Pakistan won the World Cup for the first time, beating England (twice previous finalists, never winners) by 22 runs on a memorably dramatic autumn night in Melbourne, before an Australian limited-overs record crowd of 87,182 who paid 2 million Australian dollars. Almost half of them sat in the newly completed Great Southern Stand, which cost 140 million Australian dollars and is the largest construction ever conceived for Australian sport. It was further claimed that the global television audience exceeded one billion, in 29 countries. In Pakistan, where it was still early evening, jubilation verging on the hysterical splashed over into the streets, and upon their return the players were placed on the highest pedestals of heroism.

Imran Khan, the captain, in his 40th year and nursing a troublesome right shoulder, unsurprisingly declared this as his finest hour, a claim clearly supported by the pictures of him holding the 7,500-pound Waterford crystal trophy, eyes wide with exhilaration, after International Cricket Council chairman Sir Colin Cowdrey had presented it to him on the Melbourne Cricket Ground dais. This accomplished all-rounder, top-scorer in the final with a measured 72, had urged his young team on through times when it seemed that qualification for the semifinals was out of the question. They were, he said, to take on the stance and response of the cornered tiger. He dedicated the victory to the cause of a cancer hospital in Lahore for which he was fund-raising in memory of his mother. The World Cup organisers seemed content to overlook Imran's earlier remark that it was the worst-organised of all the World Cups. He and Javed Miandad (who became the highest overall run-scorer) alone have played in all five tournaments.

The odds after two weeks of competition were affected by the vacillating form most particularly of India and West Indies, both past winners. Reshaped after the jettisoning of several senior players, and led by an out-of-touch Richie Richardson, West Indies won their first match convincingly by making 221 without losing a wicket. This was not against the lesser Zimbabwe or Sri Lanka. It was against Pakistan, the eventual champions. Thereafter they seemed out of sorts, though Brian Lara, the flowery left-hander, finished with four half-centuries. India lost a tight opening match against England, beat Pakistan, who fell apart under the Sydney lights, but were themselves soon to fall by the wayside through poor fielding and an indecisiveness in all departments.

Sri Lanka managed two victories, scoring 313 at New Plymouth to deny Zimbabwe what had seemed a certain triumph given the weight of their own innings, centurion Andy Flower having had his effort capitalised by Andy Waller's 32-ball half-century. Sri Lanka's other success was against South Africa at Wellington, when Ranatunga steered them home by three wickets with only a ball to spare.

The most unexpected result came on the last day of the qualifying matches, when Zimbabwe, having made only 134 on a sporting pitch at Albury, overthrew England by nine runs, Eddo Brandes taking the bowling honours.

Graham Gooch's combination became favourites when Australia began to crack. The depth of batting and breadth of bowling alternatives made possible by so many all-rounders, together with the blend of experience and, in key positions, athleticism in the field, gave England the appearance of certain finalists and probable trophy-winners. Fatigue and Pakistan's inspired surge were to deny them on the night.

The emergence of new faces was refreshing. Hudson, Snell and Pringle from South Africa, Lara from West Indies, Inzamamul Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Aamir Sohail from Pakistan all made a mark, five of them still not Test players. And electrifying incidents were captured not only in the television replays but subsequently in the proliferation of commemorative videocassettes. Rhodes's flying run-out at Brisbane was memorable, but wicketkeeper More's back-flick to run out Crowe at Dunedin may well have been the most extraordinary dismissal of all. Not that Border's throwing accuracy, such as when he ran out Azharuddin at Brisbane, will soon be forgotten, or the stumping of Harris from a Mushtaq Ahmed wide, or the demolition of Botham's middle stump (which contained the miniature TV camera) by McMillan, or some of Healy's catches behind the wicket, or Mushtaq's googly to defeat Hick and Wasim Akram's wicked in-swinger to bowl Lewis in the final.

Perversely, as in 1987, neither host nation won through to the final. Seriously stunned in 1987 by their loss to Australia in the semifinal at Lahore, Pakistan somehow lifted themselves in the 1992 tournament after having won only one of their first five matches. Handicapped by the absence through injury of their outstanding fast bowler, Waqar Younis, they were spurred on by their rarefied captain, Imran Khan. As far as bowling strategy went they played aggressively throughout -- and with the bat too, once the disciplined foundation had been laid. There was satisfaction in seeing the best two teams in the final, and, for the rare objective onlooker, a slight sadness that only one of them could triumph. For a month, the World Cup not only generated large profits but stirred many hearts and touched countless nerve-ends around the cricket world.

Source: CricInfo