West Indies’ 1987 World Cup was a rather sad one. They capitulated from one loss to another and what would have hurt them the most was that some of these were last-over, thrilling losses which could have gone their way.IMAGE>
After the previous game that they lost to England after Courtney Walsh was blasted off for 13 in his last over, it was a matter of a West Indies-Pakistan game at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore that proved to be West Indies’ undoing.
First, the West Indies batted first and despite a 91-run opening stand between Desmond Haynes and Phil Simmons, the side was bowled out for 216. Imran Khan took four wickets while Saleem Jaffar bagged three wickets to push the side back as only Simmons’ 50 and Vivian Richards’ 51 was something that the side could cheer for.
In reply, after the loss of two early wickets, the Pakistani side consolidated through Rameez Raja and Javed Miandad and took the score to 92/2.
Unfortunately for the home team, the middle-order was then borne open by the West Indian bowling of Walsh and the spinners. Roger Harper and Carl Hooper bowled 20 overs of spin and conceded only 66 runs to reduce the side to 203/9. Wicket-keeper Saleem Yousuf was the only player to get to more than 50.
Off the last over, the Pakistani side had to get 14 for a win off the bowling of Walsh but had only one wicket in hand. The match seemed to be in West Indies’ pocket. Almost. Last man Saleem Jaffar was caught backing too far by the West Indian pace bowler Walsh and he could have easily run the batsman out and won the game. Instead, as a gesture of sportsmanship, Walsh allowed the batsman back into the crease.
That was a fatal move as Abdul Qadir then smashed the Walsh over for 12 runs off the first five balls and then scampered two off the last to win the game. A disconsolate West Indian captain Richards looked on as the World Cup dream looked to be setting on his kingdom while Pakistan went on qualify for the semi-finals.