39 days to World Cup: Pakistan secure top spot after Sri Lanka annihilation
The beauty of having world-class all-rounders is that they are always available to contribute even on their off-day. While Wasim Akram has 502 ODI wickets and Imran Khan was a legendary skipper who led Pakistan to their maiden title, they were also top-notch all-rounders.
The duo showcased their all-round skills in the group game against Sri Lanka at Faisalabad in the 1987 World Cup. With 39 days to go to the World Cup 2019, let us take a look at their performances.
With four wins out of four, Pakistan could not have asked for a better start to the 1987 World Cup. They headed into their clash against a win-less Sri Lanka side looking to secure top spot in the group and progress to the semi-final.
There was no sense of complacency from Imran Khan's side after they won the toss and elected to bat first. The openers Rameez Raja and Mansoor Akhtar added a fifty partnership for the opening wicket.
Although there was a mini-collapse saw Pakistan lose three wickets for 13 runs, Akram came in to bat and stabilised the innings. He scored a crucial run-a-ball 39 that included two fours and sixes apiece to help set the platform before he was dismissed.
While Saleem Malik continued to keep the scoreboard moving at one end, runs continued to flow at the other. First, it was an 18-ball 30 from Ijaz Ahmed and then came the Pakistan skipper.
Imran Khan smashed five fours and a six as he hit 39 off just 20 balls to push the Pakistan score even further. Thanks to those cameos and Malik's century, they posted 297/7.
In response, Imran and Wasim opened the bowling. The Pakistan skipper got the early breakthrough and set the ball rolling for his side. And despite fifties from Arjuna Ranatunga and Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka were never really in the contest.
They eventually finished with 184/8 and lost by 113 runs as Pakistan registered their fifth successive win of the tournament.
However, Pakistan couldn't carry on after that as they lost their final group game to West Indies then lost the semi-final to Australia. However, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram were the stars in the next World Cup as they lifted the trophy for the first time courtesy of their all-round exploits.