When the King Met the Lion at Gujranwala, 1985

As 1985 wound towards its reluctant close, Pakistan cricket stood at a crossroads. The year had been a carousel of captains, a blur of instability, and a bruising reminder of what inconsistency could do to a gifted side. Then the selectors did something rare—they chose conviction over confusion. They handed the reins back to Imran Khan. And, almost instantly, the winds shifted.

Imran’s second era as captain began with catharsis: breaking the jinx against India at Sharjah and matching the mighty West Indies blow for blow in the same desert arena. The ghosts of the WCC and Rothman’s Trophy were buried; Pakistan now turned to a fresh frontier—a home 5-match ODI series against the greatest cricketing machine the sport had ever seen.

The Juggernauts Arrive

If Imran embodied Pakistan’s renaissance, Viv Richards embodied West Indian supremacy. Newly anointed captain, Richards inherited a dynasty forged by Clive Lloyd and powered by four of the most fearsome fast bowlers ever assembled: Marshall, Holding, Garner, Walsh.

Gujranwala was about to witness something more than a cricket match. It was a collision of temperaments—Pakistan’s rising self-belief versus the Caribbean empire at its imperial peak.

The first ODI was a 40-over shootout. Richards won the toss and unleashed his pace cartel on a moist morning pitch. If there was ever a moment for Pakistan to wilt, this was it.

Instead, they punched first.

Pakistan’s Counterpunch: Fire Against Fire

Mudassar Nazar and Mohsin Khan emerged with surprising aggression. Mohsin, elegant yet murderous, carved Marshall and Holding with audacity, sprinting to 22 of the opening 29 runs. Walsh finally broke the stand, but Pakistan had announced their intent: they were not going to be bullied.

Mudassar played the long game. Ramiz Raja guided the innings with calm control. And then came Javed Miandad—cricket’s eternal street fighter—whose brief stay was a burst of sharp cuts, pulls, and drives at a run-a-ball tempo.

But the real theatre began when Imran Khan walked in.

Imran didn’t bat—he detonated. With a strike rate of 145.6, a rarity in the mid-1980s, he dismantled Holding, Garner, and Marshall with strokes that belonged to a future era. Six boundaries, one soaring six, and a spellbinding 45 off 31 sent the Gujranwala crowd into a frenzy.

When the dust finally settled, Mudassar held the Pakistan innings together with a monk-like 77.

Pakistan finished at 218 for 5—scoring at over 5.4 an over. In 1985, this wasn’t just competitive; it was revolutionary.

Then Came the Storm From Antigua

Pakistan struck early—Mohsin Kamal removing Richie Richardson cheaply. Desmond Haynes and Gus Logie attempted to rebuild, but Wasim Akram’s youthful burst dismissed Haynes and summoned the inevitable.

Viv Richards walked in.

If Pakistan had played the morning in technicolour, Richards brought the night in blazing neon. Pressure? For Richards, pressure was oxygen. As the run rate climbed, so did his brutality.

Wasim tried the yorker. Mudassar tried the wobble seam. Tauseef looped it wide. Qadir—Pakistan’s ace—was greeted with the kind of disdain only Richards could muster. Twenty-four runs in one over turned the leg-spinner into a spectator of his own spell.

Only Imran Khan, chest out and eyes narrowed, appeared momentarily capable of holding back the avalanche.

But even he could not rewrite destiny.

Viv Richards finished with an astonishing 80 off 39 balls—10 fours, 4 sixes—and a strike rate that belonged to T20, not 1985. The West Indies roared to victory in 38.3 overs, scoring at six an over, as if to remind the world: we are still the rulers of this game.

A Day When Legends Crossed Paths

Gujranwala 1985 was not merely a match—it was a drama of shifting powers and unshakeable greatness. Pakistan showcased its rebirth under Imran Khan: brave, modern, willing to challenge the unbeatable. Yet the West Indies, led by Richards in full imperial swagger, answered with a reminder of their unmatched dominance.

On that day, the world witnessed two truths:

- West Indies were still the best in the World. 

- And cricket still had only one King! 

Viv Richards left Gujranwala like a King. Imran left with something more enduring—a team beginning to believe in itself again.

