Shades of 1992 in Pak campaign

Pakistan are back at the venue where the legend of the cornered tigers was forged 30 years ago, and England are again the final foe.

There are so many similarities between this unlikely run to the T20 World Cup final and the one inspired by Imran Khan in 1992, when Pakistan beat England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to claim their first World Cup title in the 50-over format.

There are also differences, of course. For a start, skipper Babar Azam is not 39 years old.

Imran was that age, and in the twilight of his career, when he described his team as cornered tigers and went on to lead them to that triumphant win over England in the final.

Babar is 28, but he could match Imran’s feat at the MCG on Sunday when his team yet again meets red-hot favorite England -- this time cricket format which was non-existent in the 90s.

For some, it’s difficult to fathom how the stars aligned for Babar and Imran in Australia three decades apart.