Saeed Anwar facts for kids

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Saeed Anwar
سعید انور

Saeed Anwar in Jan, 2023
Personal information
Full name	Saeed Anwar
Born	(1968-09-06) 6 September 1968 (age 56) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Height	5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Slow left arm orthodox
International information
National side	Pakistan (1989–2003)
Test debut (cap 120)	23 November 1990 v West Indies
Last Test	31 August 2001 v Bangladesh
ODI debut (cap 68)	1 January 1989 v West Indies
Last ODI	4 March 2003 v Zimbabwe
ODI shirt no.	1
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 55 247 146 242 Runs scored 4,052 8824 10169 8842 Batting average 45.52 39.21 45.19 39.21 100s/50s 11/25 20/43 30/51 26/54 Top score 188* 194 221 194 Balls bowled 48 242 653 858 Wickets 0 6 9 31 Bowling average – 31.83 45.77 20.80 5 wickets in innings – 0 0 0 10 wickets in match – 0 0 0 Best bowling – 2/9 3/83 4/39 Catches/stumpings 18/– 42/– 65/– 64/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  Pakistan ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 1999 England-Wales -Ireland-Scotland-Netherlands
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 29 May 2012

Saeed Anwar is a famous Pakistani former cricketer and captain. He was an amazing opening batsman. He also sometimes bowled slow left-arm orthodox spin. Saeed played international cricket from 1989 to 2003.

Many people think he is one of Pakistan's best opening batsmen ever. He is also seen as one of the top batsmen of his time. Saeed Anwar scored 20 centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs). This is more than any other Pakistani batsman. He played 55 Test matches, scoring 4,052 runs. He made 11 centuries and averaged 45.52 runs per game. In 247 ODIs, he scored 8,824 runs with an average of 39.21.

Saeed Anwar was known for his elegant and stylish batting. Fans loved how he timed his shots and placed the ball. He was part of the Pakistan team that finished second in the 1999 Cricket World Cup.

In his first Test match in 1990, he scored zero runs in both innings. But he quickly improved! In 1994, he scored 169 runs in his third Test. In 1998–99, he scored his highest Test score of 188 not out. He made seven ODI centuries at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium. This included three in a row in 1993–94. He also scored two centuries in a row three times in his career.

Saeed Anwar is most famous for scoring 194 runs against India in Chennai in 1997. This was the highest score in an ODI at that time. It is now the tenth highest individual score. He played in three Cricket World Cups. He also captained Pakistan in seven Tests and 11 ODIs. He retired from international cricket in August 2003. Saeed Anwar was Pakistan's highest run-scorer in the 1996, 1999, and 2003 World Cups.

Saeed Anwar's Early Life

Saeed Anwar was born in Karachi, Pakistan, on September 6, 1968. In 1973, his family moved to Canada. They returned to Karachi in 1977. Saeed went to high school at Government Degree Science College. He then studied at NED University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi. He finished his degree in Computer System Engineering in 1989. He had planned to study for his Master's degree in the United States. But then he became a professional cricketer instead!

His father played cricket at a club level. His brother, Jawed Anwar, played for the Lahore Under-19 cricket team.

Saeed married his cousin, Lubna, who is a doctor, in March 1996. In 2001, he faced a very sad time when his daughter, Bismah, passed away after being sick for a long time. After this, he took a break from cricket. He returned for the 2003 Cricket World Cup, showing great courage. He was one of Pakistan's best batsmen in that tournament. However, he felt he had lost his touch and decided to retire. He said, "I retired because I felt unwanted."

Saeed was known for his elegant batting style. He played especially well on the off side of the field. His special "flick" shot was a highlight in many of his games.

Playing for Pakistan

A graph showing Saeed's Test batting career, with runs scored and average.

Saeed Anwar was an amazing opening batsman in Test cricket. He played 55 Test matches for Pakistan. He scored 4,052 runs with an average of 45.52. He is the seventh-highest run-scorer for Pakistan in Test cricket. He made 11 centuries and 25 half-centuries. As an aggressive opener, many of his centuries turned into big scores. He scored many centuries when playing away from home. He averaged over 40 against tough teams like Australia, New Zealand, and England.

He has the highest Test batting average (59.06) of any Pakistani against Australia. He even scored two centuries in a row against them once! Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said Saeed's batting was a mix of classic and unique styles.

He made his Test debut against the West Indies in 1990. He scored zero runs in both innings of that match. But in his third Test, in February 1994, he scored 169 runs against New Zealand. Pakistan won that match easily. Later that year, he scored 94 and 136 runs against Sri Lanka. This earned him a "man of the match" award. In September 1994, he scored 85 and 77 runs against Australia. This helped Pakistan lead the series 1–0.

