OTD: Pakistan defeated England in the Benson and Hedges World Cup final in 1992

Today marks the greatest day in the history of Pakistan cricket. On this day in 1992, Pakistan won the World Cup trophy for the first time. The Cornered Tigers defeated England in the final to claim their maiden and only ODI World Cup title. Under the leadership of Imran Khan, a team that was on the brink of elimination turned things around and went on to become the World Champions. 

First Innings

Imran Khan won the toss for Pakistan and opted to bat first. It was a good decision but the execution was not so impressive in the initial overs as Pakistan lost both their openers in the powerplay. But on the big occasion, the two most experienced players Imran Khan and Javed Miandad stepped up and rescued the team from an imminent crisis. 

This duo added more than 100 runs for the third wicket and changed the momentum in their favour. Miandad scored 58 runs to lay a solid foundation for his team. Imran Khan led the team to a challenging total with his invaluable 72 runs. A final flourish from Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wasim Akram saw Pakistan post 249/6 on the board at the end of the first innings.

Second Innings

By the time the first innings ended, Pakistan had the momentum and the upper hand in the contest. Pakistan started the second innings on the same note as they reduced England to 69/4. Key batters like Graham Gooch, Ian Botham, and Alec Stewart were already back in the pavilion. However, the match was not over yet. Neil Fairbrother and Allan Lamb stitched a crucial 72-run partnership to bring the team back into the game. But two magical deliveries from Wasim Akram crushed England’s hopes. 

Some resilience was shown in the lower order but it was too little too late. Pakistan bowled England out for 227 runs to win the match by 22 runs and lift the World Cup trophy. Wasim Akram was awarded the man of the match for his batting cameo and extraordinary bowling performance.