Champions Trophy 2017: Pakistan’s rise reminds us about their successful 1992 World Cup campaign

Pakistan didn’t just beat England, the hosts and the outright favourites to win the tournament. They overpowered them, comprehensively, denying them even a squeak

Drawing parallels with the past is how one makes sense of the present. Given what transpired on Wednesday (June 14) in Cardiff, parallels with the past is most certainly required. No one saw this coming. But here we are – Pakistan are the first team through to the final of the Champions Trophy 2017. They didn’t just beat England, the hosts and the outright favourites to win the tournament. They overpowered them, comprehensively, denying them even a squeak. And given how Pakistan began their campaign against India, this wasn’t how their tournament was supposed to go. Sport does have this uncanny knack of not sticking to script.

So what are we drawing parallels to? The 1992 World Cup. Pakistan started that tournament in a similar manner, unfavoured by experts, unexpected to go far. There was talk of a rift between Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, with the latter taking offence to being left out of the World Cup squad. Miandad later wrote in his autobiography: “I couldn’t help feeling it was an attempt to somehow bring me down a notch, to try and diminish whatever stature I had managed to earn as the Pakistan No.4.”

Miandad was eventually recalled, but Pakistan still struggled, winning just one of their first five matches. It was only then that the turnaround began as Pakistan played with nothing to lose. Imran famously asked his team to “play like cornered tigers” and such was the reversal in fortunes that England didn’t know what hit them in the final. Wasim Akram moved the ball in unspeakable ways, dismissing Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis in quick succession to decisively turn the match Pakistan’s way – they won by 22 runs, and it was bedlam thereafter.  Also Read- Pakistan edge out formidable England to enter final

While the Champions Trophy is a smaller tournament in format and stature, Pakistan’s reversal of form has been similar in scale. They headed into the tournament as the lowest ranked team, and in 2015, having secured qualification to the tournament, they fell further to ninth. They were in a shambles in the opener against India, losing by 124 runs on the D-L Method, bundled out for 164 after India had posted 319 for 3 in 48 overs. At the point, not many gave them a chance. With plenty of spirit, and perhaps luck in the form of a crucial rain interruption against South Africa, the bounced back with a 19-run D-L method win.

Then, with a shot at qualification, they somehow managed to sneak past Sri Lanka, with Sarfraz Ahmed playing a captain’s knock to guide the team home in what was otherwise a nervy, self-destructive chase. That was considered a fine achievement in itself. But to topple the best England limited-overs side in recent times, and the manner that they went about doing that, no one saw it coming.

One could sense from the outset that Pakistan were pumped up for the match. It was evident from the way they went about their duties in the field, putting in the extra effort. There were no sloppy misfields, no careless overthrows, no fumbles. On the contrary, they were excellent, imposing themselves on the England batsmen to add an extra layer of pressure. Eventually, it was the pressure that forced the hosts’ collapse. Also Read- It was ‘home advantage’ for Pakistan in Cardiff: England captain Eoin Morgan

England started well enough, riding their luck at times – Jonny Bairstow was trapped in front in the first over, Pakistan’s review only failing after it went down to umpire’s call – and after ten overs had a solid 52 for 1 on the board. However, once Bairstow was dismissed, having been dropped off difficult chances before, Pakistan kept things tight and applied the pressure. This England side is extremely efficient attacking with the bat, but once they were bogged down, managing just 127 for 2 in 27 overs, they didn’t know what to do. Joe Root was sent back by Shadab Khan, the 18-year-old legspinner, Eoin Morgan fell attempting to attack as well, and the dangerous Ben Stokes was silenced, his 64-ball 34 not yielding a boundary. England were bundled out for 211, with the passionate Hasan Ali returning a brilliant 3 for 35 in his ten overs.

Buoyed by their significant performance in the first innings, the Pakistan openers, Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman, were assured. The two rotated strike constantly, found the fence every now and then, and ensured England were never allowed to build pressure. Both scored half-centuries, and England shoulders dropped with each delivery. It was evident that the silly implosions that Pakistan are capable of wasn’t forthcoming – this was a day when they decided not to put a step wrong. By the time Mohammad Hafeez brought up the winning runs with a pull to the fence, the Pakistan dressing room was a picture of joy.

Mickey Arthur, their coach, was a lot more relaxed than he had been when they played Sri Lanka. Ahead of the clash, Pakistan’s unpredictability was the talking point, but Arthur had insisted that as much as it was a strength, he preferred structure. On Wednesday, in their biggest moment of the tournament yet, it is what he got from his Pakistan side.

There were contributions from across the line-up, from the young Fakhar and Rumman Raees, who replaced the injured Mohammad Amir, to the wise old heads like Hafeez, Sarfraz and Junaid Khan. This was Pakistan saving their best for the big stages, just as they did in the ’92 World Cup.

“Nobody recognised us, nobody thought we’ll qualify for the final,” Sarfraz later said. “Credit to the team and the team management for how we came back after the loss to India. After the first loss, we were very down. But the team management boosted us really well. After the India match, we just motivated the guys. We told them ‘don’t worry about the India match – this is gone, we have two matches; if we play good cricket, definitely we will win this tournament’. Now we are in the final. I’m very happy as a captain.”

Sarfraz also reserved special praise for the youngsters in his team, who have been the imperative in their turnaround. Pakistan handed debuts to Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf and Rumman Raees for differing reasons, and they have all done their bit, along with the likes of Hasan and Shadab.

“I’m very happy about my youngsters performing,” said Sarfraz. “How much ever I praise them, it won’t do justice. Credit to the selectors for picking them after seeing them in domestic cricket and PSL. But more importantly credit to the players because they played under pressure in such a big event. Shadab, Fakhar … Hasan is improving day by day. Rumman played because Amir was unfit and did well. Today Fakhar Zaman, he played his third match but is batting just like a champion batsman. So I’m really happy about his performance.

“Credit to the youngsters for performing on their first big tournament. It’s a good sign for Pakistan’s future that whichever youngster is coming in, he’s performing well.”

The future might look bright now, but it is with the past that we must compare this feat to. In 1992, Pakistan won the World Cup. Can they do something similar here?