Leg-spinner Mushtaq, now 44, was part of Imran's team that came back from the brink in the preliminary league to beat England in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to win their only World Cup title so far 23 years ago.
ADELAIDE: Pakistan can win the World Cup because of the confidence & self-belief in the team that on Friday reminded spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed of the victory under Imran Khan in 1992.
This time , Pakistan have bounced back from morale-sapping defeats in the first matches against elderly foes India & the West Indies to win the next games in a row.
Pakistan were close to elimination when a point gained in a rained-off match against England in Adelaide after being dismissed for 74 galvanised the team.
It included a amazing victory in the earlier game against mighty South Africa in Auckland when they bowled the Proteas out for 202 after being restricted to 222.
Pakistan will battle Ireland at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals with both teams on wins from matches.
"The momentum is with us & the team has lots of confidence & self-belief," Mushtaq told reporters on Friday.
The last league match in the month-long group stage will steer the winner in to the knock-out round & leave the loser facing a hard run-rate countback against the West Indies who are facing the amateurs of the United Arab Emirates in Napier also on Sunday.
"He keeps telling them that in case you don't have self-belief, you cannot accomplish anything."
This reminds me a lot of 1992. Imran instilled in us a sense of self-belief that nothing was impossible. & Waqar (coach Waqar Younis) has said the same thing to these boys also.
Mushtaq revealed that captain Misbah-ul-Haq had sent a text message to the whole team on Friday morning to encourage them for Sunday's must-win match.
"We are fighting for the nation, they are going to win for the nation. They will give 100 percent. Leave the rest to God,"the captain wrote, according to Mushtaq.
They joined the Pakistan team management last year on the recommendation of Waqar after serving as England's spin bowling coach from 2008 to 2014.
Mushtaq, who last played for Pakistan in 2003, claimed 185 Check wickets in 52 matches & 161 wickets in 144 one-day internationals in the coursework of a 14-year career.
In their event opener at Adelaide, Pakistan were dismissed for 224 after India had piled up 300 for seven on the back of a Virat Kohli century.
They expected a high scoring game on Sunday, saying 280 to 290 runs would be a par score on what is usually a flat & batting-friendly pitch.
Mushtaq refused to speak on England's early exit from the event, saying they was focused only on Pakistan's performance.
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