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[VIDEOS/PICTURES] On This Day: Jun 21, 2009 - Pakistan win the World Twenty20

a great day in history, wud luv to see it again and replay all the celebrations!
inshallah there'll be another day soon, similar to this one for pakistan.
 
The England Football last won the football world cup in '66 I hope I don't have to wait that many years to see Pakistan win a World Cup.
 
THIS!! One of the main reasons of that tournament win was Mohammed Younis Khan...

what happens after that.. he gets forced out the team ousted as captain and banned from international cricket dafuq?!?!

saeed-sohail said:
Great moment. YK thank you for giving us ungrateful fans a world title.

Sending Afridi at 3 was a masterstroke. Shame Afridi did not have enough guts to promote himself during his own captaincy.

Bringing a rookie in and opening the bowling with him. Sohail tanvir was sitting on the bench.

Bringing shazaib in ahead of Butt was another good call.

Scoring plenty of runs at a good rate when needed and they all mattered because we progressed to S6 on NRR.

His field placings against SA in the semis were perfect when defending a moderate total. You dont notice these things at the time. Watch the full recording of the game to realise how good his field placings were. Having Malik and Fawad on long on and off with Afridi on mid wicket worked wonders that day. All three were fielding like men possessed that day.
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It is that day again. Good times will come again in LOIs. I just know it.
 
Ahhhh can remember this was so nervous on the day but we played a brilliant and well thought out game. Malik and Afridi were brilliant in the chase. :)
 
Magical, simply magical.

The sounds of Dil Dil Pakistan and the fans singing along in the celebrations will stay with me forever.
 
Poor hafridi gets so much stick from fans the only one to win a cup after imran khan. Pakistanis don't know how to respect a legend like lala
 
Only managed to catch a few moments of this match as I had just come to Egypt; it wasn't available on TV and my internet was extremely unreliable. :(
 
5 years ago... Time does really pass by so fast.. I remember being so emotionally involved back then watching every match and actually for the first time I saw my team win the World Cup was such an amazing feeling.
 
adzzy786 said:
5 years ago... Time does really pass by so fast.. I remember being so emotionally involved back then watching every match and actually for the first time I saw my team win the World Cup was such an amazing feeling.
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Not five,seven in fact.

Time flies
 
What a day it was, we were passing through the worst year, in terms of terrorism, in our history, and winning a WC was breath of fresh air, in a way.
 
The memories of being at Lord's that day linger on. It doesn't seem like 7 years since it happened.

Fantastic to be in the press box, then at the press conference where Younis Khan came in draped in the Pakistan flag.

Also watching the Pakistani players interacting with fans after the match was superb.
 
I remember that day like it was yesterday, what an afternoon that was
 
Sadly by and large in limited overs cricket, it's been downhill ever since.
 
Saj said:
Sadly by and large in limited overs cricket, it's been downhill ever since.
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The irony is listening back to the commentary - Wasim Akram was saying how he hoped this would unify and gel the country.

Barely lasted a month before we tore ourselves apart again with infighting, controversies and Younis was dismissed by the end of the year as captain.
 
Markhor said:
The irony is listening back to the commentary - Wasim Akram was saying how he hoped this would unify and gel the country.

Barely lasted a month before we tore ourselves apart again with infighting, controversies and Younis was dismissed by the end of the year as captain.
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True and the fun and games started at the press conference straight after this match, as Younis retired from T20Is with immediate effect.
 
Saj said:
Sadly by and large in limited overs cricket, it's been downhill ever since.
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WC 2011 invoked great memories too [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] bhai

You can say what you want about the loss to India but by any standards we have a fantastic tournament in 2011.

In a way - it exceeded the 2009 World T20 becuase it came only 6 months after the Spot Fixing Scandal.
 
People can say what they want about YK but the hard cold reality is he is the only captain to have won us an ICC tournament in the last 24 years.

Still have wonderful memories of that day on June 21st, 2009!

What a day it was and never have I been prouder to be a Pakistani fan. Spendid, splendid tournament for us.

