WC Countdown #15 - Walsh's magnanimous gesture

The Spirit of Cricket is literally an unwritten 'rule' that cricketers take a lot of pride in. The lines have blurred with increasing competition and the very nature of the game has changed a lot over the years. But in 1987, a few cricketers still followed that code of conduct. 'Mankading' a batsman was still considered against the spirit of the game. Strictly following the rules, the bowler has every right to run a non-striker out if he is found backing up too far. However, it is considered unsportsmanlike since the ball has not come into play. It is one of those grey areas where both sides of the argument have a lot of weight. You either agree with it and play a certain way or don't.
Courtney Walsh had no such doubts in mind even when the pressure was highest.
West Indies were in dire need of a win against Pakistan to make a comfortable journey to the semi-final of the 1987 World Cup. West Indies batted first in Lahore and had been bowled out for 216. In the chase, Pakistan were going up and down. There were useful contributions right through the innings but they also kept losing wickets regularly. It came down to 14 needed off the final over with just one wicket in hand. Abdul Qadir and Saleem Jaffar were the batsmen at the crease and Walsh was entrusted with bowling the final over.
The Pakistani duo took singles off the first two balls before Qadir smacked a six and sneaked a couple of twos. Now Pakistan needed two to win off the last ball with Qadir on strike. Walsh ran in to bowl but saw that an eager Jaffar had wandered well out of the crease in readiness to sneak the runs. If Walsh had whipped the bails off at that stage, West Indies would have won, but it was against Walsh's beliefs about the way the game should be played. He merely walked back to bowl the final ball again. Qadir managed to take the two runs and Pakistan clinched a thriller.
But it was Walsh who bagged the headlines for his doubtlessly gentlemanly act. The home team had won but the crowd was won over by Walsh. It is an act that is still regarded as one of the finest moments in World Cup history.