South Asia's hopes rest with Pakistan (19 June 1999)
The World Cup 1999 finals at Lords' on Sunday will not be a re-run of the 1996 finals in Lahore
19-Jun-1999
19 June 1999
South Asia's hopes rest with Pakistan
Ivan Corea
The World Cup 1999 finals at Lords' on Sunday will not be a re-run of
the 1996 finals in Lahore. Australia are in after a thrilling match
against South Africa. Sri Lanka, the World Champions are back in
Colombo after a disappointing exit in the first round. In 1996 it was
a different tale with Arjuna Ranatunga and his team of lions mauling
the Australian attack and lifting the World Cup.
Thousands of Pakistanis backed Arjuna Ranatunga and the team in the
finals, waving the lion flag and urging the Sri Lankans on. In the
1999 World Cup finals, Sri Lankan fans will repay the debt when they
go to Lord's to support Wasim Akram and the Pakistani cricketers -
South Asia's hopes rest with Pakistan now that Sri Lanka, India and
Bangladesh have been knocked out of the competition. Wasim Akram
stands a good chance of lifting the cup and taking over the mantle of
World Champions from Sri Lanka, providing the team do not blow it.
Much depends on the toss, the Pakistan team have proved fallible
chasing runs. A great deal depends on their frontline batsmen. They
have a world class batsman in Saeed Anwar - recently Steve Waugh, the
Australian captain rated Anwar one of the world's best strokemakers
along with Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva.
A few years ago I met Wasim Akram and the entire Pakistan Team at the
Galadari Hotel in Colombo. Wasim told me how much he enjoyed touring
Sri Lanka. He was in a chirpy mood - he exudes charisma with handsome
looks equally that of the great Imran Khan himself. The other
Pakistani cricketers were very personable with perhaps the quietest
one in the team being old Inzamam. They were very friendly and talked
with Sri Lankans at the Galadari - they had come to the hotel to
unwind. Akram is a bowler with so much ability - he will swing that
ball into the Australian batsmen on Sunday. On the other side Shoaib
Akhtar travelling at 90 mph is bound to uproot Australian wickets
with those devastating yorkers.
The Pakistanis must take a leaf out of Sri Lanka's victory in Lahore
in 1996 against the Australians. Like Arjuna's steady rudder Wasim
will need to keep a level head if the Pakistanis have to chase runs.
They have the bowling firepower to skittle Australia. But all too
often wickets have tumbled and the Australians have McGrath, Shane
Warne, Paul Reiffel and others who could cause trouble. This will be
a fascinating final but South Asia will be cheering the Pakistanis.
Time will stand still in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka,
Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan. All cricket lovers wil be cancelling
everything and be seated in front of their televisions. The majority
of the Sri Lankan team will be doing the same although Arjuna
Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva are in the USA and the United
Kingdom.
There is sadness that this is not a re-run of the 1996 final. The
World Cup will be bequeathed to the winner at Lord's on Sunday. Lets
hope that Wasim Akram and the team can pull it off and that the Cup
stays in South Asia. 'We are going to enjoy our day on Sunday' said
Wasim who gave glory to Allah for bringing them this far adding that
the whole of Pakistan will be praying for the team. Coupled with
those prayers will be the cheers of South Asia who will be urging the
Pakistanis to bring the cup back to the Indian sub-continent. This is
where it is all happening, this is where cricket is thriving and if
the cup returns it will boost cricket even further in the SAARC
countries.
It will no doubt encourage the Sri Lankan cricketers who meet
Australia in August - it will boost Sri Lanka's confidence once again
as the new BCCSL will take cricket into the new millennium with a
goal of making Sri Lanka a real power in test cricket and with new
blood and a team brimful of talent, going out to give their all for
their motherland - in the next World Cup and beyond.
Source :: The Daily News