And remember Geoff Boycott's immortal words that will live on forever for us fans

"Shahid Afridi fittingly hits the winnings runs - big man, big game Its a leg bye who cares! 139-2 and Pakistan invade the pitch!"
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=138379]#GreenRoars[/MENTION] [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION] [MENTION=136729]Suleiman[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] [MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]
 
msb314 said:
People can say what they want about YK but the hard cold reality is he is the only captain to have won us an ICC tournament in the last 24 years.

Still have wonderful memories of that day on June 21st, 2009!

What a day it was and never have I been prouder to be a Pakistani fan. Spendid, splendid tournament for us.

And remember Geoff Boycott's immortal words that will live on forever for us fans

"Shahid Afridi fittingly hits the winnings runs - big man, big game Its a leg bye who cares! 139-2 and Pakistan invade the pitch!"
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=138379]#GreenRoars[/MENTION] [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION] [MENTION=136729]Suleiman[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] [MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]
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They were David lloyds words lol :)))
 
msb314 said:
People can say what they want about YK but the hard cold reality is he is the only captain to have won us an ICC tournament in the last 24 years.

Still have wonderful memories of that day on June 21st, 2009!

What a day it was and never have I been prouder to be a Pakistani fan. Spendid, splendid tournament for us.

And remember Geoff Boycott's immortal words that will live on forever for us fans

"Shahid Afridi fittingly hits the winnings runs - big man, big game Its a leg bye who cares! 139-2 and Pakistan invade the pitch!"
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=138379]#GreenRoars[/MENTION] [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION] [MENTION=136729]Suleiman[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] [MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]
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Yeah, agreed. :najam
 
msb314 said:
People can say what they want about YK but the hard cold reality is he is the only captain to have won us an ICC tournament in the last 24 years.

Still have wonderful memories of that day on June 21st, 2009!

What a day it was and never have I been prouder to be a Pakistani fan. Spendid, splendid tournament for us.

And remember Geoff Boycott's immortal words that will live on forever for us fans

"Shahid Afridi fittingly hits the winnings runs - big man, big game Its a leg bye who cares! 139-2 and Pakistan invade the pitch!"
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=138379]#GreenRoars[/MENTION] [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION] [MENTION=136729]Suleiman[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] [MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]
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He didn't do anything of note, was all Afridi magic + tournaments best attack.

When we needed him captain the most after Inzi's retirement, a role he was groomed for, he opted out like a coward and instead a newer player with little experience in Malik was made captain.
 
msb314 said:
People can say what they want about YK but the hard cold reality is he is the only captain to have won us an ICC tournament in the last 24 years.

Still have wonderful memories of that day on June 21st, 2009!

What a day it was and never have I been prouder to be a Pakistani fan. Spendid, splendid tournament for us.

And remember Geoff Boycott's immortal words that will live on forever for us fans

"Shahid Afridi fittingly hits the winnings runs - big man, big game Its a leg bye who cares! 139-2 and Pakistan invade the pitch!"
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=138379]#GreenRoars[/MENTION] [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION] [MENTION=136729]Suleiman[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] [MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]
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Wasnt it David Lloyd? Well doesn't matter.

People may say that YK did nothing in that WT20, but it was his captaincy who lift up the team. Who thought that Shahid Afridi would come at 1 down position in SF and F?

Yk was always a brilliant tactician.
 
I remember this day so well and this Sunday where we beat India just felt exactly like that :)
 
8 whole years. It's absolutely crazy how fast time flies. Being 16 this was the first whole ICC tournament I remember watching. Favourite memory was when Afridi took the catch against NZ running backwards. Afridi and Umar Gul were on the form of their life in that tournament. Another part of our history. Pakistan Zindabad!
 
I was just 9 that day,I remember that day clearly as anything.I remember the final run and how I went crazy after that.Brilliant memories...
 
msb314 said:
People can say what they want about YK but the hard cold reality is he is the only captain to have won us an ICC tournament in the last 24 years.

Still have wonderful memories of that day on June 21st, 2009!

What a day it was and never have I been prouder to be a Pakistani fan. Spendid, splendid tournament for us.

And remember Geoff Boycott's immortal words that will live on forever for us fans

"Shahid Afridi fittingly hits the winnings runs - big man, big game Its a leg bye who cares! 139-2 and Pakistan invade the pitch!"
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=138379]#GreenRoars[/MENTION] [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION] [MENTION=136729]Suleiman[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] [MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]
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Truth!
 
