Pakistan drawing inspiration from ’92 win over England: Hayden

Published November 11, 2022
Pakistan players celebrate the wicket of Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. — Reuters/File
Pakistan players celebrate the wicket of Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. — Reuters/File

Pakistan have soaked up stories from the landmark 1992 Cricket World Cup final win over England in the lead-up to Sunday’s Twenty20 decider and hope to share their own tales of triumph in years to come, team mentor Matthew Hayden said on Friday.

Imran Khan’s side beat England by 22 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in that 50-over tournament to claim their first World Cup trophy in a landmark moment for Pakistan cricket.

Hayden said Pakistan board chief Ramiz Raja, who opened the batting and took the final catch that sealed victory in the 1992 final, had addressed Babar Azam’s team on Friday morning.

“He was reliving some of those stories around the ’92 World Cup,” former Australia opener Hayden told reporters at the MCG.

“And I think that’s great because that’s why you play the game. These boys …. their careers will be but a blink and they’ll be looking back on this tournament.

“And they’ll tell these stories around campfires in their villages, in media conferences like the one we are here and it will be an important chapter of Pakistan cricket — as the ’92 campaign was.”

England, who won the last 50-overs World Cup in 2019 on home soil, are rated clear favourites by bookmakers to win on Sunday after humiliating India by 10 wickets in Thursday’s semi-final at Adelaide Oval.

Hayden, however, felt Pakistan’s attack would be a good match for the English and particularly their captain Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, who chased down 169 for victory in an unbroken partnership to embarrass India’s bowlers.

“I think the bases are covered,” said Hayden.

“I think both sides actually have got very equal set-ups. It’s just ‘even-stevens’. At the start of this tournament, I always thought that England was going to be a huge threat.

“And here we are on the edge of a final.”

Opinion

Editorial

A positive note
Updated 10 Feb, 2025

A positive note

With govt unable to press growth accelerator without upending fragile recovery, sufferings of low-middle-income households are unlikely to disappear soon.
Justice for all
10 Feb, 2025

Justice for all

ALONG with his domestic agenda, Donald Trump is busy ripping to shreds the post-World War II ‘rules-based...
Held back
10 Feb, 2025

Held back

IT is a crying shame how women are conspicuously absent from Pakistan’s civil services. Despite comprising half ...
Race against time
Updated 09 Feb, 2025

Race against time

While some bright spots emerged at Breathe Pakistan moot, we must streamline our climate governance.
Open door
09 Feb, 2025

Open door

THE door is still open for talks, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has reminded the PTI. What matters, however,...
Football suspension
09 Feb, 2025

Football suspension

ONCE again, Pakistan has been ousted from the global football family. FIFA recently suspended the Pakistan Football...