought it up overnight and gave me no specific instructions.

"I took this to mean I was being given a chance to go for all possible records. How wrong I was!"

"He was a fine cricket leader and no one doubted that but the players' patience with his obsession for the hospital fund-raising (referring to the cancer hospital built by Imran in Lahore) had started to wear thin.

"The players had nicknamed him "Meter," implying a money counter that was always ticking. Imran was well aware that none of the players was sad to see him go."

 

[JibranAnsari]

^ ok bro , we did not win a world cup. Would have been a victory if zardari were the captain even if pakistan was the only team playing.

 

[Pakpak]

Miandad said the same things in his autobiography -

Pakistan won the match on the last day by an innings and 100 odd runs, had Miandad plodded along through another session or two it'd not been possible. A layman could predict a declaration.

 

[Pakpak]

FYI, Pakistan qualified for SF due to weather.
After then you just need two good performances.

Luck played a big part, but every single player in the team credits his captaincy for getting over the last hurdle. I mean how bitter do you have to be?

 

[WebGuru]

Miandad said the same things in his autobiography -

Today Miandad is a fundraiser of SKMCH when Imran is making third cancer hospital this time in Karachi after Lahore and Peshawar. Watch this 3 months old video where he is saying he is glad to be part of SKMCH mission when it started back in late 80s early 90s

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pTufxJQhrzU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>​

 

[Mian]

Pakistan won the match on the last day by an innings and 100 odd runs, had Miandad plodded along through another session or two it'd not been possible. A layman could predict a declaration.

J Miandad was recently asked same question in an interview about deceleration by IK in that match and answer was what IK did was for the country and nothing selfish.

Remember Imran once declared the innings when he himself was batting at 93* but he wasn't interested in getting 7th Test century against Sri Lanka and victory was more important so he declared the innings with a lead of 150 odd runs.

 

[Black Zero]

Luck played a big part, but every single player in the team credits his captaincy for getting over the last hurdle. I mean how bitter do you have to be?

So if luck played a big step so how fair is to criticize Sethi on his rational assessment?

 

[Pakpak]

So if luck played a big step so how fair is to criticize Sethi on his rational assessment?

a) Because he was proved completely wrong when he said 'Imran was affecting team morale negatively', as it turned out the opposite and it was Imran's constant backing his team that won the cup
b) Luck played a big part but only a part. Teams still had to go out and there win. Pakistan did not win by playing against minnows. After 3 defeats in 5 games in round-robin, Pakistan went onto win 4 on the trot by beating Australia (in Australia) by thrashing NZ (in NZ), by beating SL and then once again beating NZ in NZ in the Semis. Beating the hosts in 3/4 games is nothing short of excellent. There were absolutely fantastic results, and Pakistan capped it off by winning the final too. England got to the final extremely luckily too vs South Africa.
c) Sethi was proved completely wrong because we won the damned thing

Imran has a lot of detractors, but even Hawkeye, Major never criticise him for the 92 victory. You sir, take a bow!

 

[Saj]

FYI, Pakistan qualified for SF due to weather.
After then you just need two good performances.

Two good performances - something the current lot seem incapable of doing.

 

[Black Zero]

a) Because he was proved completely wrong when he said 'Imran was affecting team morale negatively', as it turned out the opposite and it was Imran's constant backing his team that won the cup
b) Luck played a big part but only a part. Teams still had to go out and there win. Pakistan did not win by playing against minnows. After 3 defeats in 5 games in round-robin, Pakistan went onto win 4 on the trot by beating Australia (in Australia) by thrashing NZ (in NZ), by beating SL and then once again beating NZ in NZ in the Semis. Beating the hosts in 3/4 games is nothing short of excellent. There were absolutely fantastic results, and Pakistan capped it off by winning the final too. England got to the final extremely luckily too vs South Africa.
c) Sethi was proved completely wrong because we won the damned thing

Imran has a lot of detractors, but even Hawkeye, Major never criticise him for the 92 victory. You sir, take a bow!

Sethi was proved wrong only cause he failed to predict that weather would enable pakistan to qualify.
Winning is dependent on qualifications and qualification is result of weather helping us in a match that we played against England and again, when we were not even playing.

 

[Pakpak]

Sethi was proved wrong only cause he failed to predict that weather would enable pakistan to qualify.
Winning is dependent on qualifications and qualification is result of weather helping us in a match that we played against England and again, when we were not even playing.

