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Pakistan national cricket team facts for kids

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Pakistan
Pakistan cricket team logo.png
Nickname(s) Shaheens (lit. Falcons)
Green Shirts
Men in Green
Cornered Tigers
Association Pakistan Cricket Board
Personnel
Test captain Shan Masood
One Day captain Mohammad Rizwan
T20I captain Salman Ali Agha
Coach Mike Hesson
Batting coach Hanif Malik
Bowling coach Ashley Noffke
Fielding coach Muhammad Masroor
Manager Naveed Akram Cheema
History
Test status acquired 1952 (73 years ago) (1952)
Hong Kong Cricket Sixes wins 5
International Cricket Council
ICC status Full Member (1952)
ICC region ACC / ICC Asia
ICC Rankings Current Best-ever
Test 7th 1st (1 August 1988)
ODI 5th 1st (1 December 1990)
T20I 8th 1st (1 November 2017)
Tests
First Test v  India at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi; 16–18 October 1952
Last Test v  West Indies at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan; 25–27 January 2025
Tests Played Won/Lost
Total 465 151/148
(166 draws)
This year 3 1/2 (0 draws)
World Test Championship appearances 3 (first in 2021)
Best result 6th place (2021)
One Day Internationals
First ODI v  New Zealand at Lancaster Park, Christchurch; 11 February 1973
Last ODI v  New Zealand at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui; 5 April 2025
ODIs Played Won/Lost
Total 987 520/437
(9 ties, 21 no results)
This year 8 1/7 (0 ties, 0 no results)
World Cup appearances 12 (first in 1975)
Best result Champions (1992)
Twenty20 Internationals
First T20I v  England at the Bristol County Ground, Bristol; 28 August 2006
Last T20I v  Bangladesh at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka; 22 July 2025
T20Is Played Won/Lost
Total 263 148/104
(4 ties, 7 no results)
This year 10 4/6
(0 ties, 0 no results)
T20 World Cup appearances 8 (first in 2007)
Best result Champions (2009)

Test kit

Kit left arm green double border.png
Kit right arm green double border.png

ODI kit

T20I kit

As of 22 July 2025

The Pakistan men's national cricket team plays for Pakistan in international cricket. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) manages the team. The PCB is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Pakistan competes in Test, One Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 International (T20) matches.

Pakistan became a Test team in 1952. They started to have more success in the 1980s. They won their first major trophy, the ICC World Cup, in 1992. They also won the Asia Cup in 2000. In the 21st century, they won the T20 World Cup in 2009. They also won the Asia Cup again in 2012 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. Pakistan won the first Asian Test Championship in 1999. They were also ranked the number one Test team in 2016.

For many years, international cricket matches were not played in Pakistan due to safety concerns. After an attack on the Sri Lanka team in 2009, Pakistan played its home games in the United Arab Emirates. International cricket slowly returned to Pakistan starting in 2016. This happened as security improved in the country.

History of Pakistan Cricket

Cricket was played in Pakistan even before the country was formed in 1947. The first international match in Karachi was on November 22, 1935. It was between a team from Sindh and an Australian team. About 5,000 people watched the game.

After Pakistan became independent in 1947, cricket grew quickly. Pakistan was given Test match status on July 28, 1952. This happened after India recommended it. Abdul Hafeez Kardar was the first captain of the Pakistan team.

Pakistan's first Test match was in Delhi in October 1952. India won that series 2–1. Pakistan's first tour of England was in 1954. They drew that series 1–1. This was thanks to fast bowler Fazal Mahmood, who took 12 wickets in one match. Pakistan's first home Test match was against India in January 1955. All five matches in that series were drawn.

The Pakistan team is known for being strong but sometimes unpredictable. They have many talented players. The India–Pakistan cricket rivalry is always very exciting. Fans from both sides love these matches. Pakistani fans in the United Kingdom have a fan club called the "Stani Army." They cheer loudly at matches and also help with charity work.

