The six that immortalised Javed Miandad
Cricket
The six that immortalised Javed Miandad
By Salman Khan
The social media operates in strange ways. Notwithstanding its downside, it is one of the major sources of information in today’s world. And the information it throws up sometimes prove a catalyst for change or evoke feelings of nostalgia about a momentous event of yesteryears.
Come to think of it, two pieces of news about former cricket stars Javed Miandad (Pakistan) and Chetan Sharma (India) – though having altogether different contexts – appeared on digital firmament, reminding cricket lovers of the historic 1986 Sharjah match in which the two players came face to face and Miandad’s last-ball six eventually earned him an unparalleled accolade.
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 18, 2022
The significance and impact of the victory in that first Australasia Cup final against India can be gauged from the fact that the memories of that encounter are still fresh in the minds of people in cricket-crazy Pakistan even after more than three decades. That particular six of Miandad is still recalled in households with a great deal of pride despite countless stellar performances and records that adorn cricket’s landscape.
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The arch-rivals reached the final played on April 18, 1986, after competing Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the first edition of the Australasia Cup. “I really felt like the chosen one after hitting that six,” Miandad recalled in one of his interviews. “It’s the wish of every living person to be able to achieve something big in life. I, too, often prayed to God to help me achieve something so big in my career that my name be immortalised by the deed. And my God made my wish come true,” he added.
It was indeed an unforgettable match for the Pakistan cricket fans who were in the Sharjah cricket stadium as well as those who remained glued to television sets or hung their ears to radios. One still remembers the emotional description before and after the last ball by ace commentator Iftikhar Ahmed. His words go thus: “It can be India’s game, it can be Pakistan’s game… win or loss (at this stage) is immaterial… the man who stands between India and victory is Javed Miandad…”
