The much awaited docuseries “Cornered Tigers” is off to a promising start. Hearing first-hand accounts from the cricketers who made the 1992 World Cup win possible is sure to give you all the nostalgic feels. Produced by Nina Kashif for TapMad Entertainment, “Cornered Tigers – The 1992 Story” is a docuseries directed by Adnan Sarwar. With personal experiences narrated by Cricket legends including Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad, Mushtaq Ahmed, Ejaz Ahmed and Moin Khan, this is the best thing a Pakistani cricket fan from today’s generation can watch to find out the special behind-the-scenes on the journey to the 1992 world cup triumph!
The second episode, ‘Fall and Rise’ begins with Shoaib Akhtar, ace former- cricket player who was nicknamed, ‘The Rawalpindi Express’. In a heartfelt conversation we learn about his journey and how the World cup in 1992 inspired him into being the cricketer that the nation is proud of today. He believes that the victory caused a cricket revolution in the country and every young boy began to play cricket, be it in school or on the road but the cricket craze was at an all-time high.
“I started following cricket in 1992, and it gradually became a passion, passion became profession and then it became a part of my breathing process.”
Akhtar played for the Pakistan national cricket team from 1997 to 2011. He quickly gained global attention for his sheer speed. He generated immense speed and could consistently bowl deliveries exceeding 93 miles per hour. In the docuseries, Shoaib Akhtar jokingly says:
“My neighbours asked me why don’t you want to be like Imran Khan so I told them, I can’t be like him, I’m not that good looking!”
As shared by former cricketers, Mushtaq Ahmed, Moin Khan, Wasim Akram and Ejaz Ahmed, Pakistan had a relatively inconsistent run leading up to the World Cup and the team has been struggling to find a rhythm. They described how they lost their practice matches and their first match against the West Indies and later faced more disappointments.
However, under the charismatic leadership of Imran Khan, the Pakistani team transformed and captured the imagination of cricket fans around the world. Imran Khan, a legendary all-rounder and inspirational captain, was determined to instill a fighting spirit and unity within the team.
It was during this time that Imran Khan delivered his famous “cornered tigers” speech, rallying his team and inspiring them to believe in their abilities.
“We were labelled as the underdogs of the tournament”
Moin Khan reminisces the unexpected break they received in the form of a point due to the match being interrupted due to rain.
Ejaz Ahmed and Wasim Akram speak about the night they stayed up after playing their match just to see whether they would qualify for the next round of the tournament – The Semi Finals.
“Wasim Akram wrote on a writing pad for the taxi driver on our way back to the hotel – We will win the World Cup!”
On the brink of elimination the team made it through to the semi-finals. With high spirits, the Cornered Tigers became the conquerors, a momentous achievement that is remembered to this day.