Test Cricket Journey

Pakistan's first Test match was in October 1952 against India. They lost the first game. But in the second Test, Pakistan won by an innings and 43 runs. Fazal Mahmood was amazing, taking 12 wickets. India won the next match, and the series ended 2–1 for India.

In 1954, Pakistan toured England and drew the series 1–1. This included a big win at The Oval where Fazal Mahmood took 12 wickets. Pakistan's first home Test series was against India in 1955. All five matches were drawn. Later that year, New Zealand visited Pakistan. Pakistan won their first Test series 2–0 against New Zealand.

In 1956, Australia played one Test in Pakistan. Pakistan won this match too. Fazal Mahmood was the star again, taking 13 wickets. In 1958, Pakistan toured West Indies. Hanif Mohammad played an incredible innings of 337 runs. This saved Pakistan from a big loss in one match.

Test Performance from 1970 to 1990s

From 1970 to 1979, Pakistan's Test performance was not great. They won only 6 out of 41 matches. But from 1980 to 1989, they improved a lot. They won 20 out of 72 matches. In 1987, Pakistan played a thrilling series in India. They won the final match by 16 runs. In 1988, Pakistan was ranked the No.1 Test team. This was a huge moment for them.

From 1990 to 1999, Pakistan did even better. They won 40 out of 74 matches. A big achievement was winning the Asian Test Championship in 1999. They beat Sri Lanka in the final.

Test Cricket in the 21st Century

In 2002, Pakistan played in their second Asian Test Championship. They reached the final but lost to Sri Lanka.

In 2010, a big cheating scandal happened during a Test series in England. Some Pakistani players were involved in "spot-fixing." This means they deliberately did certain things in the game for money. The captain, Salman Butt, and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were found guilty. They were given prison sentences.

Misbah-ul-Haq's Captaincy

After the scandal, Misbah ul Haq became the new captain. He led Pakistan to many successes. In 2012, Pakistan beat England, who were the No.1 team at the time, in a series in the UAE. This was a huge win.

In 2014, Pakistan had another great performance. They beat Australia 2–0 in a Test series in the UAE. The win in the second Test was their biggest ever against any team. Misbah also scored one of the fastest Test centuries in that match.

In 2016, Pakistan became the No.1 Test team in the world. This was the first time they reached this rank since 1988. They were given a special trophy called the Test mace. Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan retired from Test cricket in 2017. They ended their careers with a historic Test series win in the West Indies.

White Ball Cricket (ODIs and T20Is)

1986 Austral-Asia Cup Victory

In 1986, Pakistan won the Austral-Asia Cup in Sharjah, UAE. They beat their rivals India in a thrilling final. Javed Miandad became a national hero. He hit a six off the very last ball to win the match. India had set a target of 245 runs. Miandad scored 116 not out to lead Pakistan to victory.

1992 Cricket World Cup Champions

Pakvaus
Pakistani opener Yasir Hameed playing against Australia at Lord's in England

The 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was Pakistan's first World Cup win. The team, led by an injured Imran Khan, made an amazing comeback. They lost 3 of their first 5 matches. Imran Khan told the team to play like "cornered tigers." After that, Pakistan won five matches in a row. This included the semi-final against New Zealand and the final against England.

In the semi-final, New Zealand scored 262 runs. Pakistan needed 115 runs from 7.67 runs per over. A young player named Inzamam-ul-Haq scored a quick 60 runs off 37 balls. This helped Pakistan win the match.

2007 Cricket World Cup Challenges

The 2007 Cricket World Cup was a tough tournament for Pakistan. They were knocked out early after a surprising loss to Ireland. This was a big upset. The team's coach, Bob Woolmer, sadly passed away during the tournament. This was a very difficult time for the team. Later, it was confirmed that he died of natural causes.

Inzamam-ul-Haq resigned as captain after the World Cup. Shoaib Malik took over as the new captain.