Is this like a national holiday, because I think I saw video from YK as well addressing the fans.
fWIW - I think its no big deal.
 
What a day that was. Every moment of the game, and that day is vivid in my mind.

It is sad that Pakistan had to defend the title just mere 9 months later (TRAVESTY).
 
Another miraculous victory more than final it was Semi final which was a big obstacle but we choked SA :kallis
 
What a tournament that was.I had only started following cricket back then so it really left an impression.
 
What an incredible day that was at Lords. Went to every single Pakistan game that tournament including the losses to England and Sri Lanka. To this day I would say that game at Trent bridge against South Africa is the best I have been too.

The best 3 games I've been too Atmosphere wise:

Pakistan vs South Africa T20 World Cup semi final at Nottingham.
The T20I at Manchester in 2016 against England.
Pakistan vs Australia 1st T20I at Edgbaston in 2010.

Been very lucky to have attended both finals which Pakistan have won in England.

Faboulous memories.
 
I remember I had to take the family members out to a mela at the city park that day. I was strolling around wearing a Pakistan top and it was brilliant when they won.
 
Mamoon said:
It was just epic.

I couldn't believe it was real when Afridi hit the winning runs and did his signature pose. Celebrated all night.

Awesome memories.
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It brings back happy memories for me too. Feelings I never thought would be reproduced, but then when Pakistan won the CT last year, the feeling was same. Just felt so happy. I remember my whole family came round to watch and just when they were turning up, SL lost their first wicket. We still remember that famous line from Michael Holding "Oh he's scooped it..." When Amir got Dilshan out. I remember me and my cousins all jumping on each other when the winning runs were hit. Oh, what a day. We then went to Luton to celebrate and the scenes were just amazing. Then was back to school the next day and I was just so happy with this world tournament victory:)
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> 2009. One of Pakistan cricket's finest days as they beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets at Lord's and became World T20 champions <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/ifSRc733kh">pic.twitter.com/ifSRc733kh</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1141966191633846272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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A great day.

Wish we can see Pakistan winning a trophy again.

IA soon (not this time unfortunately) !
 
That 1st over Amir bowled to Dilshan. CHAMPION bowler is Amir. It was amazing to see him get Dilshan so quick!
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> 10 years ago, Pakistan won the 2009 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a>. What's your memories of the final? <a href="https://t.co/vk9NL6Iz7L">pic.twitter.com/vk9NL6Iz7L</a></p>— ICC T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/T20WorldCup/status/1141888641981145088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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What an amazing win that was - absolutely brilliant.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great day<br>Great performance<br>Great memories<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a><a href="https://t.co/ozBI3nDMAo">pic.twitter.com/ozBI3nDMAo</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1274612508473597955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Beginning of my blessed journey, my 1st tour and we were world champions still gives me goosebumps. Can never forget this day. ALLHAMDULILAH for this always.. #21/06/2009 <a href="https://t.co/T5ruALZEtq">pic.twitter.com/T5ruALZEtq</a></p>— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamamirofficial/status/1274609709379661824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
What a win its what started my passion for Pakistan cricket, started watching a bit in 07 seeing Pakistan lost in the first round of ODI World Cup and than lose the final to India in the 2007 t20 World Cup and the manner they lost in was heart breaking, you would think I'd leave cricket alone lol but still continue to watch here in their but when pak won that's what drove my passion :) I always felt when this tourney started that Pakistan was going to win due to the fact that they lost in 2007 I felt like they wanted to avenge that loss


When the final came I was nervous because they were playing Sri Lanka who were a very strong team as well coming into the final prior to the finals Sri Lanka has a perfect record and they even beat Pakistan during the super stages as well

thankfully Pakistan won the match and will never forget the end big man big game it's a leg bye shahid Afridi fittingly hits the winning runs and Pakistan fittingly win this world t20.

Another moment that keeps popping in my end when I think of this match is when Abdul razzaq bowled a Sri Lankan batsman out as doing so he lost his balance in his follow through and fell lol pretty epic stuff
 
From PCB video:

Younis: We were ready to give any sacrifice as a team. We were very flexible and ready for any challenge, this is why Allah helped us. We had self belief that Pakistan will win the T20 World Cup 2009.

