Waqar Younis reveals how he felt after not being a part of Pakistan's 1992 World Cup-winning team

1992 was a golden year for Pakistan cricket team. Under the leadership of Imran Khan, the Asian giants won the World Cup. Many successful and legendary players of Pakistan were part of this team. Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Aamir Sohail, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Ijaz Ahmed were part of the squad. However, one player who missed out on an opportunity to play in the World Cup 1992 was Waqar Younis.

The right-arm pacer who even went on to lead Pakistan team didn’t get an opportunity to play in the tournament due to an injury. He was named in the side but a week before the tournament started, he got injured and had to withdraw from the tournament. Years after the incident, he opened up on how he feels about that.

“That [tournament] was not the best time for me. I got injured. I broke my back, got a stress fracture in my back, just before the World Cup started. I was on tour, with the team, and in one of the warm-ups, I sort … something went wrong in my back, and couldn’t really walk after that World Cup for a long time,” Younis said while talking on the Cricket Badger Podcast.

It was heartening as well as heart-breaking: Waqar Younis

Waqar even revealed that he was on top of his game before the injury happened. He expressed that missing out of the World Cup side was not a happy moment for him.

“That was probably the worst time because I was [at the] top of my game, I was bowling really well. And me being in the team, Pakistan were favourites to win that World Cup. Pakistan still won the World Cup, but missing out on that glory, was probably a not-so-happy moment for me,” he said.

Younis further added that it was a mixed feeling for him. He explained how he got equal respect from his teammates but he felt bad because he couldn’t play in the tournament.

“I was very, very happy,” he said. “I still remember the day they came back to Pakistan, they landed at Lahore, I was there, I was there to receive them with the Chief Minister of the time. It was heartening as well as heart-breaking. It was a mixed feeling, but I was happier. They recognised me that I missed out – they lifted me up and put me up on the truck, and gave me all the respect and love that I missed out on. I was hurting, in a way, but also it was very, very pleasing,” he concluded.

Younis went on to play three World Cups– in 1996, 1999 and 2003. However, he never achieved what he would have liked and that was winning a World Cup. He played 87 Tests and picked up 373 wickets. He also played 262 ODIs in which he took 416 wickets and is currently serving as the bowling coach of Pakistan national team.