cricketpassion
T20I Debutant
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Runs
- 8,063
Still 2011 WC Semi Final for me
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It has to be Aus Pak Semi Final T20, You cannot get any closer to victory and just lose it. The reason why I chose this over others is because in Test losses you gradually build up towards the loss and in ODI's during collapsing stages you again build up towards the loss. The T20 one was all of sudden, like a shock , thats why it upset me the most.
I almost want to go back in time and relive that moment. It would have amazing being part of a generation where the Pak team was considered so invincible.Nothing compares to the 1987 WC semi-final loss to Australia.
First and only time we were the overwhelming favourites for the WC tournament.
Our performances before the tournie and during the pool games made it clear we were the in-form team and had the best chance. The second-best team in 87 was England and we thrashed them during the WC. The other SF spot was taken by host India, whom we had just thrashed 5-0 in India!
Hence, we really were top dog. And from there to lose to a team which was almost a minnow in those days. That too in Lahore! And what was going to be Imran's last match.
And all because of a stupid umpiring error.
Nothing really compares to that. Imran has said many times that city of Lahore has never been collectively that down, that depressed, that deathly silent, as it was on 4 November 1987 after we lost by 18 runs. No one, I repeat no one in the whole of Pakistan was expecting it - that Pak team could turn impossible losing situations into wins as if by birthright, it simply did not lose the crunch games.
I'll pick only ODIs here, because I think Test matches can't be won unexpectedly - you have to play well for considerable period to win it (or play poor, to lose it). If it was Test match - NOTHING takes the cake from Misbah's team losing a Test to Bobby Mughabe's ZIM, that too when they were just coming out of self isolation from Test cricket.
Of the list, I have seen every game and the top will be 1996 QF by some distance. That was a great, great PAK team with most of the players at their peak (barring Javed, who forced his way to PAK team, then play XI, and now these days he criticizes players to undeservingly hang around, irony....), and despite Wasim missing that game (& WY going for a beating), PAK had every opportunity to win that game.
SO many "wrong" was committed by PAK batsmen that day, that one could feel the PAK players were not in the game. 289 in 49 overs against IND, in IND in 1990s was always going to be tough, but PAK lost the game not from start, rather after 10 overs with 85/0 on board - needing 205 in 39 overs, with two set openers in, dew started to pour down and 10 of India's potent 30 overs gone. That day, IND was one bowler short, which had to be made by part-timers, then Ashish Kapoor was playing his 1st game of WC.
I remember, Azhar taking at least 5 minutes to start the 11th over, as his three main bowlers including Kumble were taken to the cleaners - then he went for one last over of Srinath, his 6th; and Anwar playing so far majestically for 48 (31), decided to play the least percentage shot of cricket - a lofted on drive from out side off, against a fast bowler bringing ball into him at pace and there was a deep mid-on placed - my hunch is, 99 times out of 100, any batsmen will fail to clear the deep mid-on on that shot, Anwar didn't either. Sohail took charge of the proceedings and he was still winning it - 115/1, after 14'5, that's 175 of 34 with 9 wickets at hand and by now Srinath had bowled 6, Prashad 4'5 and Kumble 4 ... only 15 overs from them were left - then the Sohail thing happened.
It was still on until, Izaj did exactly what Anwar did - this time to Prashad with almost identical result. ....It was still on - Azhar yet had to bail out 20 overs from Tendulkar, Jadeja & Kapoor and asking was less than 5.3, for a target around 170. Mongia dropped Inzamam, almost a dolly and the big mad was in tremendous form - he got out exactly to the same shot to cent percent precision - C Mongia, B Prashad, 3 balls later - 4 down.
Now, Azhar started to screw run-rate with his part-timers and that obsolete man Javed started to consume dots, asking went to sky and Salim Malik lost his wicket trying to reduce it. Even then, some mighty blows by Latif gave enough indication that had PAK planned the chase a little methodically, it was a game that should have been won comfortably from 85/0.
That WC, PAK top 4 were in tremendous form - each one scored plenty when they got the chance. As usual, PAK tank didn't think much, so against both Holland & UAE, after winning toss, on absolute belters, they decided to chase and casually won both games by 9 wickets inside 25 overs, ....... which didn't allow middle order any match practice - next game, against SAF, within few balls the two scorers against Holland, UAE (Saeed & Ijaz) got out, which cost PAK that game, because Amir, Inzi & others had their first outing in that WC, after 10 weeks from last competitive game - Amir did get a pain stacking hundred, but PAK fell short of posting a winning target. BUT, by the time QF started, each of the top 4 had enough time in middle, they were in great form - AND, each of them threw their wicket to fairly harmless balls, when there was absolutely no pressure to go after.
That, 1996 QF loss will hunt PAK many, many decades because PAK lost to IND in a WC game with undoubtedly superior team - since then, the gap between PAK-IND started to reduce and by 2003 the hand switched, it's getting wider from there on. I am not sure when PAK is going to beat IND in an ICC WC game in future!!!!!!
The Mohali one wasn't listed here because this thread was opened before that game, but that game wasn't a surprise to me to be honest - IND that time at home, batting first was always overwhelming favorites - Wahab's magic spell brought PAK into game some what, but fielders backed Indian batting that day to cover-up. NEVER in my mind was any doubt about who was going to win it after 1st innings.
