5 instances when underdogs stunned the world in ICC tournaments

Pakistan Cricket Team

#2 Pakistan – Cricket World Cup, Australia in 1992

For the first time, the 1992 World Cup, also called as ‘Benson & Hedges Cup,’ was played in colored clothing and with a white ball.

After Kapil’s heroics in the 1983 World Cup, it was time for Imran’s daredevilry in 1992. Pakistan’s World Cup campaign didn’t take off on a good note though; after comprehensively losing their opening match to West Indies, their first win came against Zimbabwe.

Against England, the rain gods came to their rescue as Pakistan were all out for 74 runs but the match was luckily abandoned.

After losing to India and South Africa, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals looked bleak. Their leadership looked in a terrible crisis, and that’s when Imran Khan asked his men to ‘fight like cornered tigers.’

The team went on to win 3 matches in a row against Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand, and somehow managed to finish in the top 4 - surpassing Australia and West Indies on net run rate.

Chasing 263 runs in the semi-finals against New Zealand, the Pakistani middle order made valuable contributions with Javed Miandad’s patient 57 and Inzamam’s quick-fire 60 off 37 balls. The target was chased with an over to spare.

Now after making it to the finals of the Cricket World Cup for the very first time, Pakistan were going to face England. Erasing memories of their previous league match against the same opponents, Imran’s Tigers looked ready to give it back to the English men.

With a solid batting display in the middle, Pakistan managed to set a target of 249 runs. Wasim Akram, the man of the match, hammered the final nail in the coffin by dismissing Botham, Lamb and Lewis after his quick-fire 33 off 18 balls in the slog overs.