Pakistan National Cricket Team: Players, ICC Trophies and Records

One of the biggest and fiercest rivalries in all of sports is the rivalry between the Indian Cricket Team and the Pakistan Cricket Team. Dating back to about 50 years from now, this rivalry is now at a place where every game between the two sides is a do or die match. In the past decades, India has had the dominant hand over its neighbours, but this wasn’t always the case. At one point in time, the Pakistan Cricket Team would dominate India in all the matches they played. So, how did they go from being so dominant to now having every match being a one sided affair for India?

In this article by ZAP, let’s find out everything about the Pakistan National Cricket Team, their players, their history, the World Cup Victories, the stadiums, the PCB and much more.  

History of the Pakistan Cricket Team:

Pakistan's cricket history traces back to 1935, when Karachi witnessed its first international cricket match between Sindh and Australia. After their independence in 1947, cricket gained rapid popularity, leading to the country being granted Test match status in 1952. The Pakistan national cricket team, governed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has been representing the country ever since. The team's journey began with their first Test match against India in 1952, where, after losing their first match, they turned the tables in the second Test, winning by an innings and 43 runs. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Pakistan's performances were very inconsistent. However, they showed significant improvement in the 1980s, also becoming the No. 1 Test team in 1988. The 1990s marked a golden era for Pakistani cricket. They won over 15 out of 29 Test series and clinched the Asian Test Championship in 1998 by defeating Sri Lanka in the final. 

Also Read: Cricket Playing Nations | Asian Cricket Council

In 2002, they participated in their second Asian Test Championship, where they lost to Sri Lanka in the finals. In 2006, a major ball-tampering controversy erupted during a Test series against England, leading to a forfeited match. Then, in 2010, a spot-fixing scandal tarnished Pakistan cricket’s image when multiple players were found guilty of corruption. 

Despite the setbacks, Pakistan found success under Misbah-ul-Haq's captaincy. They defeated England, the then No. 1 side, in 2012 and also became the No. 1 Test team in 2016. Although their reign was short-lived they continued to make progress also winning the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 after beating India in the finals. 

Pakistan Cricket Team – Overall Records and Stats

Format	First Match	Matches Played	Wins	Defeats	Draw/NR/Tie	Win Rate
Test	16 October 1952	453	148	139	166	32.65%
ODI	11 February 1973	962	509	423	30	54.31%
T20I	28 August 2006	223	134	80	9	60.09%

Pakistan Cricket Team – World Cup Trophy and overall journey:

Pakistan in the ODI Cricket World Cup:

Credit: India Today

Year	Venue	Matches	Wins	Losses	Position
1975	England	3	1	2	Group stage
1979	England	4	2	2	Semi-finals
1983	England, Wales	7	3	4	Semi-finals
1987	India, Pakistan	7	5	2	Semi-finals
1992	Australia, New Zealand	10	6	3	Champions 🏆
1996	India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka	6	4	2	Quarter-finals
1999	England, Wales, Scotland, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland	10	6	4	Runners-up
2003	South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya	6	2	3	Group stage
2007	Cricket West Indies	3	1	2	Group stage
2011	India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh	8	6	2	Semi-finals
2015	Australia, New Zealand	7	4	3	Quarter-finals
2019	England, Wales	9	5	3	Group stage
2023	India	9	4	5	Group stage

Pakistan Cricket Team’s crowning achievement came in 1992, when they clinched their first-ever ICC ODI World Cup title under the leadership of Pakistan Cricketer Imran Khan. They had a shaky start to the tournament, but turned things around to beat England in the finals.

Beyond that, they never once came close to lifting the trophy, as there was a big drop in the quality of players that they produced in the early 21st century. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Pakistan suffered one of the biggest upsets in tournament history when they were knocked out in the group stage after a shock defeat to Ireland. The tournament was marred by tragedy with the sudden death of their coach, Bob Woolmer, plunging the team into turmoil.

They bounced back in the 2011 Cricket World Cup with some good performances, including a memorable win over Australia, breaking their 27-match winning streak in World Cup matches. The team's journey was cut short in the semi-finals by their arch-rivals, India, in a closely contested match.