2009 ICC World T20 Champions

In 2009, Pakistan won the ICC World T20 in England. In the final at Lord's, they played against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 138 runs. Pakistan chased the target easily. Openers Kamran Akmal and Shahzaib Hasan started well. Shahid Afridi scored the winning runs and was named Man of the Match. This was Pakistan's first world title since the 1992 World Cup.

T20 final 2009
Shahid Afridi batting against Sri Lanka in the ICC World Twenty20 Final at Lord's in England

Recent White Ball Cricket

Pakistan reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World T20 in West Indies. They lost to Australia in a close match. In the 2011 World Cup, Pakistan reached the semi-finals again. They beat Australia, ending their long winning streak in World Cups. However, Pakistan lost to India in the semi-final.

In the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka, Pakistan made it to the semi-finals. They lost to the host team, Sri Lanka. The 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh was disappointing. Pakistan did not reach the semi-finals.

In the 2015 World Cup, Pakistan reached the quarter-finals. They lost to Australia in a tight game. This was the last ODI match for captain Misbah-ul-Haq and all-rounder Shahid Afridi. After this, Azhar Ali became the new ODI captain.

In 2017, Pakistan won the ICC Champions Trophy. They had a tough start, losing to India. But they improved and won against South Africa and Sri Lanka. They then beat England in the semi-final. In the final, they played India again. Pakistan scored 338 runs. Fakhar Zaman scored his first century. Pakistan's bowlers then bowled out India for 180 runs. This gave Pakistan their first Champions Trophy. Hasan Ali was named player of the tournament.

Pakistan played in the 2019 Cricket World Cup and finished fifth. They reached the semi-finals of the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup and the finals of the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. They lost the 2022 final to England. In 2023, Pakistan played in the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India. They finished fifth and did not reach the semi-finals.

Governing Body

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in charge of all cricket in Pakistan. This includes Test matches and first-class cricket. The PCB joined the International Cricket Council in 1953. The board is run by former cricketers and experienced administrators.

The PCB has also created popular domestic tournaments. These include the Pakistan Super League, which is a Twenty20 league. These tournaments have helped make cricket more popular in Pakistan.

Tournament Achievements

A red box around the year means the tournament was played in Pakistan.

World Test Championship

ICC World Test Championship record
Year League stage Final Host Final Final Position
Pos Matches Ded PC Pts PCT
P W L D T
2019-21 6/9 12 4 5 3 0 0 660 286 43.3 Rose Bowl, Southampton DNQ 6th
2021-23 7/9 14 4 6 4 0 0 168 64 38.09 The Oval, London DNQ 7th
2023-25 9/9 14 5 9 0 0 0 168 47 27.98 Lord's, London DNQ 9th

Cricket World Cup

World Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR Squad
England 1975 Group Stage 5/8 3 1 2 0 0 Squad
England 1979 Semi-finals 3/8 4 2 2 0 0 Squad
England Wales 1983 Semi-finals 4/8 7 3 4 0 0 Squad
India Pakistan 1987 Semi-finals 4/8 7 5 2 0 0 Squad
Australia New Zealand 1992 Champions 1/9 10 6 3 0 1 Squad
India Pakistan Sri Lanka 1996 Quarter-finals 6/12 6 4 2 0 0 Squad
England Wales Scotland Republic of Ireland Netherlands 1999 Runners-up 2/12 10 6 4 0 0 Squad
South Africa Zimbabwe Kenya 2003 Group Stage 10/14 6 2 3 0 1 Squad
Cricket West Indies 2007 Group Stage 10/16 3 1 2 0 0 Squad
India Sri Lanka Bangladesh 2011 Semi-finals 3/14 8 6 2 0 0 Squad
Australia New Zealand 2015 Quarter-finals 6/14 7 4 3 0 0 Squad
England Wales 2019 Group Stage 5/10 9 5 3 0 1 Squad
India 2023 Group Stage 5/10 9 4 5 0 0 Squad
South Africa Zimbabwe Namibia 2027 TBA
India Bangladesh 2031
Total 13/13 1 Title 89 49 37 0 3

