Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History: Pakistan has a rich cricket history and has produced some of the most famous and skilled players in the world. With their fearless batting and strong bowling, these cricketers have made a lasting impact on the game.
Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History
In this article, we will look at the top 10 greatest Pakistani cricketers of all time, who have helped raise the country’s status in the cricket world.
10. Zaheer Abbas
- Role: Batsman
At number 10 on the list of “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is Zaheer Abbas. He is a former cricketer known as ‘the Asian Bradman’ and is considered one of the best batsmen ever.
Zaheer is notable for wearing glasses while playing. In the 1982/1983 season, he became the first batsman to score three consecutive centuries in one-day internationals. He also held the record for most runs in a four-match ODI series with 346 runs until Hashim Amla broke it in 2015.
Zaheer Abbas was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in August 2020 for his contributions to cricket.
9. Abdul Qadir
- Role: Bowler
Ranked 8th among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is Abdul Qadir, a famous leg spinner from the 1970s and 1980s. He played 67 Tests and 104 ODIs between 1977 and 1993 and captained Pakistan in five ODIs.
In 1987, he took 30 wickets for 437 runs in a Test series against England, including nine wickets for 56 runs in one innings, the best figures for Pakistan. In ODIs, his best was five wickets for 44 runs against Sri Lanka in the 1983 Cricket World Cup.
Qadir played in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups and was known as a master of leg spin. Former English captain Graham Gooch called him even better than Shane Warne. Prime Minister Imran Khan praised him as “a genius” and “one of the greatest leg spinners of all time.”
8. Shahid Afridi
- Role: All-rounder
Ranked 8th among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is Shahid Afridi. He debuted in ODIs in 1996 and became famous for scoring the fastest century in just 37 balls.
Afridi played his first Test in 1998 and his first T20I in 2006. He was the player of the tournament in the 2007 T20 World Cup and helped Pakistan win the 2009 T20 World Cup. After that, he became the T20I captain and led the team in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, reaching the semi-finals.
Afridi retired from ODIs in 2015 and stepped down as T20 captain in 2016. He officially retired from international cricket in 2017 but returned for a charity match in 2018. He was known for hitting long sixes, and holds the record for the most sixes in ODIs.
7. Mohammad Yousuf
- Role: Batsman
Ranked 7th among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is Mohammad Yousuf. He was one of the few Christians on the Pakistan national cricket team before converting to Islam.
In 2006, Yousuf set a world record by scoring 1,788 runs in Tests with an average of almost 100. However, in 2010, he was banned from international cricket by the Pakistan Cricket Board due to disciplinary issues.
He announced his retirement in March 2010, but after Pakistan’s poor performance against England later that year, the PCB asked him to come out of retirement.
6. Waqar Younis
- Role: Bowler
Ranked 5th among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is Waqar Younis, a legendary right-arm fast bowler. His cricket journey began in 1987/88, overcoming the loss of his left little finger.
Discovered by former captain Imran Khan, Waqar quickly became known for his ability to reverse swing the ball at high speed.
He played 87 Tests and 262 ODIs for Pakistan from 1989 to 2003, forming a strong bowling partnership with Wasim Akram.
Waqar took 373 Test wickets and 416 ODI wickets during his career and was the youngest Pakistani Test captain and the youngest bowler to reach 400 ODI wickets.
Waqar is still ranked among the top bowlers in ICC history. After retiring, he served as a bowling coach and later became the head coach of the Pakistani team.
5. Younis Khan
- Role: Middle-order batsman
Younis Khan is ranked 6th among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History.” He was known for his skill against spin bowling and his signature flick shot. His powerful batting made him an important player in Pakistan’s middle order with Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Younis is the only Test cricketer to score centuries in all 11 countries that host Test matches. He captained the Pakistan in the 2009 World Twenty20 and won it.
He holds the records for the most Test runs and centuries by a Pakistani and scored 10,000 Test runs in 2017, becoming the first Pakistani to achieve this.
Younis retired from ODIs in 2015 and ended his international career in 2017.
4. Inzamam-ul-Haq
- Role: Batsman
Ranked 4th among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is Inzamam-ul-Haq. He was one of the best middle-order batsmen in cricket history. He captained Pakistan from 2003 to 2007 and is the top run-scorer for Pakistan in ODIs and third-highest in Tests.
Inzamam is the only Pakistani to score 20,000 runs in international cricket. He became famous during the 1992 Cricket World Cup, especially in the semi-final. He retired in 2007, just three runs short of becoming Pakistan’s leading Test run-scorer.
Inzamam is also a member of the Tablighi Jamaat and has stayed involved in cricket, serving as the chief selector.
3. Javed Miandad
- Role: Batsman
Ranked 3rd among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is Javed Miandad, called “the greatest batsman Pakistan has ever produced.” His career lasted from 1975 to 1996, and he was known for his unique technique and control.
Miandad is famous for his last-ball six against India in 1986, helping Pakistan win the 1992 ICC World Cup, and being the first to finish an international game with a last-ball six.
After retiring, he worked in key roles in the Pakistan Cricket Board and coached the national team three times. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
2. Wasim Akram
- Role: Fast Bowler Bowling All-Rounder
Ranked 2nd among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is Wasim Akram. A famous left-arm fast bowler known for his speed and swing. He is called one of the “Sultans of Swing” along with Waqar Younis.
Akram is often seen as the greatest left-arm fast bowler ever. In 2013, he was the only Pakistani in Wisden’s all-time Test World XI. He captained Pakistan to the 1999 Cricket World Cup finals and holds the record for most wickets in List A cricket (881) and second in ODI wickets (502). He is also known for mastering reverse swing.
Cricket legends Viv Richards and Ricky Ponting have praised him as one of the best bowlers they faced.
1. Imran Khan
- Role: All-rounder
Ranked 1st among the “Greatest Pakistani Cricketers in History” is the legendary Imran Khan. He started his cricket career in 1971 with a Test series against England and played until 1992, serving as Pakistan’s captain from 1982 to 1992. He led Pakistan to its only Cricket World Cup victory in 1992.
Imran Khan is known as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
He won a National Assembly seat in 2002 and led PTI to become the largest party in the 2018 elections, becoming the prime minister of Pakistan.
His contributions to cricket and politics make him a significant figure in Pakistan’s history.