Ramiz’s role: The opener who finished it

KARACHI:

“It’s up in the air, this could be the victory, and it is! Pakistan win the World Cup, a magnificent performance in front of 87,000 people.”

Commentator Bill Lawry could hardly control his excitement as Ramiz Raja comfortably camped under a skier by Richard Illingworth to send most of the 87,000 crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and an entire nation, into raptures 23 years ago.

Ramiz was 29 then and played some of the best cricket of his roller-coaster career at the biggest stage of them all and, while he failed with the bat in the final, his fielding was inspired.

“The final was such a big stage that it got the best out of us in the field,” he said, while talking to The Express Tribune. “I felt confident and more switched on in the field than I had ever before. Nothing, it felt, could escape us.”



Pakistan’s indifferent run in the group stages of the 1992 tournament has become a part of cricket’s folklore. The turnaround by Imran Khan’s ‘cornered tigers’ has often been discussed since then.

But one innings barely gets a mention — Ramiz’s contribution of 119 not out in Christchurch in a do-or-die group game, an innings that nailed the prized scalp of co-hosts New Zealand who had won all seven preceding games.

Wasim Akram and Mushtaq Ahmed ran through the Kiwi batting line-up, dismissing them for just 166 runs in 48.2 overs.

In reply, Aamir Sohail and Inzamamul Haq were both back in the pavilion with only 9 runs on the board. Ramiz then turned the table on the hosts with arguably the most dominant, yet the most underrated, innings of the tournament.

The opener scored 119 off 155 balls, scoring more than 70% of his team’s runs but was strangely not awarded the man-of-the-match.

“I did question the decision at the time but now when I look back at it, I feel we were set up for a win by the bowlers, who allowed me to play without any real pressure.  So no regrets,” said Ramiz, recalling the man-of-the-match snub.

Ramiz had kicked off the tournament with a century against West Indies, but the slow 102-run knock drew more criticism than plaudits from the pundits.

Pakistan posted a below par total of 220-2, Raja remained unbeaten till the end, consuming as many as 158 balls.

Desmond Haynes and a certain Brian Lara then reached the target without losing a single wicket — the only casualty was Lara retiring hurt after being struck by an Akram toe-crusher.

After their fifth match — a loss against South Africa — Pakistan were on the verge of elimination from the nine-nation tournament. Imran then termed his team as the ‘cornered tigers’ and, like most of his teammates, Ramiz was a man transformed from there on.

From the sixth match — against Australia — onwards, Ramiz contributed substantially each time he went out with the bat in his hand, leading up to the final in Melbourne.

“I was extremely determined to hold my own and challenge myself at the world stage,” he said. “This game leaves room to inspire you at an individual level for personal milestones and achievements. We were spurred on by the momentum swing and the desperate situation that didn’t allow for any margin for error. I worked the desperation to my advantage.”

The squad that played the 92 World Cup is arguably the weakest fielded by Pakistan in eleven editions of the premier tournament.

Out of the squad of 14 — Saleem Malik was woefully out of touch, Ijaz Ahmed was used as a specialist bowler and Iqbal Sikander, Wasim Haider and Zahid Fazal only made up the numbers.

Ramiz explains that from being a frontline batsman, Ijaz was turned into a bowler because Imran was nursing an injured shoulder. “Imran knew Ijaz’s potential as a finisher and wanted to use him late in the batting order,” he revealed.

“He used him as a bowler because Imran himself wasn’t a hundred per cent fit as his bowling shoulder gave up on him at the start of the tournament. Hence, Ijaz became the filler.”

Amongst some innovative and, at times, mind-boggling tactics, Ramiz’s association with opening partner Aamir Sohail remained the only constant at the business end of the tournament. “The partnership [at the top of the order] turned out to be the best available combination after Imran had experimented with a few others in the earlier parts of the tournament,” he said, before praising his understanding with Sohail. “We had a pretty smooth working relationship during the entire campaign.”

By the time the 2015 World Cup starts in Australia and New Zealand, 23 years would have passed since the historic March 25 final.

This time around, Lawry — who announced the winning catch — and Ramiz — who took it — are both commentators for the World Cup; can they combine to conjure up magic once again? for Pakistan?

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2015.

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