The world is coming down, the flags are up and the similarities between the 1992 and 2019 cricket world cups are uncanny.
Back in the 1992 edition, Pakistan were hanging loosely off the edge, having their World Cup journey on the verge of conclusion before striking back; which is something that can be witnessed in 2019 as well.
Good thing for Pakistan? The Imran Khan-led 1992 squad lifted the coveted trophy 27 years ago.
While not just fans and critics, but even the International Cricket Council (ICC), observe the eerie similarities between the two tournaments, here’s a list of players from our current squad and their counterparts from the ’92 cup.
Mohammad Amir and Wasim Akram
Like Akram in 1992, Amir is carrying Pakistan’s bowling attack forward in 2019.
Babar Azam and Javed Miandad
Like Miandad, Babar has stepped up to perform brilliantly and rack up runs for his side.
Shaheen Afridi and Aaqib Javed
Like Aaqib was a second fiddle to Wasim, Shaheen is undoubtedly that to Mohammad Amir.
Haris Sohail and Inzamamul Haq
Inzamam played some brilliant innings in ’92; quite similar to Haris’s against South Africa and New Zealand.
Shadab Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed
Mushtaq had a huge impact 27 years ago, while Shadab has one for Pakistan in 2019.
Hassan Ali and Iqbal Sikandar
Hassan is rather non-existent in the World Cup so far; and just like Sikandar, not many people might even remember if he even played or not.
Shoaib Malik and Saleem Malik
Saleem was horribly out of form in 1992 and did nothing for his side; Shoaib hasn’t done anything so far either.
Imad Wasim and Ijaz Ahmed
Just like Ijaz, Imad is an “all-rounder” who is playing in the team for the sake of his label. Does knowing a little bit about both batting and bowling really make you an all-rounder? (Ijaz quit bowling in the later days of his career)
Imamul Haq and Ramiz Raja
The thing both Imam and Ramiz have in common is the strike rate. Imam in 2019 bats at the same strike rate as Ramiz did in 1992.
Sarfaraz Ahmed and Moin Khan
Both Sarfaraz and Moin, other than being wicketkeeper-batsmen, have a role crucial for the entire team. In Shoaib Akhtar’s words, “Moin didn’t, while Sarfaraz doesn’t perform up to the mark”.
Imran Khan
Last, but undoubtedly not the least is Imran Khan – the dashing skipper who steered his ‘Cornered Tigers’ to victory in the 1992 World Cup. In all honesty, Khan has no match on the cricket field; however, he still is the captain.
