The World Cup Loss in 1999

[Pantani]

The '99 World Cup was fantastic. I was only 5 at the time but it was my first cricket experience, and having been born in the subcontinent I can relate to the OP's stories about the entire family gathering around the TV to watch. It just had an aura of importance about it. Never had an experience like it since, with cricket.

 

[abc_to_xyz]

It was shocking for me. After the trashing of NZ and first round victory over AUS, I was expecting a WC victory when SA's last man failed to cross the line for a single run. The way everyone was contributing, such final was never expected. I have never felt same unity and class in Pakistan team after that. The Pakistani team of WC 2003 had almost same players, but it was a much faded version of what it used to be. I guess that loss took a piece out of everyone.

But I never realized the true worth of reaching WC final back then. Pakistan team was so good at that time that it was expected for us to reach there whenever we play. Players like Afridi and Ijaz Ahmed were what Anwar Ali and Sohail Tanvira are today.

 

[tauseef_mahmood]

Shattered.

 

[jeetu]

It was probably strongest ever Pakistan's ODI outfit on paper but team didn't live up to it as it should have.

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan was strongest in 1987 .

 

[Amjid Javed]

It was probably strongest ever Pakistan's ODI outfit on paper but team didn't live up to it as it should have.

The bowling was the strongest attacked we ever had for a world cup but the batting wasnt all the great.

 

[ataullah]

It hurts so much 20 years on. I strongly felt it was fixed

 

[Chokli]

It hurts so much 20 years on. I strongly felt it was fixed

Of course not, Wasim just chose to bowl first on a lively pitch right after it had rained the night before because we have poor batsmen and we were poor chasers - Even though we won the Semi Final chasing 240 odd by 9 wickets.

 

[Ronaldo7]

Who bats first on a seaming pitch???

Kohli did it coz he needed to see how his team performs on those pitches but what was wasim's excuse??