On this day, 15 years ago, Pakistan emerged like a phoenix from the ashes of destruction.

Pakistan had just faced wrath on a global scale as on March 3, 2009, terrorists and anti-state elements had attacked the Sri Lankan Cricket Team on their tour to Pakistan.
Although the attack did not leave any foreign casualties, it was bound to have some negative consequences for the host country.

Amidst all this chaos, Pakistan’s captain Younus Khan had the daunting task of uplifting the team’s morale before the all-important 2009 T20 World Cup.

Having just fallen short of the previous T20 World Cup final trophy by 5 runs, the wounds were still fresh for the men in green as they embarked on a journey to lift the all-important trophy for the first time.

Pakistan was one of the best T20 teams and appeared to be a side that was well ahead of its time as their performances showed that they had cracked the code to succeed in T20 cricket.

Pakistan’s first encounter occurred versus England in which they succumbed to defeat by 48 runs. Having dropped around 4 catches, Pakistan still looked rusty and far from their best, similar to the warm-up games.

Stress loomed over Younis and his men as they headed towards a must-win encounter against the Netherlands to qualify for the Super 8s. Not only did they require a win against them, but a convincing victory was required as England (who had by now qualified) for the next stage had faced a defeat against the Netherlands in the tournament opener which left Group B of the 12-team tournament-wide open.

On the back of a terrific team performance by the men in green which was spearheaded by a remarkable 4-11 from Shahid Afridi, they managed to defeat the Netherlands comprehensively by 82 runs after posting 175 on the board, thanks to contributions from everyone, at the top of which was a solid 41 from the player of the match, Kamran Akmal!

Since Pakistan had now qualified for the next stage, they were lined up in a new group with Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Ireland. The top 2 teams from this group were scheduled to advance to the semi-finals!

Pakistan’s first encounter coincidentally happened to be against Sri Lanka, the repeated encounter of which later took place in the final! The tone of the match wasn’t set in an ideal way as Sohail Tanvir started the proceedings with an 11-ball over, after which Sri Lanka managed to set a target of 151 for the green shirts.

Despite a fighting half-century from the skipper Younis Khan, Pakistan failed to chase the target down as they eventually lost by 19 runs.

The tigers were once again cornered as they faced an uphill task of winning the next two matches against the Kiwis and the Irish if they wanted their dream to stay alive.

Next in line were the Kiwis who had no idea they were about to be GULDOZED!

That’s correct, you read it right!

New Zealand had won the toss and decided to bat first. However, thanks to a couple of early wickets from a returning Abdul Razzaq and a 5 fer from Umar Gul (the first ever in T20Is) meant that the BlackCaps were bundled out for a meager 99. Pakistan chased the target without any fuss led by the debutant Shahzeb Hasan’s 35, as they cruised towards victory.

This match also resulted in an unpleasant controversy, as Daniel Vettori had labeled ball-tampering allegations against Umar Gul stating that he had never seen a bowler achieve reverse swing at the 12th over of the innings.

To this, Younus raised his concerns and said that when you get out cheaply and have a big reputation like New Zealand does, that’s when concerns are raised. Younis further stated that what Gul did was a work of art and “not cheating”.

Burying the hatchet, Pakistan then had to face Ireland, to qualify for the semi-finals. Although in their last World Cup encounter against the same opponents, Pakistan had gotten traumatized. However, this time they came well prepared, and on the back of heroics from Akmal and Ajmal, they managed to defeat them by 39 runs.

Next up was the all-important semi-final which saw Pakistan line up against the Proteas, who also happened to be the favorites for the tournament as they were having an unbeaten run. However, Pakistan had other plans. Batting first, the green shirts managed to post a cumulative total of 149 runs, thanks to Shahid Afridi’s brilliant 51 which included 21 runs at a strike rate of 233.3 against Johan Botha, along with the infamous kiss-tease to Jacques Kallis, the visuals of which are remembered to date.

He made this day his own as he followed it up with a brilliant spell of bowling, taking 2 wickets at an economy of just 4 and eventually helping Pakistan to win by 7 runs.

21 June 2009 - The stage was all set for the all-important final at the all-important venue, the Home of Cricket, Lord’s. Sri Lanka had won the toss and batted first. Dilshan, the leading run-getter of the tournament had his eyes set against a versatile bowling attack.

For the men in green, it was a young, 17-year-old Mohammad Amir who had the shiny ball in his hand and was looking to get wickets. Call it luck, call it strategy, call it supreme plan execution, but Amir managed to get the all-important scalp of Dilshan, and ironically he got out playing his most-favorite shot, the Dilscoop!

The tone was set from thereon, as Pakistani bowlers led by Abdul Razzaq got wickets in quick succession and managed to restrict Sri Lanka at 138/6 who were saved by a late 8th wicket partnership between Kumar Sangakkara (64*) and Angelo Mathews (35*).

Pakistan's journey from being considered rank outsiders to emerging as champions is a remarkable tale of resilience and strategic brilliance. Shahid Afridi played a crucial role, scoring 54 runs off 40 balls in a decisive partnership of 76 runs with Shoaib Malik, building on the early momentum provided by Kamran Akmal. This partnership laid the foundation for Pakistan's solid performance, allowing Pakistan to win by 8 wickets with 8 balls remaining!

The Pakistani batsmen exhibited exceptional skill and strategy, particularly in handling Ajantha Mendis, who endured his most expensive spell of the tournament against them. This approach underscored their adaptability and tactical acumen.

The transformation from a team that needed a significant win against the Netherlands merely to stay in the competition during the group stages, to delivering a near-perfect performance in the final, is extraordinary. This rise was marked by precise execution and peak performance at critical moments. Unlike their narrow five-run defeat in the final two years prior in Johannesburg (2007 T20 WC), Pakistan ensured there were no slip-ups this time, sealing their victory convincingly. This triumph highlights their growth, resilience, and ability to perform under pressure, cementing their place as worthy champions.

In light of the terror attacks of 2009, this triumph was a breath of fresh air for all the people supporting Pakistan cricket. A World Cup victory, the first of its kind since 1992, was the maximum that the team could give the fans after the disappointment of 2007.

“When we were about to win, Younis came and asked me to pad up because he knew the defeat from the last tournament (in 2007) was still on my mind and he wanted me to finish the game and win the title for Pakistan this time around,” said Misbah-ul-Haq while reminiscing the moments during the final.

Till date it has been 15 years, but Pakistan has failed to re-lift the World Cup trophy. And for 2 more years, Pakistan will still be deprived of the prestigious silverware, having been recently knocked out of the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Do you think Pakistan has regressed in the format they once thought ahead of the curve in? How can they cater to their problems to once again be champions? Only time will tell.