Tanvir: This journey started from the 2007 WC where we couldn't win the final unluckily. We started it in 2007 and finished it in 2009.

Kamran: The start wasn't good, we weren't performing but we came back strongly. I am thankful to Allah for making me perform.

Rao: It was a special day for Pakistan cricket and we hope there will be more days like this. We believe in our heroes and insha'Allah we will be world champions again.

Misbah: I still remember our overall journey wasn't so smooth.

Razzaq: We didn't start too well in the first two games, then I was recalled and I became a part of the team.

Afridi: The breakthrough for us was the match against NZ. Umar Gul bowled an outstanding spell and I played a role, taking a good catch. This helped us to gel again.

Shehzad: If I have to remember one thing, it's that spell by Umar Gul against NZ. He got 5/6 and being a youngster watching him bowl in that way was really rare.

Gul: The world record I made against NZ was the best spell of my career especially in T20s.

Misbah: Razzaq came into the team at the right time and performed with the new ball. The special thing about that tournament was Shahid Afridi's performances at the right time. Then the way Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal performed.

Afridi: We went to the SF against SA and we performed well. Luckily I was the MOTM.

Malik: In the bowling attack we had Gul, Lala, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Amir, they were in great form and it was a very good bowling attack.

Amir: That over is the SF is something that people ask me about. It was a tough moment for me, it was my first tour and a WC SF. I give credit to Younis bhai, he gave me the ball and said shabaash, don't take tension, bowl with your heart. Against Dilshan, it was the final, packed house at Lord's. Every person dreams of playing at Lord's. Everybody knows Dilshan was in good touch and he was the best batsman of the tournament. They were relying on him so getting him out early was a big thing.

Razzaq: Jayasuriya was advancing so I jumped and delivered the ball and fell, I got a leg injury and I felt I have hurt a muscle and then I looked ahead and saw that he got bowled. Immediately the pain went away and I got busy with my celebration.

Afridi: The final, the way we performed, Amir's spell, Razzaq, Kamran Akmal's batting and then Allah also gave me respect and we won the match.

Malik: I remember he kept telling me to keep talking to him. In one over, he hit Murali for a six. Before the over, we said that we should get six runs in the over and avoid giving a wicket. He hit a six, then a four so I told that do as you wish (laughing).

Misbah: I remember it was the final and I was padded up. Afridi and Malik were playing and we kept changing the strategy. Younis bhai told me especially because he remembered the 2007 final where we lost and I couldn't hit the winning shot, so when the match got closer, he told me that I need to go next if someone gets out to finish it. That was a special moment for me, even if I didn't get to bat. He knew that this was in my mind and he wanted to give me a chance.

Ajmal: Shahid Afridi performed well in the tournament. Younis Khan was outstanding as captain, he was positive and aggressive and had a big hand to play in our World Cup win.

Butt: The WC was an important pillar for Pakistan cricket, it gave motivation for the next generation and gave everyone a boost.

Tanvir: Many Pakistanis were there in UK and after winning the final, I myself went out to the London streets. Everyone enjoyed and it felt like we were in the streets of Pakistan. These moments stay with you for a lifetime.

Afridi: It was a big achievement which we can't ever forget. After this, there was so much jazba among the people and it brought us close together
 
What a great day this was. The way we got on a roll in this tournament was unbelievable.
 
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Scenes :afridi
 
Dilshan was the in-form batsman from what I remember and when he was out early in the innings, it felt as if it was going to be one of those great days for Pakistan cricket.

The atmosphere at Lord's was amazing and I remember coming out of the ground a few hours after the match and the Pakistani fans were still partying hard.
 
This was a very dark year for Pakistan cricket - only three months earlier the attack on the Sri Lanka team occurred.

TTP were only 60 miles away from Islamabad and suicide bombings were happening on a regular basis.

Pakistan really needed an uplift, which is what made this win so special. The sad thing is the team imploded and Younis left the captaincy months later.
 
Watched the final with my family, great times :afridi:razzaq Although the one time the streaming stopped working was towards the end where Afridi hit the winning runs :mv.
 
