Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan captain made a big revelation about one of the side’s matches against India in the 1990s. This Sunday (August 28) sees a mouth-watering encounter between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022.
Both sides will be meeting for the first time since the clash at the 2021 T20I World Cup last year, where Babar Azam’s team made easy work of India, beating them by 10 wickets in a group game. The matches between India and Pakistan are confined to global (ICC) and continental (Asia Cup) tournaments over the past few years due to political tensions, which, in turn, precede massive fanfare ahead of the games.
Wasim Akram Revealed Youngsters Zakir Khan and Mohsin Kamal Cried during India-Pakistan Final In 1986 Austral- Asia Cup Before Javed Miandad’s Six Saw Pakistan Win
However, both share a rich cricketing history and have been a part of many memorable clashes in the past. Pakistan bowling great Wasim Akram remembered one such clash in 1986 when the men in green secured a dramatic one-wicket victory over India in the final of the Austral-Asia Cup as Pakistan’s batting legend Javed Miandad had famously hit Chetan Sharma for a six with the side requiring four runs to win on the last ball.
However, Wasim Akram revealed in a conversation with the then-India captain Kapil Dev that there were tensions in the Pakistan camp throughout the final few overs of the game, and that two of their young cricketers – Zakir Khan and Mohsin Kamal – even began to cry.
“I remember that I got run out. Tauseef Ahmed got a quick single and then Miandad did that. I was a youngster then, and with me were Zakir Khan and Mohsin Kamal, both youngsters as well. They weren’t playing in that game but they were crying non-stop. I asked them, “tum ro kyun rahe ho bhai? (Why are you crying?)” Wasim Akram said in a Star Sports segment, Frenemies.
“They replied, “we have to win this game.” I told them if crying could make us win matches, I would have cried with you all! Just hope that Javed bhai connects one,” Wasim Akram further said.
Pakistan fans will almost always go back to April 18, 1986, when Javed Miandad struck a six off the final ball to help his team to defeat India in the finals of the Austral-Asia Cup. Pakistan needed four runs off the final ball to win the Austral-Asia Cup.
Javed Miandad, ever the gladiator, decided to turn on the pressure on 18-year-old Chetan Sharma by standing out of his crease. Chetan Sharma decided to go for the yorker. But instead of a ball that should have been tough to hit, it turned out to be a full toss that Javed Miandad calmly struck for a six.
Kapil Dev Can’t Sleep When He Remembers The Defeat
Earlier in the conversation, then Indian skipper Kapil Dev had revealed that the loss had a detrimental impact on India’s confidence and that he still cannot sleep whenever he remembers the defeat in the game.
“We thought we should have 12-13 runs to defend in the last over of the match. It was a very difficult task, almost impossible in those times. When the last over came, we went to Chetan. To this day, I still feel it wasn’t his mistake. They needed 4 runs on the last ball and we decided that it would be a low-yorker,” said Kapil Dev.
“There was no other alternative. He tried his best, we all tried. It turned out to be a low full-toss. Miandad kept his backfoot intact and connected it. Even when we remember that today, we can’t sleep. That defeat crushed the whole side’s confidence for the next four years. It was very difficult to make a comeback from there,” Kapil Dev added.
Pakistan, needing 246 runs to win the match, was in early trouble at 61/3. And that is when Javed Miandad with a trademark combination of quick singles and fours started to turn things around. The right-handed batsman finished with a splendid 116 not-out. The next highest score for Pakistan was Mohsin Khan’s 36.
Batting first, India had got to a score of 245 as Kris Srikkanth made 75 runs while Sunil Gavaskar went on to register 94 runs from 134 balls. Dilip Vengsarkar also scored 50. But other than the six, not much is remembered.