T20 World Cup

T20 World Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR Squad
South Africa 2007 Runners-up 2/12 7 5 1 1 0 Squad
England 2009 Champions 1/12 7 5 2 0 0 Squad
Cricket West Indies 2010 Semi-finals 4/12 6 2 4 0 0 Squad
Sri Lanka 2012 Semi-finals 4/12 6 4 2 0 0 Squad
Bangladesh 2014 Super 10 5/16 4 2 2 0 0 Squad
India 2016 Super 10 7/16 4 1 3 0 0 Squad
United Arab Emirates Oman 2021 Semi-finals 3/16 6 5 1 0 0 Squad
Australia 2022 Runners-up 2/16 7 4 3 0 0 Squad
Cricket West IndiesUnited States 2024 Group Stage 11/20 4 2 1 1 0 Squad
IndiaSri Lanka 2026 Qualified
AustraliaNew Zealand 2028 TBA
EnglandWalesScotlandRepublic of Ireland 2030
Total 9/9 1 Title 51 30 19 2 0

Champions Trophy

Known as the ’ICC Knockout’ in 1998 and 2000.

Champions Trophy record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR Squad
Bangladesh 1998 Quarter-finals 5/9 1 0 1 0 0 Squad
Kenya 2000 Semi-finals 3/11 2 1 1 0 0 Squad
Sri Lanka 2002 Group Stage 5/12 2 1 1 0 0 Squad
England 2004 Semi-finals 4/12 3 2 1 0 0 Squad
India 2006 Group Stage 8/10 3 1 2 0 0 Squad
South Africa 2009 Semi-finals 3/8 4 2 2 0 0 Squad
England Wales 2013 Group Stage 8/8 3 0 3 0 0 Squad
England Wales 2017 Champions 1/8 5 4 1 0 0 Squad
Pakistan United Arab Emirates 2025 Group Stage 7/8 3 0 2 0 1 Squad
India 2029 TBD
Total 9/9 1 Title 26 11 14 0 1

Asia Cup

Asia Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L T NR
United Arab Emirates 1984 Group stage 3/3 2 0 2 0 0
Sri Lanka 1986 Runners-up 2/3 3 2 1 0 0
Bangladesh 1988 Group stage 3/4 3 1 2 0 0
India 1990–91 Did not participate
United Arab Emirates 1995 Group Stage 3/4 3 2 1 0 0
Sri Lanka 1997 3 1 1 0 1
Bangladesh 2000 Champions 1/4 4 4 0 0 0
Sri Lanka 2004 Super Fours 3/6 5 4 1 0 0
Pakistan 2008 5 3 2 0 0
Sri Lanka 2010 Group stage 3/4 3 1 2 0 0
Bangladesh 2012 Champions 1/4 4 3 1 0 0
Bangladesh 2014 Runners-up 2/5 5 3 2 0 0
Bangladesh 2016 Group Stage 3/5 4 2 2 0 0
United Arab Emirates 2018 Super Fours 3/6 5 2 3 0 0
United Arab Emirates 2022 Runners-up 2/6 6 3 3 0 0
Pakistan Sri Lanka 2023 Super Fours 4/6 5 2 2 0 1
India 2025 Qualified
Total 15/16 2 Titles 60 33 25 0 2