Out side the list, four other games I can recall, which, I will always remember that got away from PAK -
1. WC SF 1987 - PAK probably could have lost on an odd day and that was one such day. But, bad luck also stuck PAK that day - WK Yousuf got injured and Javed had to keep, not only he made a mess of keeping, but PAK pacers also had to bowl within Javed's limit.... then the batsman in form Salim Malik got run-out comically!!!! Still, it took an umpiring howler for AUS to win it. I don't think Imran was out to Border and had he stayed there, still PAK should have won that game.
2. This one I watched live, about 50 metres away from players dressing room - the Independence Cup 1998, at Dhaka, against IND and, it took a the then World Record to beat PAK. I have seen most of Saeed's hundreds, but that 140 that day was probably his best - absolute master class, Ijaz also hit a hundred and PAK posted a World Record chasing target for 314. Untimely rain didn't help the cause and the game was played under drizzle and under light - Ganguly and Robin Singh of all people put a match winning partnership to our surprise.
BUT, that game was lost in dressing room more than on field. Once rain started to fall, there was always a chance of match being washed out or end prematurely and IND had been behind the numbers in such case till like 48th over. PM Hasina was at the ground and it was certain that they would carry the game as long as possible for a direct result. In January, it doesn't rain heavy in Dhaka and it was just a steady drizzle, annoying but it allowed the game to continue. I saw Indian dressing room extremely active - with BCB people, match referee and I am sure they had put enough pressure to carry on the game under that condition - fortunately for them, it got a bit better as well for last hour of the game. And, they were calculating by ball - almost after every over, 12th man will head to the middle to have a chat with the batsmen in middle.
PAK camp was enjoying the hospitality - Haroon Rashid was the Coach and that guy was smiling, joking all through, when inch by inch IND closed the game. I never found him thinking out - what if? And, their foolishness was exposed in the post-match conference - Haroon Rashid was damn upset that the game continued till end under such circumstances as "they were expecting" Umpires to take action and called the game off after 20 overs!!!!!!! Instead of expecting, that guy should have got informed about it from the Match Referee's office, by the next door!!!!! Had PAK believed that the game will continue till end, I am sure still they would have won that game - in last 10-12 overs, finally in last hour or so, rain got better (reduced) and players at middle realized that it will be a full game, and they did took it to last ball with 7 down.
3. The ICC KO SF against WIN in 2004 (or 05?) at Southampton - I still don't know how could that PAK side lose to that WIN in a game like SF in UK!!!!!!! And, it was a horrible way to lose - bundled out probably inside 35 overs (of a 50 over game), then got WIN 5/6 down defending a minuscule target.
4. The ICC KO QF against NZ at Niroby (2000?) - Anwar got a hundred there, but PAK still managed to lose a game to a Kiwi left-arm seemer I can't recall now!!!!! I was watching that game with friends and each one was convinced that, whatever PAK will defend the total, I wasn't sure though - PAK managed to score 200+ on a 275 per track, batting first with their best batsman hitting a hundred!!!
Interestingly both WIN & NZ went on to win respective tournaments, which suggests had PAK won these two games, at least once they would have won the tournament. Those were quite solid PAK squads with multiple match winners.
It was very well written about banglore and dhaka defeats, where Pakistani think tank proved to be dumb, but I just want to add little bit more.
Before Pakistan vs UAE match in Gujranwala, there was heavy rain overnight so outfield was wet. Helicopter was called to dry the outfield.
The match was reduced to 33 overs for each side. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl.
In the second match, Netherlands won the toss and elected to bat first.
After quarter finals loss, people in Pakistan were mad at wasim akram. So, Ptv (Pakistan television) conducted a special interview of wasim akram. During the interview, he was specifically asked about his decision of batting second against UAE and replied that the number of overs were reduced so team management was afraid of any upset.
Moreover, i think you will not find any Pakistani poster here calling Pakistan's defeat against Zimbabwe in 2013 as the most painful apart from any kid who started watching cricket after 2012.
Even if you go to any street of Pakistan and ask people about a test defeat which made them most upset. I am sure only 1% will mention this.
Yes losing to that Zimbabwe side was a bit embarrassing but not that painful. That Zimbabwe side had some decent players like Brendan Taylor, infact they defeated much better Bangladesh side just few months ago despite losing the toss and the margin of victory was 335 runs.
But even if i were a Bangladeshi, i wouldn't have called that the most painful defeat. For Bangladesh, in tests, i think it should be the one against Afghanistan ( Actually I was supporting Bangladesh in that match and wanted them to thrash Afghanistan)
For some strange reason Pakistan’s record against WI in ICC tournaments is not that great.Recently the loss to WI in the World Cup was upsetting. That was a game Pakistan should have won but nobody stood up. The way Amir bowled that game, if Pakistan had gotten above 200, we would have had a chance. Also the margin that we lost by really hurt our chances at entering the semis due to NRR.
Mohali was also upsetting, I couldn't watch it live because I was at a school camp, but from what I heard is that Pakistan were well on track to win, my parents went to sleep cause it was late night here, they woke up to Misbah playing test cricket and Pakistan were in big trouble. And that's not the only knockout Misbah lost for us against India.