Pakistan are the kings of cricket again. Seventeen years after Imran Khan lifted his country’s first World Cup trophy, Younus Khan emulated his hero at Lord’s on a glorious Sunday.

For the final week, the Twenty20 World Cup was a carnival of green and white, a new generation of Pakistan cricketers and supporters claiming their own place in history and their own memories. Anything but a Pakistan victory had become unimaginable. The moment, mood, and motivation — like the stars — were perfectly aligned.

With a thunderous strike over mid-wicket that seemed to rise higher and further with every breath of hope from each Pakistan fan in the stadium, Shahid Afridi brought the cup home.

Isuru Udana bowed his head. The target was now straightforward. The crowd was delirious; their champion had eased seventeen years of hurt.

When Wasim Akram conjured his magic in 1992, the future promised to belong to Pakistan. Instead, the future belonged to tragedy. Bangalore and bat-pointing in 1996, the Lord’s collapse of 1999, the twilight of the idols in 2003, a Jamaican death in 2007, and Misbah’s madness in the same year. All defeats clutched from dreams of victory.

Yet the class of 2009 had a purpose. The first over of the match from Pakistan’s youngest player, Mohammad Aamir, was brilliant, ruthless, and decisive. It set the tone for the rest of the performance in which nobody failed, heroes all, their place in the legend of Pakistan cricket assured.

At the end, as Afridi lifted his arms in triumph, Wasim raised a fist of victory in the media centre, the same fist that had curled the white ball past Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis to kill off England’s challenge in 1992.

Twenty20 cricket is a young man’s game, and it is fitting that Afridi, the Peter Pan of Pakistan cricket, stroked and smote his country to victory. He had promised to do it alone and he did it alone — mostly.

Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, and Mohammad Aamir all played cameos. But somehow Afridi monopolised the win as if starring in his own movie. He could not have dreamed a better dream, other than with more sixes perhaps.

The sudden maturity and control of Afridi is perfectly timed. With Younus Khan retiring from Twenty20 cricket after Lord’s, Afridi has earned the right to be named Pakistan captain in T20, a game that best suits his personality as an aggressive, all-action cricketer.

Younus has been an excellent captain and player in T20. An ICC panel honoured him with the captaincy of its team of the tournament. The second Khan to win a World Cup — like the first — has mostly used his bowlers intelligently, and supported them with clever field placement.

He has urged an aggressive and fearless approach with bat and ball, backing his men to come through tight situations. He has pulled together men with a potential to drift apart, and unified them behind a cause.

But how do you follow a World Cup win, especially in the face of everything Pakistan cricket and Pakistan has experienced over the past two years? Younus is serious about his cricket and leadership, a beaming face hiding a granite resolve.

It was at Lord’s in 2000 that Imran Khan spoke to me glowingly of Younus’s bravery. I wondered at the time why Imran picked out that trait rather than admiring his cover drive or his pull shot?

But the answer of course was that top-level cricket is a battle of guts and nerve. Younus has both in abundance. Like Imran, I’ve never seen him take a backward step on a cricket field.

It was that mentality that shepherded his charges through a difficult beginning in this tournament. Younus reminded them that winners risk failure but do not fear the consequences.

He also created a vibrant atmosphere, players visibly enjoying playing for their country. This fearlessness and joy has captured the imagination of cricket fans all over the world.

His team have been the best ambassadors that Pakistan has had for years. Winning the T20 does not mean that all is well with Pakistan’s cricket board, its selection committee, or its team coach and management.

This victory is a gift conjured by the cricketers of Pakistan for its people. Pakistan cricket has hope, and hope, like laughter, is infectious.

Most importantly, the spirit that Younus has created must be nurtured and allowed to bloom. Pakistan cricket is at its most powerful when a strong captain runs the show without fear or favour.

The World Cup victory should give Younus the mandate that he has always sought in Test cricket. Afridi’s reign should now be unleashed in T20 cricket.

Thanks to these two, Pakistan — yesterday’s outcasts, today’s champions—sit on top of the world. Excitement on the cricket fields of England has been translated into joy in the villages, towns, and cities of Pakistan.

Rarely can so few have done so much for the lives of so many. To paraphrase CLR James, what do they know of Pakistan who do not cricket know?