Other Tournaments

Other/Defunct Tournaments
Australian Tri-Series Commonwealth Games Asian Test Championship Austral-Asia Cup NatWest Series World Championship of Cricket Nehru Cup
  • Australia 1981–82: Group stage
  • Australia 1983–84: Group stage
  • Australia 1988–89: Group stage
  • Australia 1989–90: Runners-up
  • Australia 1992–93: Group stage
  • Australia 1996–97: Champions
  • Australia 1999–2000: Runners-up
  • Australia 2004–05: Runners-up
  • Malaysia 1998: Round 1
  • India Pakistan Sri Lanka 1999: Champions
  • Bangladesh Pakistan Sri Lanka 2001: Runners-up
  • United Arab Emirates 1986: Champions
  • United Arab Emirates 1990: Champions
  • United Arab Emirates 1994: Champions
  • England 2001: Runners-up
  • Australia 1985: Runners-up
  • India 1989: Champions

Honours and Trophies

ICC Trophies

  • World Cup
    • 1 Champions (1): 1992
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 1999
  • T20 World Cup
    • 1 Champions (1): 2009
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 2007, 2022
  • Champions Trophy
    • 1 Champions (1): 2017

ACC Trophies

  • Asia Cup
    • 1 Champions (2): 2000, 2012
    • 2 Runners-up (3): 1986, 2014, 2022
  • Asian Test Championship
    • 1 Champions (1): 1998–99
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 2001–02

Other Awards

  • Asian Games
    • 3 Bronze Medal (1): 2010
  • South Asian Games
    • 3 Bronze Medal (1): 2010

International Cricket Grounds


Stadium City First Used Last Used Test matches ODI matches T20I matches Total matches
PCB Headquarters
Gaddafi Stadium Lahore 1959 2025 41 73 26 140
Active Stadiums
National Bank Cricket Arena Karachi 1955 2025 47 59 11 117
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi 1992 2025 16 27 8 51
Multan Cricket Stadium Multan 2001 2025 10 11 0 21
Former Stadiums
Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad 1978 2008 24 16 0 40
Imran Khan Cricket Stadium Peshawar 1984 2006 6 15 0 21
Niaz Stadium Hyderabad 1973 2008 5 7 0 12
Jinnah Stadium Gujranwala 1982 2000 1 11 0 12
Sheikhupura Stadium Sheikhupura 1996 2008 2 2 0 4
Jinnah Stadium Sialkot 1976 1996 4 9 0 13
Bagh-e-Jinnah Lahore 1955 1959 3 0 0 3
Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium Multan 1980 1994 1 6 0 7
Pindi Club Ground Rawalpindi 1965 1987 1 2 0 3
Southend Club Cricket Stadium Karachi 1993 1993 1 0 0 1
Bahawal Stadium Bahawalpur 1955 1955 1 0 0 1
Peshawar Club Ground Peshawar 1955 1955 1 0 0 1
Ayub National Stadium Quetta 1978 1984 0 2 0 2
Zafar Ali Stadium Sahiwal 1977 1978 0 2 0 2
Bugti Stadium Quetta 1996 1996 0 1 0 1
Sargodha Cricket Stadium Sargodha 1992 1992 0 1 0 1

Correct as of the conclusion of Bangladesh's tour in 2025.

Pakistan Women's Cricket Team

Pakistan womens T20 cricket team
Pakistan Women's T20 Cricket team

The Pakistan women's national cricket team has shown great strength and progress in international cricket. Even with fewer resources and less recognition, they have made big steps since 1997. They have played in many ICC events. They finished 5th in the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup. They were also runners-up in the Women's Asia Cup in 2012 and 2016. Their biggest wins were gold medals at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014. These were important moments for women's sports in Pakistan. The team continues to inspire and help grow women's cricket.

Team Colours and Sponsors

In Test matches, the team wears white uniforms. They can wear a green and gold sweater in cold weather. Pepsi has been a main sponsor since 1993. Their logo is on the chest. Other sponsors like TCL are on the sleeves. The Pakistan Cricket star is on the left side of the chest. Players wear a green cap or a white sunhat with the team logo. Their helmets are also green.