Rain only affected one game. It did not affect Pakistan's other victories. Pakistan had to win every single game after defeat by India, and we did so three times before the semi-final (twice beating Aus and NZ) and then NZ in the semi. And England in the final. According to Sethi under Imran all these victories would not been possible due to 'morale' issues. You and Sethi can cry about it how much you want.

 

[WebGuru]

Sethi was proved wrong only cause he failed to predict that weather would enable pakistan to qualify.
Winning is dependent on qualifications and qualification is result of weather helping us in a match that we played against England and again, when we were not even playing.

Batsmen get chances while scoring centuries and bowlers get easy wickets but we celebrate them and they are not removed from the stats and achievements. Cricket is a game based on luck where pitch, weather, ground and opposition all factors result in a victory or defeat.

 

[Pakpak]

Two good performances - something the current lot seem incapable of doing.

4*. We beat SL, Aus in Aus and NZ in NZ before the semi-final as well. And then ofcourse NZ once again and then England.

 

[WebGuru]

4*. We beat SL, Aus in Aus and NZ in NZ before the semi-final as well. And then ofcourse NZ once again and then England.

and NZ was the team that won all their matches until they lost back 2 back matches against Pak! we won twice in a row against the favs...

 

[Pakpak]

and NZ was the team that won all their matches until they lost back 2 back matches against Pak! we won twice in a row against the favs...

But Sethi was right.

We won pretty much every game after the England game. And for us it counted as one more defeat and we'd been out. But according to Sir Najam the team morale could not be high under IK's leadership.

 

[Bewal Express]

Sethi was proved wrong only cause he failed to predict that weather would enable pakistan to qualify.
Winning is dependent on qualifications and qualification is result of weather helping us in a match that we played against England and again, when we were not even playing.

Ifs and buts is the basis of your argument. Nothing about amazing team spirit, great leadership, seizing the moment and playing under pressure. Nooras are hurting.

 

[Black Zero]

Batsmen get chances while scoring centuries and bowlers get easy wickets but we celebrate them and they are not removed from the stats and achievements. Cricket is a game based on luck where pitch, weather, ground and opposition all factors result in a victory or defeat.

True.
However my point is that it's unfair to criticize Sethi's analysis.

 

[Black Zero]

Ifs and buts is the basis of your argument. Nothing about amazing team spirit, great leadership, seizing the moment and playing under pressure. Nooras are hurting.

Frankly, Pakistan win was based on its and buts.

 

[Bewal Express]

Frankly, Pakistan win was based on its and buts.

So what though?

 

[Faisalsq092]

Frankly, Pakistan win was based on its and buts.

I would rather take a win on ifs and buts than no win at all. Seriously, how hateful u have to be to criticize someone even after winning the only single meaningful cup in cricket. I haven't heard any single player complaining against him even after the WC win. Even match winners Inzamam and Wasim who can easily take all the credit for their performances mention Imran as the biggest reason behind their performances.

 

[Faisalsq092]

FYI, Pakistan qualified for SF due to weather.
After then you just need two good performances.

So if it only takes 'TWO GOOD PERFORMANCES'. Why haven't England, South Africa and New Zealand haven't been able to come up with them even after numerous attempts. It must be a lot more than that, isn't it?

 

[Black Zero]

So if it only takes 'TWO GOOD PERFORMANCES'. Why haven't England, South Africa and New Zealand haven't been able to come up with them even after numerous attempts. It must be a lot more than that, isn't it?

why didn't Pakistan win in 87 or later ..even with a better teams and conditions?

 

[Syed1]

why didn't Pakistan win in 87 or later ..even with a better teams and conditions?

Yeah man Pakistan was unfairly given the 92 WC, they should immediately hand it back, denounce anyone glorifying IK and declare that any team that wins a rain effected world tournament should be stripped off there title.


Pakistan should also raise a motion in the next ICC meeting to declare that "Bhutto abhi bhi zinda hai". That is the only way we can repay for the daylight heist we committed by winning the 92 WC.

 

[Pakpak]

why didn't Pakistan win in 87 or later ..even with a better teams and conditions?

Pakistan did their predictable choke in 96 vs India after a great WC and then had another good WC in 1999 but then met an ATG great Aussie side who are one of the best sporting teams across all sports, never mind cricket only.

 

[Bewal Express]

why didn't Pakistan win in 87 or later ..even with a better teams and conditions?

