Pakistan won the ODI World Cup in 1992 under the captaincy of Imran Khan. This was the 5th World Cup event held in Australia and New Zealand. It was one of the most significant events in Pakistani cricket history, as well as an excellent chapter in ODI World Cup history.
In the 1992 World Cup, Pakistan was the least favorite team due to its unpredictable nature. No one predicted Pakistan to make the final in opposition to teams like Australia, the West Indies, India, and England. However, Pakistan rose from the bottom ranks and shocked everyone in the cricket world.
It had an influence on the overall cricket structure in Pakistan, with younger people shifting their choices toward cricket. This is the main reason that cricket is one of the most popular sports in Pakistan.
Cricket fans in Pakistan are very passionate about cricket and cricketers. They are treated and respected everywhere, even in the dreams of young fans. The entire credit goes to Imran Khan and his squad who made cricket a popular sport in the country by winning the World Cup in 1992.
Now, the majority of cricket fans are waiting for their next World Cup trophy. Only time will tell if Pakistan will win the next fifty Over World Cup. However, there is greater hope because of ICC’s rop-ranked batter and captain Babar Azam and young guns like Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, and others.
Now we will have a look at the detailed analysis of Pakistan’s road to victory in World Cup 1992.
Pakistan Won ODI World Cup 1992
World Cup 1992 was named as the Bensen and Hedges world cup that took place in Australia and New Zealand. Both host countries were regarded as favorites to win this World Cup, but Pakistan upset the prediction by reaching the final.
Pakistan played 10 world cup matches winning 06 and losing 03 matches with a win percentage of 40.
| Matches | Won | Lost | Win % | W/L Ratio | NR |
| 10 | 06 | 02 | 40 | 02 | 0 |
Team Pakistan had a disappointing start to the World Cup by losing the first three matches. That includes their lowest team total in a world cup match against England. All the hopes of Pakistani fans were down at that moment but they showed improvement in upcoming matches. They won against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and England in the last matches to win the World Cup. Imran Khan and the rest of the squad were lauded all through Pakistan for their outstanding efforts.
Read More: How many times India has won ODI world cup?
There was no norm of announcing the man of the tournament before the 1992 World Cup, but the 1992 World Cup did so by announcing Martin Crow as the man of the tournament. Wasim Akram was announced as man of the match in the final of the 1992 World Cup.
Here is the result of all matches Pakistan played in 1992 World Cup.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Margin | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 1992 | West Indies | lost | 10 wickets | Melbourne |
| 27 Feb 1992 | Zimbabwe | won | 53 runs | Hobart |
| 1 Mar 1992 | England | n/r | – | Adelaide |
| 4 Mar 1992 | India | lost | 43 runs | Sydney |
| 8 Mar 1992 | South Africa | lost | 20 runs | Brisbane |
| 11 Mar 1992 | Australia | won | 48 runs | Perth |
| 15 Mar 1992 | Sri Lanka | won | 4 wickets | Perth |
| 18 Mar 1992 | New Zealand | won | 7 wickets | Christchurch |
| 21 Mar 1992 | New Zealand | won | 4 wickets | Auckland |
| 25 Mar 1992 | England | won | 22 runs | Melbourne |
1992 ODI World Cup Final Match
The final of the 1992 Cricket World Cup was held on March 25, 1992, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. The game was between England and Pakistan. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first, making 249 runs in 50 overs for the loss of six wickets in total. Inzamam-ul-Haq commanded the field with 42 runs.
Wasim Akram was the real game changer in the final who took 03 wickets in 10 overs. His ability to bowl late and early swing did great damage to England’s batting. Most of the England batters were very clueless about his bowling which resulted in losing the wicket in a pressure match.
Pakistan’s first-ever Cricket tournament victory was a historic victory for them.
Pakistan’s success was greatly influenced by Imran Khan’s ability to lead and perform in all areas. The players were celebrated as heroes, and the victory spread great joy throughout the country.
FAQ’s
Pakistani skipper Imran Khan was the highest runs scorer in the Final of 1992 World Cup. He scores a match-winning 72 runs on 110 balls.
Mushtaq Ahmad, Wasim Akram, and Derek Pringle were the highest wicket-takers in the final of 1992 WC Final.
Wasim Akram won Man of the Match award in ODI WC final by scoring 33 runs and securing 3 wickets while Kiwi batter Martin Crowe was announced as player of the tournament.