Currently, AJ Sports makes the team's kits. For ICC tournaments, "Pakistan" is written on the front of the jersey. The sponsor logo is on the sleeve. For other matches, the Pepsi logo is clearly visible on the front. The Pakistan Cricket Board logo is always on the left chest.

Pakistan's cricket team's logo is a star. It is usually gold or green. Inside the star, the word "Pakistan" (پاکِستان) is written in Urdu. This is Pakistan's national language.

Current Squad and Pay

On October 27, 2024, the PCB announced new contracts for the players. There are 25 players in four different groups. Players get 3% of the ICC's yearly money. This is in addition to their monthly pay and match fees.

Here are the monthly salaries for players:

  • Category A – 4.5 million
  • Category B – 3 million
  • Category C & D – 0.75 million – 1.5 million

Coaching and Managing Staff

Position Name
Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema
Head coach Mike Hesson
Head coach for Test Team Azhar Mahmood
Batting coach Hanif Malik
Bowling Coach Ashley Noffke
Fielding coach Muhammad Masroor

Correct as of May 25, 2025

Pakistan has changed head coaches many times. Since 1992, they have had 27 different head coaches. Some coaches have worked with the team multiple times.

Records and Achievements

Overall Match Summary

Matches Won Lost Drawn Tied No result First match
Test 462 150 146 166 16 October 1952
ODI 979 519 430 9 21 11 February 1973
T20I 253 144 98 4 7 28 August 2006

Top Batting Records

Name Career Year Set Record Description Record Notes
Hanif Mohammad 1952–69 1958
  • 8th highest Test innings
  • Longest Test innings by time

337 runs
970min

Hanif scored 337 runs against West Indies. This was the first triple century by an Asian player.

Javed Miandad 1976–96 1976 Only teenager to score a double century 19y 140d
Career 2nd most Test runs by a Pakistani 8,832 runs
Mohammad Yousuf 1998–2010 2006 Most Test runs in a calendar year 1,788
Younis Khan 2000–2017 Career Most Test runs by a Pakistani 10,099 runs
Career Most Test hundreds by a Pakistani 34 Test Hundreds
Yasir Hameed 2003–10 2003 Centuries in both innings of debut Test 170 & 105 Yasir scored 170 runs on his Test debut, the highest by a Pakistani on debut. He also scored 105 in the second innings.
Misbah-ul-Haq 2001–2017 2014 Joint second-fastest Test century 56 balls

Top One-Day International Batting Records

Name Career Year Set Record Description Record Notes
Inzamam-Ul-Haq 1991–2007 Career 6th highest career ODI runs 11,739
Saeed Anwar 1989–2003 1997 Joint 9th highest ODI innings 194
Shahid Afridi 1996–2015 1996 Third-fastest ODI century 37 balls Afridi scored his first century in his first innings in 1996.
Babar Azam 2015 – present 2022 Second fastest to 4000 ODI runs 82 innings
2023 Fastest to 5000 ODI runs 97 innings
Fakhar Zaman 2017–present 2018 First Pakistani to score a double century in ODIs 210

Top Bowling Records

Name Career Year Set Record Description Record Notes
Wasim Akram 1984–2003 Career Most Test wickets by a Pakistani 414
Wasim Akram 1984–2003 Career Most ODI wickets by a Pakistani 502
Career One of three bowlers to take 2 ODI hat-tricks
Waqar Younis 1989–2003 Career Second most ODI wickets by a Pakistani 416
Saqlain Mushtaq 1995–2004 Career Fastest to reach 100, 150, 200 and 250 wickets
First spinner to take a hat-trick in an ODI
He has taken 2 ODI hat-tricks.
Mohammad Sami 2001–present Career First bowler to achieve a hat-trick in all three formats of the game

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de críquet de Pakistán para niños

  • Cricket in Pakistan
  • India–Pakistan cricket rivalry
  • Pakistan blind cricket team
  • Pakistan national women's cricket team
  • Pakistan Super League
  • Pakistani national cricket captains
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