Just take a chill pill, your hate is like a transparent glass. I watched every match and it was brilliant, brilliantly led by IK but it was the belief from the team that got us through. Your carpings have no value, they won!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Black Zero]

Just take a chill pill, your hate is like a transparent glass. I watched every match and it was brilliant, brilliantly led by IK but it was the belief from the team that got us through. Your carpings have no value, they won!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not disputing the win.
I am saying that Sethi's analysis is rational and fair.

 

[Black Zero]

Pakistan did their predictable choke in 96 vs India after a great WC and then had another good WC in 1999 but then met an ATG great Aussie side who are one of the best sporting teams across all sports, never mind cricket only.

Any comment about 87?

 

[Slog]

why didn't Pakistan win in 87 or later ..even with a better teams and conditions?

because cricket isnt played on PlayStation

 

[Pakpak]

Any comment about 87?

What about it?

 

[Pakpak]

I am not disputing the win.
I am saying that Sethi's analysis is rational and fair.

If Sethi's analysis was rational and fair we would have gotten smashed regardless of rain.

 

[Adil_94]

in hindsight his comments might look stupid. But by this time Imran was suffering from a severe shoulder problems and was finished as a bowler by this point. And midway through the tournament we looked like we had no chance of winning the Cup the team looked all over the place however as we know Imran managed to rally the team and the rest is history.

I wouldnt mock Sethi for giving the thoughts of a fair number of Pakistani fans at the time that we had little chance of winning the WC. Its easy after the legendary comeback of 92 to mock those who were criticising an underperforming team.

we have seen the same with the 81 Ashes and the famous article about the England 86/87 team saying they couldnt bat couldnt field they couldnt bowl and then they went onto win the Ashes in Australia despite Aus being heavy favourites.

 

[shaz619]

in hindsight his comments might look stupid. But by this time Imran was suffering from a severe shoulder problems and was finished as a bowler by this point. And midway through the tournament we looked like we had no chance of winning the Cup the team looked all over the place however as we know Imran managed to rally the team and the rest is history.

I wouldnt mock Sethi for giving the thoughts of a fair number of Pakistani fans at the time that we had little chance of winning the WC. Its easy after the legendary comeback of 92 to mock those who were criticising an underperforming team.

we have seen the same with the 81 Ashes and the famous article about the England 86/87 team saying they couldnt bat couldnt field they couldnt bowl and then they went onto win the Ashes in Australia despite Aus being heavy favourites.

I don't like that clown or him excluding Khan from that tribute video but nothing wrong with this article he wrote in 92, there's logic and reasoning behind his views; very few would have put their money on Khan to win the WC and the team was in turmoil, when it counted though they rallied in the greatest and most spectacular WC triumph in the history of sport outside HBK defeating Bret at mania 12, Ali KOing Foreman and Foreman regaining the HW title 2 decades after losing it to Ali at the age of 45

 

[Black Zero]

If Sethi's analysis was rational and fair we would have gotten smashed regardless of rain.

we got smashed against UK.

 

[Pakpak]

we got smashed against UK.

Its England*. Sethi said we would fail in the entire WC, ie every game, due to captaincy issues. Aside from the first 3 games our performance was very good. If his analysis of doom was correct then we would have been knocked out regardless of rain against Australia or Lanka or NZ (twice). We didn't.

 

[Black Zero]

Its England*. Sethi said we would fail in the entire WC, ie every game, due to captaincy issues. Aside from the first 3 games our performance was very good. If his analysis of doom was correct then we would have been knocked out regardless of rain against Australia or Lanka or NZ (twice). We didn't.

No

this is what he stated:

It isn’t too late to sort out things, have a determined go at the Cup and give us our money’s worth. The captain needs to establish a line of communication with the boys. What is missing is a sense of comaraderie. This should be followed by continuous pep-talks. - See more at: http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...am-during-1992-World-Cup#sthash.JAqMntPW.dpuf

 

[Pakpak]

No

this is what he stated:

Nice clever little deliberate lying you've done there. This is what he said:

''From all accounts, the boys seem demoralised, listless and wayward.''
''No one has the courage to tell him plainly that his private motivation is adversely affecting the morale of his team.''

Some demoralisation and bad morale our team showed under him, eh? If his biased 'analysis' was correct, we would have been knocked out later on, its not as if we were magically given a slot in the final after the rained out match. We still had to beat both hosts and Sri Lanka in the group games to have any chance of reaching the Semis. Then we had to get through NZ once again and beat England. None of which would have been possible with a ''poor captain causing a dive in morale' according to Sir Najam.