In the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Pakistan had some good performances but fell short in the quarter-finals against Australia. This was also the final World Cup for their legends like Shahid Afridi and Misbah ul Haq. The last two tournaments, in 2019 and 2023, too, have been very poor for them, with Pakistan finishing outside of the top 4 on both occasions.

Also Read: Cricket World Cup Winners List | Cricket World Cup Winning Captains

Pakistan in the T20 Cricket World Cup:

Year	Venue	Matches	Wins	Losses	Position
2007	South Africa	7	5	1	Runners-up
2009	England	7	5	2	Champions 🏆
2010	Cricket West Indies	6	2	4	Semi-finals
2012	Sri Lanka	6	4	2	Semi-finals
2014	Bangladesh	4	2	2	Super 10
2016	India	4	1	3	Super 10
2021	United Arab Emirates, Oman	6	5	1	Semi-finals
2022	Australia	7	4	3	Runners-up

Pakistan has had its fair share of highs and lows in the T20 Cricket format. In 2009, they beat Sri Lanka at the Lord’s to win their first T20 World Cup title under the leadership of one of the best all rounders of all time, Shahid Afridi. 

They reached the semi-finals in 2010 and 2012 but stumbled at crucial moments. Despite some standout performances, they failed to advance in 2014 and 2016. In 2021, they reached the semi-finals but fell short against Australia. However, they showed resilience by reaching the final in 2022, only to lose to champions England. Though they had good teams competing in these tournaments, it is their lack of winning mentality and inconsistency that has cost them the title at often times. 

Pakistan Cricket Team – 2017 Champions Trophy Victory:

Credit: Hindustan Times

Pakistan's redemption came in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, where they emerged as the surprise champions, defeating arch-rivals India in the final. Fakhar Zaman's scintillating century and Hasan Ali's stellar bowling performance propelled Pakistan to victory, earning them their first Champions Trophy title.

Pakistan Cricket Team Players – Legends, Captains and Coaches

Pakistan Cricket Team Legends:

Shahid Afridi – Pakistan’s Best All Rounder

Credit: Sportskeeda

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's best ever is regarded as one of cricket's biggest power hitters. He was given the nickname "Boom Boom" by former Indian cricketer and cricket commentator Ravi Shastri because of his aggressive and attack-oriented batting style. Afridi was a productive all-rounder known for his reliable leg-spin bowling that depended more on pace than spin, but his aggressive batting style garnered more attention. In his first ODI innings against Sri Lanka in 1996, he scored a century in just 37 balls, the record for the fastest century in ODI Cricket, a record that stood for 17 years and catapulting him into the international stage. He kept up his crazy hitting prowess, finishing third in cricket history with an ODI strike rate of 117+. Along with Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma, he is third on the list of cricketers with the most sixes.

Babar Azam – Pakistan’s best Batsman

Babar Azam is one of the greatest cricket players in Pakistan's history. Born in Lahore in 1994, Azam began playing cricket at a young age. He made his international debut in 2015 and has since become one of the most consistent and prolific batsmen in the world. With an impressive batting average in all formats of the game, Azam has scored over 13,000 runs and has 31 centuries to his name. He holds numerous records and has dominated the ICC rankings across all formats. Azam's elegant batting style, especially his cover drive, technical prowess, and ability to perform under pressure have established him as a modern cricketing legend.

Also Read: Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam - Who is the Real King of Cricket

Imran Khan – Best Pakistan Cricket Team Captain

Imran Khan is one of the Greatest All-Rounders of All Time. Imran served as the inspiration for the Pakistani team's skilled and courageous style. In spite of all the difficulties, he saved the Pakistani squad from being eliminated early in the competition and motivated his country to win the World Cup in 1992. He was an all-around player who was a natural leader. At his finest, Imran was without a doubt the world's fastest bowler, and made life difficult for batters. He quit bowling, though, after sustaining a number of major injuries in cricket, and frequently played as a pure batter for the team. That is how skilled he was across the board.

