‘Go to hell, we will win this match’ – Kiran More recalls banter with Javed Miandad in the 1992 World Cup match

Kiran More, the former Indian cricketer, went down the memory lane to the time when he and Pakistan’s Javed Miandad were involved in banter during the 1992 World Cup encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground. More stated that Miandad tried to get under his skin with his antics.

The situation was starting to turn a bit animated before umpire David Shepherd stepped in and brought sanity into proceedings. Miandad scored a patient 110-ball 40 after which Javagal Srinath dismissed him, but Pakistan lost the match by 43 runs after being asked to chase 217 in 50 overs.

More stated that Miandad was having a back injury and hence, he was instructing the bowlers to bowl full-length rather than bowl short-pitched deliveries in order to make it tough for the batter. That’s when Miandad tried to hit back with verbal volleys.

Kiran More speaks up

“In Hindi, he was saying that, ‘don’t worry we will win this match easily’. And I said, ‘go to hell, we will win this match’. And there was an appeal down the leg-side off Sachin Tendulkar. I thought he was caught behind. I appealed and Javed swore at me,” More was quoted as saying on Youtube’s The Curtly & Karishma Show.

“I told him to shut up, he told me the same. Then, there was a run-out appeal when I jumped and whipped the stumps. And he started imitating me.

“I gave it back to him. I covered my mouth with my gloves. That’s the time when the mike was used. Umpire David Shepherd came in and told Javed, if you do it again, I’ll send you out of the ground,” he added.

After the heated moments, More and Miandad went on to become friends. More said after he went to Pakistan, Javed invited him to his residence and the duo had “a great time, and a great laugh.”

As far as the World Cup game was concerned, Sachin Tendulkar became the Player of the Match. The Master Blaster scored an unbeaten 62-ball 54 and picked up the crucial wicket of Aamer Sohail, who was batting on 62.