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Imran Khan wins it for Mom

1992, Melbourne: A record crowd of 87,182 watched the charismatic Imran Khan guide Pakistan to a 22-run victory over England and their first and only ICC Cricket World Cup title at the MCG. by R Prasad | Direct Link

The stellar display of the day was provided by Pakistan’s left arm pace bowler and hard-hitting lower order batsman Wasim Akram who made a belligerent 33 off 19 balls with the bat and then plucked three wickets with his amazing variety in bowling that stopped England in its tracks.

Imran’s last hurrah on the cricket field was also a personal triumph. Pakistan’s victory helped him get the funds for a cancer hospital he set up in memory of his mother.

His captaincy bound the unpredictable but highly talented Pakistan team into a fighting unit and his mark as skipper was made in almost every match.

In the final, Imran came to bat at number three and top-scored with 72 off 110 after openers Aamir Sohail and Rameez Raja fell early. Pakistan put up a total of 249 for six and then, with Imran marshalling his resources extremely well, stopped England at the gates.

After Sohail and Raja fell, Imran and another Pakistan great – pugnacious Javed Miandad who made 58 in 98 balls – put on a third wicket partnership of 139 to set the platform for Wasim Akram and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who hit a 35-ball 42, to cream the English bowling attack for 124 runs in the last 15 overs after the first 35 had yielded only 125.

England, in the final for the third time in four editions, started the run-chase disastrously by losing their top four batsmen, including skipper and opener Graham Gooch, with the total having not yet reached 70 before the innings was put back on track with a partnership of 72 by Neil Fairbrother, 62 in 70 balls, and Allan Lamb, who hit 31 in 41 balls.

Akram struck a telling blow to terminate the stand by dismissing Lamb and removed Chris Lewis off the next ball - both batsmen being bowled - to be on a hat trick.

Akram did not achieve that feat, but his timely wickets left England struggling at 141 for six. The rest of the batsmen could not cope up and fittingly Imran sealed his country’s greatest triumph on a cricket field by cleaning out Richard Illingworth who was caught by Rameez Raja.

Akram finished with 3 for 49, Aaqib Javed having lent him splendid support with the new ball with a very economical 2 for 27 while leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed secured three.