Waqar Younis

Credit: Sportskeeda

Waqar Younis was one of Pakistan’s greatest fast bowlers. He had the abilities, swing, pace, bounce, control, that made him an exceptional fast bowler! With a slingshot round-arm bowling action, he bowled at a pace of over 145 kmph and was virtually unplayable as soon as the ball began to reverse. His trademark ball was a toe-crushing yorker that swung in at over 150 kmph. His partnership with Wasim Akram made for one of the most fearsome bowling duos the world had ever seen.

Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar's Fastest Ball in Cricket History

Wasim Akram

Credit: Hindutsan Times

Wasim Akram is arguably the most gifted fast bowler in cricket history. After being discovered at a cricketing camp by Pakistani batting legend Javed Miandad in Lahore, Akram burst into international cricket with relatively little first-class experience. He amassed 502 wickets in 356 ODIs and 414 wickets in 104 Tests. Akram had all attributed that made him unplayable on the pitch; he was tall, could generate bounce of any pitch, had excellent control over his line and length, and most significantly, he could swing the bowl in either direction. The left armer also had the ability to reverse swing the ball and the yorkers he bowled with those were lethal. In his peak, he was one of the hardest bowlers to play and became known as the the "Sultan of Swing".

Also Read: The Best Swing Bowlers in the World | Swing bowling techniques

Pakistan’s Current Cricket Team Players:

Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usman Khan

Pakistan Current Cricket Team Coach and Staff:

• Senior manager: Wahab Riaz
• Manager: Mansoor Rana
• Head coach (Test): Jason Gillespie
• Head coach (Limited overs): Gary Kirsten
• Batting coach: Mohammad Yousuf
• Spin bowling coach: Saeed Ajmal
• Assistant coach: Azhar Mahmood
• Fielding coach: Aftab Khan

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB):

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is the governing body for cricket in Pakistan. Established in 1949 as the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP), it became the PCB in 1994. The PCB manages all cricket tours and matches for the Pakistan national cricket team. They became a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1952. Over the years, the PCB has undergone several changes in its structure and management. It has faced controversies, including issues of corruption and match-fixing. The organization has been governed by various ad hoc committees at different times. In domestic cricket, the PCB has restructured the system several times. The latest change came in 2019 when six regional teams were created. These teams compete in various formats of the game, including First Class, List A, and T20s. The aim of this restructuring was to concentrate talent, increase competition, and improve the quality of cricket in Pakistan.

India vs Pakistan – A Historic Cricket Rivalry:

Credit: ESPN Cricinfo

Dating back to 1952, the rivalry between India and Pakistan in cricket is one of the fiercest and most historic in the world of sports. Rooted in the complex historical, political, and cultural relationship between the two countries, the this cricket rivalry has seen its fair share of highs and lows. Despite interruptions due to political tensions and conflicts, cricket has often served as a medium through which diplomatic tensions could be eased, if only temporarily. The cricketing history between India and Pakistan is marked by memorable encounters in Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). From Sachin Tendulkar's iconic uppercut against Shoaib Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup to Anil Kumble's legendary 10-wicket haul in a Test match, there have been numerous unforgettable moments in this historic cricket rivalry. In World Cup encounters, India has maintained a dominant record over the neighbours, having won all eight matches they have played against their arch-rivals. From the 1992 World Cup to the most recent encounter in 2023, India has emerged victorious in every World Cup clash against Pakistan. However, the rivalry isn't just confined to the World Cup. Fans eagerly await every encounter between these two cricketing giants, and the India vs Pakistan rivalry continues to be one of the greatest contests in the world of sports.

Pakistan Women's National Cricket Team:

The Pakistan Women's Cricket Team doesn't get as much attention as the men's team. They've been playing since 1997, but still, they're not as famous. Unlike the men's team, they don't play as many matches and get paid way less. In 2005, they came in third in the Women's Asia Cup, which was a pretty good achievement. They played in the Women's World Cup Qualifier in 2007. They also played in the T20 England World Cup in 2009, finishing in 6th place, beating Sri Lanka and South Africa during the tournament. Even though they don't get as much attention, the Pakistan Women's Cricket Team has some real talent, with players like Nida Dar, Bismaah Maroof, Aliya Riaz, and some more. They just need more chances to show it!

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