Zuhair Khalid knew it would sound absurd to tell anyone he was driving 1,000 kilometres to watch a cricket match.
But to witness history possibly repeat itself, it's a chance he said he couldn't turn down.
The Sydney man made an "impromptu" decision to drive to Melbourne to watch the International Cricket Council T20 World Cup final on Sunday, where his home country, Pakistan, will face off against England.
Keen for a travel buddy and open to helping anyone out who didn't have a ride, Mr Khalid posted a call-out on a community Facebook page dedicated to the Pakistani diaspora in Australia.
"I'm willing to travel 1,000 kilometres one way just to watch the match. Some people think it's crazy, but I think it's fashion," he said.
Some days later, Zuhair found himself on the road with three men he'd never met before.
During their stopover, he described their new friendship as a "camaraderie" where the four guys talked about politics, life in Australia and, of course, their "passion for cricket" throughout the nine-hour drive.
One of the passengers is Japan-based Moazzam Shahzad, who travelled to Australia partly to get behind his home country for the World Cup.
Moazzam Shahzad is an avid cricket fan, travelling to Melbourne earlier in the tournament alone to support his home country. Source: Supplied by Danyal Syed / Moazzam Shahzad
Moazzam responded to Zuhair's callout on Facebook after driving alone to a Melbourne match earlier in the tournament from Sydney and realised the commute would be more enjoyable with company.
"We are from four different cities in Pakistan, which are almost 1,000 kilometres away from each other. But still, our culture brings us close together.
"We're all excited to go there. We have our shirts ready. We will support our team there even if they win or if they lose, whatever happens, but at least they will do some big tickets up; we're sure about it."
And the newfound friends aren't alone.
Scores of Pakistanis had the same idea, posting their itineraries onto the Pakistani Community in Australia Page - which has nearly 60,000 participants - to liaise carpooling arrangements.
Maria Baig is making the eight-hour drive from Adelaide and has offered to carpool with another stranger she met through a post on the group.
"The match is important, we are all die-hard fans of cricket, and, for us, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so we want to enjoy the moment as much as we can," she said.
Muhammed Iqbal is the leader of Squad Pakistan, the ICC's official fan club, where more than 7,000 Pakistanis in Australia rally behind their team.
Muhammed says he has attended every Pakistan match, bar one, this tournament, and is bringing five strangers along the ride on Saturday night.
Muhammed Iqbal leads the ICC's Squad Pakistan, a fan club that boasts more than 7,000 die-hard cricket fans that support the national team. Source: Supplied by Danyal Syed / Muhammed Iqbal
"I'm taking people at night, motivating others as well to do carpooling because all the flights are so expensive. A one-way ticket is coming around about $500, and trains are booked out, buses are booked out."
For Pakistanis, cricket isn't just a sport. It's one of the pillars upon which the community is grounded, Zuhair said.
"No one [in Pakistan] has missed cricket in their childhood. So we all have some passion, some love for this game," Moazzam added.
Muhammed is taking five other Pakistani community members along for the ride from Sydney, where they will cheer their team on in the T20 World Cup final. Source: Supplied by Danyal Syed / Muhammed Iqbal
Will history repeat itself?
The match on Sunday bears an uncanny resemblance to the last time Pakistan found itself in the World Cup final, 30 years ago.
In 1992, Pakistan was victorious against England at the MCG after almost crashing early in the one-day international tournament.
On Sunday, Pakistan will go head-to-head with the very country it played all those years ago, on the exact same ground, in a final that they nearly missed out on if it wasn't for a shock victory from the Netherlands that booted out the final contenders, South Africa.
A representative image of Pakistan's cricket supporters. Source: Getty / AFP / David Gray
For Zuhair, he's hopeful that the parallels are "good omens" for what's to come on Sunday.
The final also triggers memories of Imran Khan, the captain that led Pakistan to national victory - who later became the country's prime minister.
The then-Pakistan captain Imran Khan (centre) celebrates the moment of victory after the team won the 1992 Cricket World Cup Final at the MCG. Source: Getty / Getty Images
The former prime minister - and now opposition leader - was , demanding a general election from the current government.
He tweeted his congratulations to the current captain, Babar Azam, and the team for a "great win" on Wednesday when they secured a spot in the final.
As Pakistan faces ongoing political turmoil and works to rebuild after, cricket remains a fixed constant in a wave of instability for its people.
"Pakistan has gone through a lot of trouble in the past few months or a few years," Muhammed said.
"With this game, everybody forgets their problems and misery, and they are just focusing on Pakistan winning.
"Everybody is so connected to the game, and cricket is a big story for all of us Pakistanis."
Pakistan and England play in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final at 7pm AEDT on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
