The Pakistani cricket team of the 90s was considered as one of the best and most brilliantly talented teams across the formats the game of cricket has ever seen.
From agonizing fast bowlers and world-class spinners to hard-hitting all-rounders and batsmen, Pakistan of the 90s was the treat for the cricket fans to watch out.
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However, apart from displaying incredible cricket and producing some outstanding talent, Pakistan cricket between 1992 and 2000 was constantly beleaguered by the players’ fighting, rebellions, and worst of all the match-fixing scandals and they couldn’t achieve what they can.
Recently speaking on his YouTube channel, former Pakistan cricketer Aamir Sohaila has blamed cricketers’ egos and premature decisions of the Pakistan Cricket Board for the country’s under-achievement during the 1990s.
Sohail said, “You can see that in the 1990s, West Indies were on their downfall and two teams – Australia and Pakistan – had started surging. South Africa was also lagging behind. That was the time when Pakistan team members should have set aside their egos. Had it been the case, we would have dominated world cricket as Australia did in the following years. Aussie won World Cups as well. Unfortunately, high egos of the Pakistan players caused us heavily and we are still paying the price.”
The former captain further said the PCB lost the path and made the biggest mistake when they appointed Wasim Akram captain of his almost similar age group by removing Javed Miandad in 1993.
He further explained, “Now when Miandad was removed in 1993 and young Wasim was made the skipper, we did not learn from our past mistakes. Though we did not perform well in the 1993 Triangular series in Australia, our performance in Test series against New Zealand was decent. The Wasim-Waqar rivalry was talk of the town as it was being sensed that it would take Pakistan cricket forward.”
Sohail signed off by saying, “It was not well thought of decision from Pakistan Cricket Board. Despite being a successful batsman and skipper Miandad was not taken into confidence. Had he been retained as Test captain and with 1996 World Cup in mind Wasim Akram been given ODI captaincy, Pakistan cricket would have been on a different level today.”
(With Indian Express Inputs)
