Did you know that a Pakistani bowler who is one of the all-time greats of the game holds the unwanted record of bowling the most wides and the most no-balls in World Cup matches?
The men in green haven’t tasted ODI World Cup glory since 1992, when they clinched the holy grail of One Day cricket under Imran Khan’s captaincy.
This time around, with the World Cup being played in Indian conditions, Pakistan – who are hands down the most mercurial team in the history of the game – will be strong title contenders. In fact in the last 10 bilateral ODI series that they have played since 2019-20, Babar Azam and co. have won 8.
The TOI Sports Desk here takes a look at Pakistan’s journey in the ODI World Cup over the years via individual and team statistics:
The men in green haven’t tasted ODI World Cup glory since 1992, when they clinched the holy grail of One Day cricket under Imran Khan’s captaincy.
This time around, with the World Cup being played in Indian conditions, Pakistan – who are hands down the most mercurial team in the history of the game – will be strong title contenders. In fact in the last 10 bilateral ODI series that they have played since 2019-20, Babar Azam and co. have won 8.
The TOI Sports Desk here takes a look at Pakistan’s journey in the ODI World Cup over the years via individual and team statistics:
- Pakistan enjoy a winning % of 58.44, winning 45 & losing 32 out of 79 contested – (No Result 2). They have won the World Cup trophy once – by beating England by 22 runs at Melbourne on March 25, 1992.
Wasim Akram (33 off 18 balls and 3 for 49) was deservingly named the Man of the Match in the aforesaid final.
- Pakistan’s innings of 261 for six had 59 extras – vs Scotland at Chester-le-Street on May 20, 1999 – an unwanted record in the World Cup. The break-up of extras – wides 33, no-balls 15, byes 5 leg byes 6.
- Javed Miandad remains the only Pakistani batter to manage 1,000-plus runs in the World Cup – his tally being 1032 runs (ave 43.32), including a hundred and eight fifties, in 30 innings.
- Pakistan have conceded 40 extras or more five times in a World Cup fixture – a dubious distinction earned by them. In their semi-final match against New Zealand at Manchester on June 16, 1999, they had conceded 47 in a total of 241 for seven.
Imran Khan with the 1992 Cricket World Cup trophy. (Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images)
- Just one World Cup match resulted in a win for the team chasing without a ball remaining. Pakistan (217/9) had defeated West Indies (216) by just one wicket at Lahore on October 16, 1987.
- Wasim Akram had captured 55 wickets at 23.83 runs apiece in 38 matches, including one five-wicket and two four-wicket hauls – the most by a Pakistani bowler in the World Cup.
- Inzamam-ul-Haq appeared in 35 consecutive matches between February 23, 1992 and March 21, 2007 – the most by a Pakistani player in the World Cup. Ricky Ponting holds an all-time World Cup record by appearing in 46 matches in succession.
- Pakistan’s
Ijaz Ahmed (26 innings) and New Zealand’sNathan Astle (22 innings) jointly share an unwanted World Cup record – five ducks each.
Wahab Riaz (54 not out + four for 45) remains the only Pakistani all-rounder to have accomplished the double of a fifty and four wickets in a World Cup fixture – vs Zimbabwe at Brisbane on March 1,2015. The superb all-round performance has earned him the Man of the Match award – his only award till date in ODIs.
- Wasim Akram had appeared at 29 different grounds – a Pakistani record in the World Cup. Inzamam-ul-Haq played at 28 venues.
- Misbah-ul-Haq’s age – 40 years 296 days – when he appeared in his last match vs Australia at Adelaide on March 20, 2015 – his last appearance in ODIs. He remains the oldest Pakistani player in the World Cup/ODIs.
Saqlain Mushtaq remains the only Pakistani bowler to take a hat-trick in the World Cup, achieving the feat against Zimbabwe at The Oval on June 11, 1999 – his victims being Henry Olonga, Adam Huckle & Pommie Mbangwa.
- Wasim Akram bowled 79 no-balls for Pakistan in 38 games – the most bowled by a bowler in the World Cup. Four other bowlers have delivered 25 or more no-balls – Courtney Walsh (33),
Javagal Srinath (29), Brett Lee (29) & Henry Olonga (27).
- Wasim Akram bowled 126 wides for Pakistan in 38 games – the most bowled by a bowler in the World Cup. Besides Akram, two bowlers have bowled 60 or more wides -Shaun Tait (76 in 18 matches) and Heath Streak (69 in 22 matches).
- 96 extras were recorded in the Pakistan (59 in 261 for six) vs Scotland (37 in 167) game at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on May 20, 1999 – a record for most extras in a World Cup game/ODI. The only other World Cup game to produce 90 extras is between India (39) and Zimbabwe (51) at Grace Road, Leicester on May 19, 1999.
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- Saeed Anwar and Wajahtullah Wasti had shared a stand of 194 for the first wicket vs New Zealand at Manchester on June 16, 1999 – a record for any wicket by Pakistan in the World Cup.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi had produced a career-best 6 for 35 vs Bangladesh at Lord’s on July 5, 2019 – the best figures by a Pakistani bowler in the World Cup.
Shahid Afridi remains the only Pakistani bowler to bag two five-wicket hauls in the World Cup – 5 for 16 vs Kenya at Hambantota on February 23, 2011 & 5 for 23 vs Canada at Colombo (RPS) on March 3, 2011.
- Imran Nazir posted 160 off 121 balls vs Zimbabwe at Kingston on March 21, 2007 – the highest individual innings by a Pakistani batter in the World Cup.
Stats Courtesy: Rajesh Kumar