Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - here come Pakistan by AFP

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Event:

ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 27th February 2007

 

Just how much has Pakistan cricket changed since playing in the inaugural World Cup in 1975?

 

Not much, as controversies, chaos and changes are still part and parcel of their game.

 

Coaches and players have been sacked, stars have been caught up in doping allegations while the 2006 Pakistan side became the first team in the history of the game to forfeit a Test match.

 

Win or lose in the Caribbean, one thing's for certain - when Pakistan play, there's never a dull moment.

 

No less than eight players, including greats like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and the current captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, were axed after Pakistan unceremoniously exited in the first round of the last World Cup held in South Africa in 2003.

 

To rub salt into the wounds, the squad was fined half of their World Cup fee, and departing coach Richard Pybus blamed players for not being committed to the cause.

 

An inquiry was launched to investigate the causes of failure.

 

But despite the traditional disharmony and off-field problems, Pakistan are one of the five countries to have won the World Cup at least once when, under the inspirational Imran Khan, they triumphed in Australia in 1992.

 

Imran described the victory was one of the "one most cherished moments" of Pakistan cricket.

 

"I have never seen the whole nation so happy," said Imran.

 

Intikhab Alam, the coach/manager during that tournament, believes that Pakistan's World Cup history can be divided into two phases - the Imran era and the post-glory days of the 1992 win.

 

"It was Imran's cornered tigers who won the World Cup for Pakistan from nowhere. He was a key player in the first three World Cups and then led from the front in the 1987 and 1992 editions," said Intikhab.

 

The exclusion of Intikhab, a hard hitting batsman and a quality leg-spinner, from the inaugural World Cup held in England was one of the first controversies in Pakistan's Cup history.

 

The team failed to get beyond the first round.

 

Pakistan then controversially left out all-rounder Mushtaq Mohammad for the 1979 tournament and then a half-fit Imran led them in the 1983 edition - both times they fell in the semis.

 

Four years later, Pakistan was one of the favourites as the event came out of England for the first time and was hosted in the sub-continent.

 

However, the Imran-led team were upset by the eventual champions Australia in the semi-finals in Lahore, a defeat which raised allegations of match-fixing for the first time in Pakistan cricket.

 

A disgruntled Imran announced his retirement on that eventful day but was forced to changed his mind within weeks. He finally called it quits only after the triumph in Australia four years later.

 

But even that victory was not achieved without off-field problems.

 

Pakistani selectors left out ace batsman Javed Miandad on fitness grounds and it was only under pressure from the public that Javed was sent Down Under.

 

His 437 runs in the tournament proved his omission would have cost Pakistan dearly.

 

It was after Pakistan's bitter loss against arch-rivals India in the quarter-final of the 1996 World Cup at Bangalore which led to a public reaction in the country.

 

Captain Wasim, who had to pull out due to a shoulder problem an hour before the start, was accused of feigning injury. His house in Lahore was pelted with stones and his other collegues went into hiding.

 

Wasim was again in the eye of a storm, even though Pakistan finished runners-up to Australia in the 1999 edition held in England.

 

A fortnight before the start, coach Javed quit due to differences with senior players.

 

And Pakistan's loss in an inconsequential match against minnows Bangladesh in the league phase - and batting first on a wet pitch in the final - sparked more claims over match-fixing.

 

The accusations led to an inquiry in 2000 which absolved the players of any wrongdoing.

 

"From 1996 to 2003 we had three World Cups and in two Pakistan did fairly well. But our lives were put to the sword every time and I fear it will continue in the coming years," said Wasim.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)