That inkling of having a deja-vu either brings out sheer contentment or takes you down a gloomy sidetrack you just didn’t want to be on. For the likes of ex-Pakistan captain, Imran Khan and Co., it is fortuitously the former.
Pakistan, having endured a punishing start to their 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup campaign, now find themselves in an extremely credible position of going all-out for that spot in the semi-final. Of course, the initial results weren’t really how they had hoped, but Pakistan’s reputation of being arguably the most dubious side in world cricket isn’t something new for the spectators either.
It is engrossing to watch how the Men in Green have always found their way back from the most despairing conditions, and they have once again done it here in England for the countless time running. It was only a week back that the experts had written them off, having acquired the ninth position on the log. But the way they have turned the tides since, manifests the absolute grit the players have been carrying despite all the criticism they have been facing during the tenure.
Remember we are talking about a team whose captain was mocked for being bulky by his own fan. Situations like these not only test one’s patience or the aptness of showing the sportsmanship, but it also hampers and tortures the integrity and the conviction these athletes need to carry in a tournament like this.
Regardless of what is said and done though, this Pakistan team has peaked at a perfect time possible. However, there’s something extremely spooky about their title chase.
Now that everyone’s aware how an underdog Pakistan, led by Imran Khan, went on to defy odds after a faulty start to their 1992 World Cup triumph, there’s actually a lot of affinity between that legendary unit and the current crop. For the starters, both editions were/are played in a round-robin format, with the top four progressing to the semi-finals.
Then, both teams (1992 and 2019) kicked off their World Cup campaign in a losing cause against West Indies.
A victory in the subsequent game was followed by a rain-hit abandoned result. Two back to back defeats eventually took Pakistan out of the equation before they reacted to it by registering two impressive victories. Back in 1992, Pakistan defeated Australia in their sixth World Cup fixture by 48 runs, and in 2019, Sarfaraz’s team conquered South Africa in their sixth game by 49 runs.
I've succumbed to the similarities curse. Here are some interesting (and contrived ones).
— Victor Tarapore (@VictorTarapore) June 26, 2019
There are FIFTEEN in all!!#MakeStatsGreatAgain #PAKvNZ #NZvPAK #CWC19 #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/bw18KPVL0g
Pakistan’s first seven games in 1992: Lost, won, washout, lost, lost, won, won
Pakistan’s first seven games in 2019: Lost, won, washout, lost, lost, won, won
Back in 1992, when Pakistan were to face New Zealand, the Kiwis were yet to lose a game. Imran Khan’s men, however, made sure the record didn’t stay intact by defeating the co-hosts by seven wickets. Call it fate or anything, but New Zealand – in 2019 World Cup – were unbeaten until they faced Pakistan.
Another eerie analogy in these two eras is the fact that Pakistan – in 1992 – won their seventh game (against Sri Lanka) with five balls to spare. In 2019, they finished the game in 49.1 overs (five balls to spare). Wait! There’s more. In 1992, left-hander Aamir Sohail was named as the man of the match in Pakistan’s sixth game. In 2019, left-hander Haris Sohail was named as the man of the match in Pakistan’s sixth game.
And if you need more such serendipities, an animated musical film Aladdin was released in 1992. And guess what, Aladdin reboot hits the cinemas in 2019 as well.
But well, all these analogies can be mere coincidences. Or are they?
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / CricketWorldCup
