Neil Fairbrother remembers the 1992 World Cup final like it was yesterday... but he hopes England can bury the pain in 2015

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Neil Fairbrother relives the pain of England's near miss in the 1992 World Cup like it was yesterday.

That tournament in Australia and New Zealand was the third and last time England reached the final, losing to an Imran Khan-inspired Pakistan by 22 runs in Melbourne.

In the 23 years since, they haven't even gone close to repeating the feats of a side captained by Graham Gooch and which alongside Fairbrother included the likes of Allan Lamb, Ian Botham, Graeme Hick and Alec Stewart.

Neil Fairbrother (left) bats on his way to top-scoring for England in the 1992 World Cup final against Pakistan

Fairbrother, now a cricket agent, swings a golf club at The Belfry in July 2014

Pakistan players celebrate victory in the 1992 World Cup final by parading the trophy in Melbourne

With England again embarking on a World Cup in the antipodes - and starting off their tournament next weekend at the scene of that final defeat, the MCG - the memories for many of that side will come flooding back.

For Fairbrother they are still fresh. The former Lancashire batsman, possibly the finest one-day finisher England has ever produced, top-scored in the final with 62 but it was not enough to help his side chase down 250.

He recalls: 'Without doubt that was the best team I played in. I was actually convinced we were going to win that final. Therefore it was just a shattering, shattering blow when we didn't.

Fairbrother (centre) plays a shot on his way to making 62 as Alan Lamb (right) looks on

Imran Khan of Pakistan celebrates after taking the wicket of Richard Illingworth in Melbourne

'I think it probably made it all the more difficult to bear that for the majority of the tournament we were the best team and we probably had played the best cricket up until more or less the last game, which was hard to take.

'The aftermath was desolation for quite some time. It was weeks, absolutely weeks. How did we not win?'

Fairbrother now works as an agent for several of England's current players. In the World Cup squad his charges include Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler and Joe Root.

Fairbrother (left) with two clients - England cricketers Joe Root (second left) and Stuart Broad (second right)

Ian Botham (centre) stands looking disappointed after being dismissed by Wasim Akram (left)

Given his close relations with that trio, would an England World Cup win in Australia and New Zealand this year make up for the disappointment he felt 23 years ago?

'It would definitely make some of the amends up, that's for sure,' says Fairbrother. 'The three that are out there are all really great lads and if they manage to win that competition I'll be jumping off one of the stands in the MCG.'

In the five tournaments since 1992, England have failed to get past the quarter-finals and have twice gone out in the group stage, including on home soil in 1999 when, in Fairbrother's international swansong, the team was knocked out before the official tournament song had been released.

Fairbrother believes the current England crop can finally end the nations woes and win the World Cup

Botham wipes sweat from his brow as he looks dejected during the 1992 World Cup final in Melbourne

'I suppose you can go through all the World Cups and find reasons for failure,' he said. 'The World Cup in 1999 was the biggest disappointment of my career because it was at home and it was my last chance internationally to do something.

'Then you can go on and on and there's probably all sorts of reasons why we've not done well. Some World Cups have been in the sub-continent where it's very hard for others to compete with the Asian teams. Some of the World Cups have been on the back of horrendously hard away Ashes series. But this time preparation looks to have been good. They've played ODI cricket for the last three months and they're not looking to make excuses.

'Being in Australia and New Zealand is almost second to it being in England. The wickets down there should suit our style of cricket and therefore that gives us a chance.

'I wouldn't like to say we got left behind. The game's moved on and I think this young England team have moved on nicely with it. It's now up to them to perform and play their best cricket and if they do who knows where they can get to?'