Imran Khan. (Photo Source: ICC)
Introduction
The 1992 World Cup was the fifth edition of the Cricket World Cup that was held in Australia and New Zealand from February 22 to March 25, 1992. After more than a month of fierce cricketing action, Pakistan lifted the distinguished trophy under Imran Khan’s captaincy, beating England in the final at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The 1992 World Cup is best known for Pakistan’s spunky performance and the infamous semi-final match between South Africa and England which ended in the latter’s favour by the controversial ‘rain rule’. In the knockout game, the Proteas tried to take advantage of the rule by slowing down the game but their tactic backfired and cost them the World Cup trophy.
The teams and players
Pakistan, who were the underdogs in the 1992 World Cup, pulled off their maiden and only World Cup trophy. In the initial stages of the tournament, things weren’t easy for the Men in Green as they won only one game of their first five matches in the tournament. Following the 20-run loss against South Africa at the Gabba, Imran Khan and his boys made a comeback in the tournament and helped their team win all matches to clinch the trophy.
England concluded their journey in the competition as the runners-up, losing to Pakistan by 22 runs. It was the English team’s third appearance in the World Cup finals, and unfortunately, they failed to grab the chance this time as well. The Graham Gooch-led side qualified for the knockouts after winning five of their eight games in the competition. In the semi-final, they registered a 22-run win over the Proteas which reserved their spot in the final with Pakistan.
New Zealand, who took advantage of home conditions and ended up at the top of the points table at the group stage, choked in the semi-final against Pakistan. The Kiwi side lost the game to Pakistan by four wickets and exited the competition on a disappointing note. South Africa became the victim of the rain rule in the semi-final against England after their decent performance in the group round. The Proteas lost the knockout game against the English side by 19 runs and left the tournament.
For legends such as Imran Khan, Allan Border, Graham Gooch, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, and Kris Srikkanth, the 1992 World Cup was their last appearance in Cricket World Cups. At the end of the tournament, it was Imran who ended his career on a positive note bringing smiles to the faces of Pakistan cricket team supporters.
Tournament format
Unlike the previous editions of the World Cup, the 1992 World Cup featured nine teams instead of eight. Along with eight regular International Cricket Council (ICC) members, Zimbabwe, an associate team, got a chance to participate in the competition after beating the Netherlands in the final of the 1990 ICC Trophy.
Instead of teams divided into groups, the round-robin stage was introduced. In the round-robin stage, every team played one game each against their competitors, and following the end of the first round, the top four teams qualified for the knockouts to play the semi-final, and the winners of the semi-final advanced to the final at the MCG.
Iconic matches and moments
The tournament kicked off with co-hosts and neighbours Australia and New Zealand clashing with each other at Eden Park, Auckland. The Kiwi side thrashed the Aussies by 37 runs in the opening game and started positively in the competition. The two-time champions the West Indies exuded confidence with their enormous 10-wicket win over Pakistan at the iconic MCG.
The tournament also witnessed the beginning of the biggest rivalry between India and Pakistan in Cricket World Cups. At the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), India registered a 43-run victory over the arch-rivals and started their domination in ODI World Cups which is alive to date.
In the final, Pakistan performed excellently against the English team and pocketed the game by 22 runs. The Men in Green started horrendously in the match as their openers Aamer Sohail and Ramiz Raja went back to the pavilion early. Imran, the skipper of the team, took the matter into his own hands and contributed 72 runs to the team. Javed Miandad also held his nerves and scored a half-century. Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was the youngster then, hit 42 off 35 and helped the team put up a decent score of 249 runs on the board.
The eye-grabbing performance came from Wasim Akram, who made an essential contribution with both bat and ball. Batting at number six, he took England’s bowling unit to the cleaners in the final over of his team’s innings. The southpaw produced a swift knock of 33 off just 18 from his bat. With the ball, the pacer broke the back of England’s batting, picking up the prized scalps of Ian Botham, Allan Lamb, and Chris Lewis. The speedster received the Player of the Match award for his stunning all-round display.
Key performers
In Pakistan’s maiden title triumph, Javed Miandad, Ramiz Raja, Wasim Akram, and Mushtaq Ahmed made important contributions. Miandad chalked up 437 runs with five fifties in nine matches and ended up as overall second-leading run-getter. Ramiz Raja also scored 349 runs in eight games and ended up as Pakistan’s second-highest run-scorer in the competition.
Wasim Akram did his job efficiently as a pacer, grabbing 18 wickets in 10 contests at an economy of 3.76. Mushtaq Ahmed, who led the spin attack, also claimed 16 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 3.98 and made a vital contribution to Pakistan’s historic victory. Ian Botham performed well with the ball, clinching 16 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 3.43.
Legends such as David Boon and Peter Noel Kirsten showcased their mettle with their bats in their last World Cup edition. Both legends broke into the top run-scorer chart with their magnificent batting numbers. Kirsten scored 410 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 66.55 and ended up as the third-leading run-getter in the tournament. Boon, who guided Australia to their first trophy win in 1987, again played his part brilliantly with the bat. He scored 368 runs with two tons in eight matches and concluded the tournament as the fourth-leading run-scorer.
Innovations & Changes
The 1992 World Cup was the first Cricket World Cup installment in which coloured jerseys, white balls, and black sight screens were introduced. The games were played under floodlights, and for the first time, the Cricket World Cup was played in the Southern Hemisphere. South Africa made their World Cup debut in this competition as they rejoined the International Cricket Council (ICC) as a Test-playing nation after Apartheid. It’s the only World Cup edition that was played after a gap of five years, instead of four.
Historical Context
Pakistan won their maiden World Cup trophy in 1992 and created history by becoming the fourth team to win the title after the West Indies, India, and Australia. Imran Khan became the oldest World Cup-winning captain at the age of 39 with his remarkable leadership achievement.
Australia and New Zealand jointly became the third countries to host Cricket World Cups after England and India. England, the runners-up, became the only team to qualify for the knockouts five consecutive times in World Cups.
Impact on cricket
After the 1992 World Cup, cricket’s popularity soared in the Indian subcontinent. Pakistan’s World Cup win turned cricket into the most popular sport in their country at the end of the 1990s. South Africa’s participation in the competition made cricket one of the most popular sports among South African whites.