The Pakistan cricket team has achieved almost everything to accomplish for an international cricket team. From ICC 50 over World Cup to T20i World Cup to Champions Trophy, they have won it all for their loyal fans worldwide. Famous for their crop of fast bowling, Pakistan has produced some of the best pacers in cricket history. Pakistan also excels in the batting department with stalwarts Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in their rich cricket history. To commemorate and celebrate the legendary Pakistan cricket team Cricreads has compiled a list of ten best moments.
Here are the 10 great moments in Pakistan cricket:
1- 1992 World Cup Victory
Pakitan cricket team led by Imran Khan was the underdogs in the 1992 World Cup. Nobody gave them any chance at lifting the trophy. They somehow scraped a few wins and, in the end, were helped by rain to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament. But after that, what they scripted was a fairy tale moment in Pakistan’s history. Imran Khan’s team was full of passionate players who contributed in every game to shine as a unit and ultimately lift the trophy out of nowhere to defy the expectations.
2- 2017 Champions Trophy Final
Pakistan was placed at the number 8 position in the ODI points table when they entered the Champions Trophy in 2017. Yet again, they were cornered, and everyone raised questions about their squad selection. India badly defeated them in the group stage by 124 runs. However, the wounded team did not lose the courage to stand up and fight again. They reached the final and faced India again. Pakistan batted first and posted a huge total of 338 runs to register a thumping victory by 180 runs and lift the trophy. It was their first against India in an ICC tournament.
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3- First World Cup victory against India
Pakistan went against the arch-rival Indian team in the 2021 ICC T20i World Cup in the group stage. The star-studded batting line-up of India consisted of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli. However, the Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi was on song in the match and sent back Rohit and Rahul in quick succession during powerplay to put India on the backfoot. Kohli singlehandedly propelled India to 151, but Pakistani openers Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan brilliantly batted India out of the game. They won the match by 10 wickets to register an emphatic victory.
4- 2009 T20i World Cup Win
Pakistan was the favourite to win the first edition of the ICC T20i World Cup in 2007, but unfortunately, they could not defeat India in the finals and ended up as runner-ups. Nevertheless, two years later, in 2009, in the following edition of the ICC T20i World Cup, they made a huge comeback to let the cricketing fraternity know why they have the best record in the game’s shortest format. Shahid Afridi was at his peak at the tournament, and the team contributed significantly throughout the games to help Pakistan lift the trophy.
5- Shahid Afridi’s 102 off 46
India vs Pakistan is the biggest rivalry in cricket which even surpasses the magnitude of England vs Australia. Pakistan visited India in 2005 for a six-match ODI series. India won the first two matches of the series, and Pakistan replied strongly with two consecutive wins in the 3rd and 4th match. The 5th match of the series was a deciding point in which both teams were aiming for the victory with everything they had got. Shahid Afridi was the star of the match as he had the second-fastest ODI century of that time and finished with 102 off 46 to help Pakitan register a victory which ultimately led to them to a series win.
6- Shoaib Akhtar’s fastest delivery in International cricket
The Rawalpindi Express was the fastest bowler in world cricket during his prime. He constantly hit the 150 km/ph mark with his fiery pace. The cricketing world often speculated who would bowl the faster delivery among Akhtar and Brett Lee. Both of them were quick and fierce. However, Shoaib proved that he was faster than any of his contemporaries as he bowled a delivery which hit the mark of 161.3 km/ph on the speedometer. He achieved the record against England in the 2003 ICC ODI World Cup.
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7- Fakhar Zaman’s 210* against Zimbabwe
Fakhar Zaman, the explosive left-handed batter for the Pakistan cricket team, became the talk of the town for his attacking approach during the powerplay. Zaman became the first-ever and the only Pakistani cricket in history to reach the milestone of a double hundred in One-day Internationals. He remained unbeaten on 210* off 156 with the help of 24 fours and 5 sixes in his marathon knock. Pakistan quickly registered the victory in the game by a massive margin of 244 runs.
8- Saeed Anwar’s 194 against India
Before Fakhar Zaman became the only Pakistani player to cross the 200 run mark in ODIs, the record for most runs in an inning by a Pakistani player was held by the stylish left-handed opener Saeed Anwar for Pakistan during the 90s. He almost became the first player to reach 200 in One-Day Internationals long before Sachin Tendulkar actually accomplished the feat. In the 1997 series against India, he was in the form of his life. The 6th match of the series is remembered for his brilliance. He played a match-defining knock of 194 off 146 balls, which included 22 fours and 5 sixes. Pakistan easily registered the win by 35 runs in the match.
9- Wasim Akram’s 257* in Test cricket
The legendary left-arm pace bowler who has the most wickets for a Pakistani bowler in International cricket is not on this list for his bowling performances but for his greatest knock. In 1996 in a Test match against Zimbabwe, he scored an unbeaten 257* including 22 fours and 12 sixes, to help Pakistan post a massive total of 553 runs. His exceptional knock earned him praises from everyone in the cricketing fraternity. Interestingly, Akram’s highest score in Test cricket is even better than Sachin Tendulkar’s highest score in the longest format of the game.
10- Javed Miandad’s six of the last ball
Javed Miandad was an exciting cricketer whose career was filled with controversies. However, he is undeniably one of the best batters ever from Pakistan. In the Austral-Asia Cup final in 1986 in Sharjah, Miandad single-handedly guided his team to the victory against arch-rivals India. Pakistan needed 4 runs off the last ball, and Javed Miandad clubbed the pacer, Chetan Sharma, for a historic and memorable six that inspired the generations to come. Miandad remained unbeaten on 116*.
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