The Pakistan Cricket Team (Urdu: پاکستان کرکٹ ٹیم) also known as The Green Shirts or Shaheen, is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the team is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and participates in Test, ODI and Twenty20 International cricket matches. Currently Pakistan is ranked third as per the ICC Test rankings.[2] Pakistan have played 823 ODIs, winning 438 (54.83%), losing 360, tying 8 and with 17 ending in no-result.[3] Pakistan were the 1992 World Cup champions, and also came runners-up in the 1999 tournament. Pakistan, in conjunction with other countries in South Asia, have hosted the 1987 and 1996 World Cups, with the 1996 final being hosted at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The team has also played 83 Twenty20 Internationals, the most of any team, winning 49 losing 32 and tying 2.[4] Pakistan won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and came runners-up in the inaugural tournament in 2007. They are the sole winners of the Asian Test Championship of 1999.
Pakistan have played 386 Test matches, with winning 121, losing 109 and drawing 156. The team has the fourth best win/loss ratio in Test cricket of 1.11, and the 5th-best overall win percentage of 31.42%.[5] Pakistan was given Test status on 28 July 1952, following a recommendation by India,[citation needed] and made its Test debut against India at Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi, in October 1952, with India winning by an innings and 70 runs.[6] In the 1950s, several Pakistani Test players had played Test cricket for the Indian cricket team before the creation of Pakistan in 1947
History
Cricket in Pakistan has a history of even before the creation of the country in 1947. The first ever international cricket match in Karachi was held on 22 November 1935 between Sindh and Australian cricket teams. The match was seen by 5,000 Karachiites.[7] Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, cricket in the country developed steadily and Pakistan was given Test match status at a meeting of the Imperial Cricket Conference at Lord's Cricket Ground in England on 28 July 1952 following recommendation by India,[8] which, being the successor state of the British Raj, did not have to go through such a process. The first captain of the Pakistan national cricket team was Abdul Hafeez Kardar.
Pakistan's first Test match was played in Delhi in October 1952 as part of a five Test series which India won 2–1. Pakistan made their first tour of England in 1954 and drew the series 1–1 after a memorable victory at The Oval in which fast bowler Fazal Mahmood took 12 wickets. Pakistan's first home Test match was in Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dacca, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). in January 1955 against India, after which four more Test matches were played in Bahawalpur, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi (all five matches in the series were drawn, the first such occurrence in test history[9]).
The team is considered a strong but unpredictable team. Traditionally Pakistani cricket has been filled with players of great talent but limited discipline, making them a team which could play inspirational cricket one day and then perform less than ordinarily another day. Over the years, competitions between India and Pakistan have always been emotionally charged and provide for intriguing contests, as talented teams and players from both sides of the border elevate their game to new levels to produce high-quality cricket. Pakistani contests with India in the Cricket World Cup have seen packed stadiums and elevated atmospheres no matter where the World Cup has been held. However the fans love their team.
1986 Austral-Asia Cup
Main article: Austral-Asia Cup
The 1986 Austral-Asia Cup, played in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, is remembered as a famous last-ball victory for Pakistan against arch-rivals India, with Javed Miandad emerging as a national hero.[10] India batted first and set a target of 245 runs, leaving Pakistan with a required run rate of 4.92 runs per over. Javed Miandad came in to bat at number 3 and Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals. Later recalling the match, Miandad stated that his main focus was to lose with dignity. With 31 runs needed in the last three overs, Miandad hit a string of boundaries while batting with his team's lower order, until four runs were required from the last delivery of the match. Miandad received a leg side full toss from Chetan Sharma, which he hit for six over the midwicket boundary.[10][11]
1992 Cricket World Cup
Main article: 1992 Cricket World Cup
Pakistani opener Yasir Hameed playing against Australia at Lord's in England.
At the 1992 World Cup Semi-final, having won the toss, New Zealand chose to bat first and ended with a total of 262 runs. Pakistan batted conservatively yet lost wickets at regular intervals. With the departure of Imran Khan and Saleem Malik shortly thereafter, Pakistan still required 115 runs at a rate of 7.67 runs per over with veteran Javed Miandad being the only known batsman remaining at the crease. A young Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had just turned 22 and was not a well-known player at the time, burst onto the international stage with a match-winning 60 off 37 balls. Once Inzamam got out, Pakistan required 36 runs from 30 balls, which wicketkeeper Moin Khan ended with a towering six over long off, followed by the winning boundary to midwicket. The match is seen as the emergence of Inzamam onto the international stage.[12][13][14]
The 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand marked Pakistan's first World Cup victory. It is remembered for the comeback Pakistan made after losing key players such as Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar and being led by an injured captain Imran Khan. Pakistan lost 3 of their first 5 matches and were nearly eliminated in the first round of the tournament after being bowled out for 74 runs against England, until the match was declared as a "no result" due to rain. Imran Khan famously told the team to play as "cornered tigers", after which Pakistan won five successive matches, including, most famously, the semi-final against hosts New Zealand and the final against England.[15]
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 Cricket World Cup was one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history when Pakistan was knocked out of the competition in a shock defeat to Ireland, who were playing in their first competition. Pakistan, needing to win to qualify for the next stage after losing to the West Indies in their opening match, were put into bat by Ireland. They lost wickets regularly and only 4 batsmen scored double figures. In the end they were bowled out by the Irish for 132 runs. The Irish went on to win the match, after Niall O'Brien scored 72 runs. This meant that Pakistan had been knocked out during the first round for the second consecutive World Cup.[16][17][18] Tragedy struck the team when coach Bob Woolmer died one day later on 18 March 2007 in a hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaican police spokesman, Karl Angell, reported on 23 March 2007 that, "Mr Woolmer's death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation" and that, "Mr Woolmer's death is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder."[19] Assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed acted as temporary coach for the team's final group game of the tournament.[20] Subsequent to his team's defeat and the death of Woolmer, Inzamam-ul-Haq announced his resignation as captain of the team and his retirement from one-day cricket, stating that he would continue to take part in Test cricket but not as captain.[21] Shoaib Malik was announced as his successor.[22] Following his return to the squad, Salman Butt was appointed as vice-captain until December 2007.[23]
On 23 March 2007, Pakistan players and officials were questioned by Jamaican police and submitted DNA samples along with fingerprints, as part of the routine enquiries in the investigation into Woolmer's murder.[24] Three days after leaving the West Indies for Pakistan, via London, the Pakistan team were ruled out as suspects. The deputy commissioner of Jamaican police. Mark Shields, the detective in charge of the investigation, announced, "It's fair to say they are now being treated as witnesses." "I have got no evidence to suggest it was anybody in the squad."[25] A memorial service was held in Sacred Heart Church, Lahore, for Bob Woolmer on 1 April 2007. Among the attendees were Pakistan players and dignitaries, including Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was quoted as saying, "After Woolmer's family, the Pakistan team was the most aggrieved by his death."[26] After the World Cup ended, serious doubts were raised about the investigation, with increasing speculation that Woolmer died of natural causes. This has now been accepted as fact, and the case has been closed.[27]
Shahid Afridi batting against Sri Lanka in the ICC World Twenty20 Final at Lord's in England.
On 20 April 2007, a PCB official announced that former Test cricketer Talat Ali would act as interim coach, in addition to his rôle as team manager, until a new coach had been appointed.[28] On 16 July 2007, Geoff Lawson, previously head coach of New South Wales, was appointed coach of the Pakistan for two years, becoming the third foreigner to take on the rôle.[29] In the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, Pakistan exceeded expectations to reach the final but ended as runners-up, after losing the final to India in a nail-biting finish. On 25 October 2008, Intikhab Alam was named as a national coach of the team by the PCB.
2009 ICC World T20
On 21 June 2009 Pakistan won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, beating Sri Lanka in the final by eight wickets. Pakistan had begun the tournament slowly losing two of their first three matches but after dismissing New Zealand for 99 runs in the Super 8 stage they had a run of four consecutive wins against teams including previously unbeaten South Africa(in the semi-final) and SriLanka in the Final.Due to his top form, Shahid Afridi immersed as Pakistan's hero in the final taking the last single and making Pakistan win their first Twenty 20 world cup.
2011 Cricket World Cup
Pakistan started well in the ICC Cricket World Cup, which was held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, after beating Kenya, Sri Lanka(one of the tournament favourites) and bye a margin, beating Canada. After a huge loss against New Zealand, Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by 7 wickets.'. One of the highlights of the tournament for Pakistan was when they beat Australia, who were led by 3 brilliant pace bowlers, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson. However Pakistan defied the odds and defeated Australia, courtesy of a brilliant bowling display. In the quarter-finals they played West Indies. Pakistan were ruthless, as they emphatically won against the West Indies side by 10 wickets, due to another brilliant bowling display. In the semi-finals on 30 March, Pakistan had a match with its fiercest rival, India. India, due to Tendulkar who was dropped several times in a very poor fielding display, managed 260 after they batted first. Not having a good batting line-up along with a slow start to the chase, Pakistan were 29 runs short as India reached the final (India went on to win the final). Pakistan have never defeated India in an ODI World Cup match to date, losing in all 6 matches contested between the two sides, latest on 15th February 2015.
2012 ICC T20I World Cup
On 11 July 2012, Pakistan announced the provisional 30-man squad for the ICC T20I World Cup finally decided their 15-man squad by September.[30] Pakistan began their campaign by topping their group, with wins over New Zealand and Bangladesh. The team qualified for the semi-finals by overcoming South Africa and Australia in the Super Eight stage which also included India. Pakistan met Sri Lanka in the semi-finals on 4 October and lost by 16 runs, getting knocked out of the tournament. The captain's decision to let Abdul Razzaq, and Asad Shafiq sit out of the match instead of Shahid Afridi was heavily criticised by supporters.[31] Criticism also came from letting out-of-form Umar Gul play every single match instead of Mohammad Sami. However, Pakistan is still the only team to have reached the semi-finals in all World T20 tournaments.[31][32]
Governing body
Main article: Pakistan Cricket Board
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is responsible for all first class and Test cricket played in Pakistan and by the Pakistan cricket team. It was admitted to the International Cricket Council in July 1953. The corporation has been run by former cricketers, professional administrators and trustees, who are often respected businessmen. The Board governs a network of teams sponsored by corporations and banks, city associations and clubs including advertising, broadcasting rights and internet partners.[33]
The PCB's experiment with the Twenty20 cricket model has also proven popular and hopes to similarly revive popular interest in domestic games, which it did. The PCB also set up major domestic competitions such as the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and the Faysal Bank T20 Cup
1986 Austral-Asia Cup
Main article: Austral-Asia Cup
The 1986 Austral-Asia Cup, played in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, is remembered as a famous last-ball victory for Pakistan against arch-rivals India, with Javed Miandad emerging as a national hero.[10] India batted first and set a target of 245 runs, leaving Pakistan with a required run rate of 4.92 runs per over. Javed Miandad came in to bat at number 3 and Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals. Later recalling the match, Miandad stated that his main focus was to lose with dignity. With 31 runs needed in the last three overs, Miandad hit a string of boundaries while batting with his team's lower order, until four runs were required from the last delivery of the match. Miandad received a leg side full toss from Chetan Sharma, which he hit for six over the midwicket boundary.[10][11]
1992 Cricket World Cup
Main article: 1992 Cricket World Cup
Pakistani opener Yasir Hameed playing against Australia at Lord's in England.
At the 1992 World Cup Semi-final, having won the toss, New Zealand chose to bat first and ended with a total of 262 runs. Pakistan batted conservatively yet lost wickets at regular intervals. With the departure of Imran Khan and Saleem Malik shortly thereafter, Pakistan still required 115 runs at a rate of 7.67 runs per over with veteran Javed Miandad being the only known batsman remaining at the crease. A young Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had just turned 22 and was not a well-known player at the time, burst onto the international stage with a match-winning 60 off 37 balls. Once Inzamam got out, Pakistan required 36 runs from 30 balls, which wicketkeeper Moin Khan ended with a towering six over long off, followed by the winning boundary to midwicket. The match is seen as the emergence of Inzamam onto the international stage.[12][13][14]
The 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand marked Pakistan's first World Cup victory. It is remembered for the comeback Pakistan made after losing key players such as Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar and being led by an injured captain Imran Khan. Pakistan lost 3 of their first 5 matches and were nearly eliminated in the first round of the tournament after being bowled out for 74 runs against England, until the match was declared as a "no result" due to rain. Imran Khan famously told the team to play as "cornered tigers", after which Pakistan won five successive matches, including, most famously, the semi-final against hosts New Zealand and the final against England.[15]
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 Cricket World Cup was one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history when Pakistan was knocked out of the competition in a shock defeat to Ireland, who were playing in their first competition. Pakistan, needing to win to qualify for the next stage after losing to the West Indies in their opening match, were put into bat by Ireland. They lost wickets regularly and only 4 batsmen scored double figures. In the end they were bowled out by the Irish for 132 runs. The Irish went on to win the match, after Niall O'Brien scored 72 runs. This meant that Pakistan had been knocked out during the first round for the second consecutive World Cup.[16][17][18] Tragedy struck the team when coach Bob Woolmer died one day later on 18 March 2007 in a hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaican police spokesman, Karl Angell, reported on 23 March 2007 that, "Mr Woolmer's death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation" and that, "Mr Woolmer's death is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder."[19] Assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed acted as temporary coach for the team's final group game of the tournament.[20] Subsequent to his team's defeat and the death of Woolmer, Inzamam-ul-Haq announced his resignation as captain of the team and his retirement from one-day cricket, stating that he would continue to take part in Test cricket but not as captain.[21] Shoaib Malik was announced as his successor.[22] Following his return to the squad, Salman Butt was appointed as vice-captain until December 2007.[23]
On 23 March 2007, Pakistan players and officials were questioned by Jamaican police and submitted DNA samples along with fingerprints, as part of the routine enquiries in the investigation into Woolmer's murder.[24] Three days after leaving the West Indies for Pakistan, via London, the Pakistan team were ruled out as suspects. The deputy commissioner of Jamaican police. Mark Shields, the detective in charge of the investigation, announced, "It's fair to say they are now being treated as witnesses." "I have got no evidence to suggest it was anybody in the squad."[25] A memorial service was held in Sacred Heart Church, Lahore, for Bob Woolmer on 1 April 2007. Among the attendees were Pakistan players and dignitaries, including Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was quoted as saying, "After Woolmer's family, the Pakistan team was the most aggrieved by his death."[26] After the World Cup ended, serious doubts were raised about the investigation, with increasing speculation that Woolmer died of natural causes. This has now been accepted as fact, and the case has been closed.[27]
Shahid Afridi batting against Sri Lanka in the ICC World Twenty20 Final at Lord's in England.
On 20 April 2007, a PCB official announced that former Test cricketer Talat Ali would act as interim coach, in addition to his rôle as team manager, until a new coach had been appointed.[28] On 16 July 2007, Geoff Lawson, previously head coach of New South Wales, was appointed coach of the Pakistan for two years, becoming the third foreigner to take on the rôle.[29] In the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, Pakistan exceeded expectations to reach the final but ended as runners-up, after losing the final to India in a nail-biting finish. On 25 October 2008, Intikhab Alam was named as a national coach of the team by the PCB.
2009 ICC World T20
On 21 June 2009 Pakistan won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, beating Sri Lanka in the final by eight wickets. Pakistan had begun the tournament slowly losing two of their first three matches but after dismissing New Zealand for 99 runs in the Super 8 stage they had a run of four consecutive wins against teams including previously unbeaten South Africa(in the semi-final) and SriLanka in the Final.Due to his top form, Shahid Afridi immersed as Pakistan's hero in the final taking the last single and making Pakistan win their first Twenty 20 world cup.
2011 Cricket World Cup
Pakistan started well in the ICC Cricket World Cup, which was held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, after beating Kenya, Sri Lanka(one of the tournament favourites) and bye a margin, beating Canada. After a huge loss against New Zealand, Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by 7 wickets.'. One of the highlights of the tournament for Pakistan was when they beat Australia, who were led by 3 brilliant pace bowlers, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson. However Pakistan defied the odds and defeated Australia, courtesy of a brilliant bowling display. In the quarter-finals they played West Indies. Pakistan were ruthless, as they emphatically won against the West Indies side by 10 wickets, due to another brilliant bowling display. In the semi-finals on 30 March, Pakistan had a match with its fiercest rival, India. India, due to Tendulkar who was dropped several times in a very poor fielding display, managed 260 after they batted first. Not having a good batting line-up along with a slow start to the chase, Pakistan were 29 runs short as India reached the final (India went on to win the final). Pakistan have never defeated India in an ODI World Cup match to date, losing in all 6 matches contested between the two sides, latest on 15th February 2015.
2012 ICC T20I World Cup
On 11 July 2012, Pakistan announced the provisional 30-man squad for the ICC T20I World Cup finally decided their 15-man squad by September.[30] Pakistan began their campaign by topping their group, with wins over New Zealand and Bangladesh. The team qualified for the semi-finals by overcoming South Africa and Australia in the Super Eight stage which also included India. Pakistan met Sri Lanka in the semi-finals on 4 October and lost by 16 runs, getting knocked out of the tournament. The captain's decision to let Abdul Razzaq, and Asad Shafiq sit out of the match instead of Shahid Afridi was heavily criticised by supporters.[31] Criticism also came from letting out-of-form Umar Gul play every single match instead of Mohammad Sami. However, Pakistan is still the only team to have reached the semi-finals in all World T20 tournaments.[31][32]
Governing body
Main article: Pakistan Cricket Board
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is responsible for all first class and Test cricket played in Pakistan and by the Pakistan cricket team. It was admitted to the International Cricket Council in July 1953. The corporation has been run by former cricketers, professional administrators and trustees, who are often respected businessmen. The Board governs a network of teams sponsored by corporations and banks, city associations and clubs including advertising, broadcasting rights and internet partners.[33]
The PCB's experiment with the Twenty20 cricket model has also proven popular and hopes to similarly revive popular interest in domestic games, which it did. The PCB also set up major domestic competitions such as the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and the Faysal Bank T20 Cup
| Name | Age | Batting Style | Bowling Style | Domestic Team | C/G | Forms | S/N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test and ODI captain; Middle-order batsman | ||||||||
| Misbah-ul-Haq | 40 | Right-hand bat | Right arm Leg Spin | SNGPL | A | Test, ODI | 22 | |
| Opening Batsmen | ||||||||
| Ahmed Shehzad | 23 | Right-hand bat | Right arm leg spin | HBL | B | Test, ODI, T20I | 19 | |
| Nasir Jamshed | 25 | Left-hand bat | Right arm leg spin | HBL | C | ODI, T20I | 77 | |
| Khurram Manzoor | 28 | Right-hand bat | Right arm leg spin | PIA | C | Test, ODI | 91 | |
| Shan Masood | 25 | Right-hand bat | Rght-arm medium | HBL | D | Test | 49 | |
| Sharjeel Khan | 25 | Left-hand bat | Right arm leg spin | ZTBL | D | ODI, T20I | 98 | |
| Middle-Order Batsmen | ||||||||
| Younus Khan | 37 | Right-hand bat | Right arm medium leg spin | HBL | A | Test, ODI | 75 | |
| Azhar Ali | 30 | Right-hand bat | Right arm leg spin | KRL | C | Test, ODI | 79 | |
| Mohammad Hafeez1 | 34 | Right-hand bat | Right arm off spin | SNGPL | A | ODI, T20I | 8 | |
| Asad Shafiq | 28 | Right-hand bat | Right arm leg spin | Karachi Dolphins | C | Test, ODI | 81 | |
| Sohaib Maqsood | 27 | Right-hand bat | Right arm off spin | WPDA | D | ODI, T20I | 92 | |
| Fawad Alam | 29 | Left-hand bat | Left-arm medium | ZTBL | D | Test, ODI | 25 | |
| Haris Sohail | 26 | Left-hand bat | Left-arm medium | ZTBL | D | ODI, T20I | 89 | |
| Wicket-Keepers | ||||||||
| Kamran Akmal | 33 | Right-hand bat | – | NBP | A | ODI, T20I | 23 | |
| Umar Akmal | 24 | Right-hand bat | – | SNGPL | A | ODI, T20I | 96 | |
| Adnan Akmal | 29 | Right-hand bat | – | ZTBL | C | Test, ODI | 97 | |
| Sarfraz Ahmed | 27 | Right-hand bat | – | PIA | D | Test, ODI | 54 | |
| All-Rounders | ||||||||
| Shahid Afridi | 34 | Right-hand bat | Right arm leg spin | HBL | A | ODI, T20I, TEST | 10 | |
| Umar Amin | 25 | Left-hand bat | Right arm medium | NBP | D | Test, ODI, T20I | 84 | |
| Bilawal Bhatti | 23 | Right-hand bat | Right Arm medium-fast | SNGPL | D | ODI, T20I | 80 | |
| Pace Bowlers | ||||||||
| Junaid Khan | 25 | Right-hand bat | Left Arm Fast | WAPDA | A | Test, ODI, T20I | 83 | |
| Umar Gul | 30 | Right-hand bat | Right Arm Fast-Medium | HBL | B | Test, ODI, T20I | 55 | Sohail Tanvir |
| Mohammad Irfan | 32 | Right-hand bat | Left Arm Fast | KRL | D | Test, ODI, T20I | 76 | |
| Mohammad Sami | 34 | Right-hand bat | Right Arm Fast | Test, ODI, T20I | - | |||
| Wahab Riaz | 29 | Right-hand bat | Left Arm Fast | NBP | D | Test, ODI, T20I | 47 | |
| Rahat Ali | 26 | Right-hand bat | Left Arm Fast-Medium | KRL | D | Test, ODI | 94 | |
| Anwar Ali | 27 | Right-hand bat | Right arm medium-fast | PIA | D | ODI, T20I | 48 | |
| Mohammad Talha | 26 | Right-hand bat | Right Arm Fast-Medium | NBP | D | Test, ODI | 99 | |
| Ehsan Adil | 21 | Right-hand bat | Right arm medium-fast | HBL | D | Test, ODI | 66 | |
| Spin bowlers | ||||||||
| Abdur Rehman | 34 | Left-hand bat | Left-arm orthodox | HBL | C | Test, ODI, T20I | 36 | |
| Zulfiqar Babar | 36 | Right-hand bat | Left-arm orthodox | WAPDA | D | Test, ODI, T20I | 78 | |
| Raza Hasan | 22 | Left-hand bat | Left-arm orthodox spin | NBP | D | T20I | 100 | |
| Yasir Shah | 28 | Right-hand bat | Right arm leg spin | Pakistan Customs | Test, ODI, T20I | |||