It was the most impressive of Pakistan‘s three trophies.

We were a genuinely top quality T20 side between 2007-2010 and missed a golden opportunity of winning all three WT20s.

Winning a tournament where you are among the favorites from the word go is more impressive than a back-to-the-wall story that we seem to love.
 
Another iconic moment in our Cricket history.
 
Afridi, Gul and Razzaq are often remembered for being the heroes of the wt20 but Kamran doesn't get enough credit for doing well in last 4 games. He looked like a different batter in that tournament.
That 23 off 12 in the semi was the difference between a win and a loss. Even Afridi who was in the form of his life didn't look as fluent as Kami did that day. And in final he kept up the scoring rate with chase very well while shahzaib hassan was struggling to put the bat to ball. Such a shame what he became afterwards with his deteriorating wicketkeeping and declining batting.

That day it felt like our country was united like it has never been. I remember the moment the game was over, there were roars in the street that kept going on till 2am or something.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">⏪ 21st June, 2009<br><br>A <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAfridiOfficial</a> fifty seals the T20 World Cup for <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheRealPCB</a> at Lord's &#55356;&#57286;<a href="https://t.co/QLutgkR62L">pic.twitter.com/QLutgkR62L</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1406994190349881346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Afridi, Gul and Razzaq are often remembered for being the heroes of the wt20 but Kamran doesn't get enough credit for doing well in last 4 games. He looked like a different batter in that tournament.
That 23 off 12 in the semi was the difference between a win and a loss. Even Afridi who was in the form of his life didn't look as fluent as Kami did that day. And in final he kept up the scoring rate with chase very well while shahzaib hassan was struggling to put the bat to ball. Such a shame what he became afterwards with his deteriorating wicketkeeping and declining batting.

That day it felt like our country was united like it has never been. I remember the moment the game was over, there were roars in the street that kept going on till 2am or something.
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I remember Afridi didn't have any batting form till the NZ game, since that NZ game he looked a totally different player. Will never forget the "kiss to Kallis" moment, funniest and coolest moment for me.
 
Markhor said:
This was a very dark year for Pakistan cricket - only three months earlier the attack on the Sri Lanka team occurred.

TTP were only 60 miles away from Islamabad and suicide bombings were happening on a regular basis.

Pakistan really needed an uplift, which is what made this win so special. The sad thing is the team imploded and Younis left the captaincy months later.
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Was a very special win and really did uplift us all through the dark times. I think it was a gift from the heavens as we were in no form at the beginning of the tournament.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> in 2009. One of Pakistan cricket's finest days as they beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets at Lord's and became World T20 champions <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/jH0FARfCCI">pic.twitter.com/jH0FARfCCI</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1539122032620756993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Abdul Razzaq's memories

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great day<br>Great performance<br>Great memories<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a><a href="https://t.co/rz5qOzCtQn">pic.twitter.com/rz5qOzCtQn</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1539173415558553600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Those Afridi sixes at the end were amazing, total elation.
 
MenInG said:
Abdul Razzaq's memories

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Lahore, 21 June 2022: The ghosts of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final from a decade ago haunted Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi. Pakistan, in 1999, were tipped to be crowned 50-over champions for the second time in three World Cups, but their superlative campaign crashed with an eight-wicket defeat to Australia.

Pakistan, in 2009, were about to play another World Cup final at Lord’s, albeit in a different format. On the bright sunny morning of 21 June, Razzaq and Shahid, before heading to the ground, had vowed to do whatever they can to ensure the history does not repeat itself.

“Afridi and I were part of the team that lost to Australia in the World Cup final in 1999 at this very venue,” Razzaq told PCB Digital in a special interview to mark 13th anniversary of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup victory. “That was fresh in our minds. We spoke about how devastating a defeat in a world cup final can be. We promised each other that we will not let this final end as that one and alter the course of history.”

Pakistan had not won a World Cup in the last 17 years, and that remained the centre of team meetings. “The captain [Younis Khan] and the team management used to tell us how big of an opportunity this was to win a world cup and how this event in England provided us an opportunity to be heroes as there is a lot of hype surrounding cricket in that part of the world.