Both would shape history in their own ways.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

A Duel of Grit and Glory: England's Thrilling Triumph Over West Indies in the 1987 World Cup

The Indian subcontinent buzzed with excitement and anticipation as it prepared to host the World Cup for the first time, breaking free from England’s traditional grasp on the tournament. In the second game of the 1987 Reliance World Cup, England faced the mighty West Indies, former champions with a reputation for dominance.

While most teams tailored their strategies to the spin-friendly surfaces of the subcontinent, England defied convention. They opted for a pace-heavy attack featuring Phil DeFreitas, Neil Foster, Gladstone Small, and Derek Pringle, supported by the lone off-spinner, John Emburey. This decision would come under scrutiny, especially as the advantages of a balanced bowling attack became evident against the West Indies.

The West Indies Innings - Setbacks and then Build-up

The West Indies’ innings began with early setbacks as Carlisle Best and Desmond Haynes departed cheaply. However, Viv Richards and Richie Richardson steadied the ship, combining sharp running between the wickets with elegant boundary strokes. It was Foster who broke the partnership, dismissing both Richards and Richardson in quick succession. Emburey was introduced soon after, and though he remained wicketless, his precision and control stifled the West Indies’ scoring rate. Conceding just 22 runs from his 10 overs, including a maiden, Emburey proved to be a quiet but significant thorn in the West Indian batting lineup.

With Emburey out of the attack, the West Indies found their rhythm. Jeff Dujon and Gus Logie unleashed a counterattack, dismantling the English pacers, particularly Pringle and Foster. Dujon’s run-out momentarily stemmed the flow of runs, but Roger Harper took up the mantle, smashing 22 off Pringle’s final over, the penultimate of the innings. Logie fell for a brisk 41-ball 49, and Harper’s cameo of 24 from 10 balls ended when Small rattled his stumps. From a modest 151 for 4 at the 40-over mark, the West Indies accelerated to a formidable 243 for 7, plundering 92 runs in the final 10 overs.

Allan Lamb - The Hero

Chasing 244 was always going to be a challenge for England, especially without Ian Botham. Their task was further complicated by the fiery West Indian pace trio of Patrick Patterson, Courtney Walsh, and Winston Benjamin, complemented by the spin of Harper and Carl Hooper.

England’s innings began poorly, with Chris Broad edging Walsh to wicketkeeper Dujon and Tim Robinson’s ill-fated run-out adding to the early woes. Mike Gatting and Graham Gooch offered brief resistance, adding 58 runs in nine overs, but Hooper’s off-breaks proved too clever for them. Once the duo departed, England’s middle order crumbled under pressure.

Allan Lamb stood as the lone beacon of hope, crafting a gritty knock while wickets tumbled around him. He found a brief ally in Pringle, but Hooper’s sharp fielding ended Pringle’s stay, leaving England teetering at 123 for 5. Paul Downton’s brief appearance ended in a run-out, and Emburey’s arrival brought a flicker of hope. Emburey’s quickfire 22, including a four and a six, injected momentum before Patterson’s searing yorker sent his stumps cartwheeling. At 162 for 7, England needed 82 runs from 54 balls, with their chances hanging by a thread.

Enter DeFreitas, whose fearless approach turned the tide. Lamb and DeFreitas stitched together a vital 47-run partnership, taking the attack to the West Indies. DeFreitas’s brisk 23 off 21 balls ended with another Patterson special, but his contribution had kept England in the hunt. Foster joined Lamb with 35 runs required from the final three overs.

The tension peaked as Walsh’s penultimate over leaked 16 runs, 15 of them from Lamb’s blade. Patterson’s final over tightened the screws, conceding just six runs and leaving England needing 13 from the last six balls. Walsh, under immense pressure, faltered. Four leg-side wides, a no-ball, and a boundary from a full-toss gifted England the edge. Foster’s composed strike to the fence sealed a famous victory, with Lamb unbeaten on a masterful 67 off 68 deliveries, featuring five boundaries and a six.

This dramatic encounter was a testament to the unpredictability of cricket, where grit and determination can triumph over adversity. England’s calculated gamble on Lamb’s brilliance and DeFreitas’s audacity turned a seemingly lost cause into a moment of World Cup glory, etching this game into the annals of cricketing history.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar