New Delhi: If one goes by history, Pakistan will emerge as the champions of the ongoing World Cup. Hard to believe? But history and the pattern of performance of Sarfaraz Ahmed’s team says the same.
The record of the Pakistan side so far in this edition has been eerily similar to that of the 1992 edition of the World Cup when the Imran Khan-led side won the coveted trophy in Australia and New Zealand.
In 1992, the ICC had introduced the round-robin format wherein each team played each other once before the top four teams qualified for the knock-outs.
Pakistan’s record in first seven matches in 1992 read:
| 1st Match | Lost |
| 2nd Match | Won |
| 3rd Match | Rained out |
| 4th Match | Lost |
| 5th Match | Lost |
| 6th Match | Won |
Interestingly, Pakistan’s record in 2019 World Cup till now reads:
| 1st Match | Lost |
| 2nd Match | Won |
| 3rd Match | Rained out |
| 4th Match | Lost |
| 5th Match | Lost |
| 6th Match | Won |
In the seventh game in 1992, the Imran-led side had faced an unbeaten New Zealand team and similar is the case in the ongoing edition of the World Cup where Pakistan face an unbeaten Black Caps in Birmingham.
Former Pakistan speedster Wasim Akram is hoping for a repeat of 1992’s show when Pakistan had defeated the Kiwis — who were also unbeaten till that match — by seven wickets in their crucial World Cup game played at the AMI Stadium in Christchurch.
“They were unbeaten in 1992 too before playing against us and we won the game, they’re unbeaten again and I hope we repeat the show, but boys will have to give their best,” Wasim told Pakistan’s Geo TV.
With five points from six games, Pakistan need to win all their remaining three games and also hope that results of other matches go in their favour so that they can make it to the last four stage.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]