“After the win wherever we went – to stores or restaurants – people never let us pay the bills, saying we had given happiness to the country.”

The impact of the second World Cup win was massive in the country and Razzaq believes it played a role in increasing the fan base and attracting more people to the sport.

“I developed liking for cricket after the 1992 world cup win. That is when I decided to become a cricketer. Such events promote cricket amongst youngsters.”

Pakistan had a difficult start to their campaign with a heavy 48-run defeat to hosts England at The Oval. They thrashed Netherlands by 82 runs at Lord’s in their second and last group game to qualify for the next round. The next match, they crashed by 19 runs to Sri Lanka, whom they would meet in the final nine days later at the same venue. That would be Pakistan’s last defeat of the campaign.

A mesmerising spell of death bowling by Umar Gul, in which he claimed 5-6 to restrict New Zealand to 99 in 18.3 overs and Shahid Afridi’s epic catch of Scott Styris running backwards lifted the moral of the team. They self-belief and undying spirit that they attained from that match put them on a winning streak.

“His [Shahid Afridi’s] catch lifted the whole team,” recalled Razzaq. “Whenever a player gives such a performance, it gives confidence and boost to those who are in the field and also to those who are in the dug out. It instils hunger in every player to give the best.”

Pakistan opener and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal scored a brilliant half-century to help Pakistan settle the score with Ireland following their 50-over world cup defeat in 2007. He would provide the side quick and solid starts in the tournament, providing foundation for the batters coming in the middle to express themselves and was the leading run-scorer for his side.

Speaking about Kamran’s contributions, Razzaq said: “If an opener provides a solid start and plays positive and aggressive cricket, it sets a template for those who are to bat next. It sets the momentum for the remaining innings, and that is what Kamran Akmal did for us. He used to give us solid starts and the batters walking in next used to build on those starts.”

It was, however, the bowling where Pakistan outdid the oppositions. Three of the top five wicket-takers were Pakistanis with Umar Gul (13 at 12.15) leading the chart. Ajanta Mendis, Saeed Ajmal and Lasith Malinga were tied at 12 scalps apiece and Shahid Afridi accounted for 11 batters.

As the tournament progressed, it became a norm that the pair of Saeed and Shahid dried up the runs and took wickets in the middle overs, before Umar bulldozed the opposition line-ups in the death.

“The presence of Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi was one of the brightest aspects of our bowling unit. They were unplayable; they used to get us wickets and did not allow the oppositions to score, which created problems for whomever we faced. After them, Umar Gul used to come into the attack. He used to bowl his four overs, and especially in death, exceptionally. He did not give any chance to the opposition to score and got us wickets.”

Razzaq was called up as a replacement for an injured Yasir Arafat. He took the new ball for Pakistan, finishing with the figures of five for 74 in four matches, with his economy under six and average under 15.

His best figures of the tournament came in the final (three for 20 in three overs) and he accounted for bulk of the Sri Lankan batting department, snaring Sanath Jayasuria, Jehan Mubarak and Mahela Jayawardene.

One of the iconic moments of the final was when Razzaq fell after delivering the ball that Jayasuria chopped on. Razzaq injured himself, but his unrelenting passion made him stay on the field.

“I had decided to not to leave the field even after I had gotten injured,” he said. “I fell after bowling Jayasuria and it ruptured my muscle, but I did not want to leave the field as I still had an over left and the captain could need me any moment.”

Razzaq, who is currently the head coach of Central Punjab, enjoys an illustrious international career which spanned over 14 years. It is, however, the T20 World Cup triumph that he counts as the highlight of his career.

“Every player wants to have a moment about which he can be proud of. Winning the T20 world cup in 2009 is one such moment for me.”

https://www.pcb.com.pk/press-releas...-be-proud-of-winning-the-t20-world-cup-i.html
 
I never got the chance to watch Razzaq in his prime. The best moment I've seen from him was his last over against Aus in a T20 game where the game went to a super over and we ended up winning it. He belonged to an evergreen generation which consisted of a lot of household names from various teams during his time and his all-round ability was phenomenal if you look at his stats. People would love to have someone like him in their team, he'd probably walk into any team if he worked on his fielding and developed some more shots.
 
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