In 1996, Pakistan toured England for a three-Test series. Pakistan won the series 2–0. Saeed Anwar was the second-highest run-scorer with 362 runs. He averaged 60.33. He scored 88 and 74 runs at Lord's. He also made 176 runs at The Oval. In the 1996–97 season, he played two Tests against Zimbabwe. He scored 182 runs. He also captained Pakistan against New Zealand when Wasim Akram was injured. He scored 157 runs in that series, including 149 in the second Test.

In the 1998–99 season, Saeed Anwar played two Tests against Australia. He scored 290 runs with an average of 96.66. This included two centuries. He scored 145 runs in the first Test, but Pakistan lost. In the next series against Zimbabwe, he scored 142 runs.

In the 1998–99 Asian Test Championship, Saeed Anwar made history. He became only the third Pakistani to bat through an entire innings without being out. He scored his career-best 188 not out. This was 60% of the team's total score of 316. It was also the highest Test score by a Pakistani in India at that time. Later, Younus Khan broke this record. Saeed was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament.

He played three Tests during Pakistan's tour of Australia in 1999–2000. He scored 282 runs, including a century and two half-centuries. However, Pakistan lost the series 3–0. Saeed captained Pakistan in the first two Tests against Sri Lanka in 2000. He scored 217 runs. His last Test match was against Bangladesh in 2001. He scored 101 runs. Pakistan won that match by a lot. His daughter passed away on the same day.

ODI Career Highlights

Saeed Anwar played 247 ODI matches for Pakistan. He scored 8,824 runs from 244 innings. His average was 39.21. He is the third-highest run-scorer for Pakistan in ODIs. He has 20 centuries, which is the most for any Pakistani in ODIs. He was the first Pakistani batsman to score an ODI century against India in India.

He started his international career in January 1989 against the West Indies. He scored only 3 runs in that match. His first match-winning performance was against India in December 1989. He scored 42 runs not out. In the 1989–90 World Series Cup, he scored 293 runs, including a century. His best was 126 runs against Sri Lanka.

In 1993, he made four ODI centuries at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium. This included three centuries in a row against Sri Lanka and West Indies. He was the second player ever to do this. He also scored two centuries in a row on three other occasions. He was the first batsman to achieve this in ODIs.

On May 21, 1997, in Chennai, Saeed Anwar scored 194 runs against India. This was in the 1997 Pepsi Independence Cup. This was the highest individual score by any male batsman in the world at that time. Charles Coventry equalled this score in 2009. Later, Sachin Tendulkar broke the record with 200 not out in 2010. Saeed's record was the highest overall ODI score (men's and women's) for seven months. Then, Belinda Clark scored 229 not out in the 1997 Women's Cricket World Cup.

World Cup Performances

Saeed Anwar played in three Cricket World Cups for Pakistan: 1996, 1999, and 2003. He played 21 matches and scored 915 runs. His average in World Cups was 53.82. His highest score in a World Cup match was 113 not out.

In the 1996 Cricket World Cup, he made three half-centuries. He scored 48 runs against India in the quarter-final. Pakistan lost that match. He scored 329 runs in the tournament.

In the 1999 Cricket World Cup, he scored two centuries in a row. He made 103 against Zimbabwe and 113 not out against New Zealand in the semi-final. These scores helped Pakistan reach the final. He scored 368 runs in that tournament.

He played his last match against Zimbabwe during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. He scored 40 runs not out. The match was stopped due to rain. In the match before that, against India, he scored his fourth century against them. This was his 20th ODI century overall. Saeed dedicated this century to his daughter.

Captaincy and Retirement

Saeed Anwar captained Pakistan in seven Test matches and 11 ODIs. His performance as captain was average.

He announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2003. This happened after he was not chosen for an upcoming ODI tournament.

Records and Achievements

Awards

• Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1997)
• Pride of Performance (2000)

Interesting Facts

• He opened in 32 ODI innings with Aamir Sohail for Pakistan in 1994–95. This was the most consecutive for a Pakistan opening pair.
• He was the third Pakistan batsman to bat through a Test innings without being out. He scored 188 not out.
• Saeed Anwar (194 runs) and Charles Coventry (194* runs) held the record for the highest individual score in an ODI. This record was broken by Sachin Tendulkar (200*) in 2010.
• He scored two or more centuries in a row on four different occasions. He made 20 centuries in One Day Internationals as an opening batsman for Pakistan.
• He has the highest Test batting average (59.06) of any Pakistani against Australia in Test matches.

Performance by Opponent

Test Performance by Opponent

Saeed Anwar's performance in Test matches

Opponent	Matches	inn	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct
Australia	8	15	0	886	145	59.06	3	5	1
Bangladesh	1	1	0	101	101	101.00	1	0	0
England	8	14	0	545	176	38.92	1	3	4
India	3	6	1	289	188*	57.80	1	1	0
New Zealand	5	8	0	418	169	52.25	2	1	3
South Africa	7	15	0	279	118	23.25	1	1	1
Sri Lanka	11	16	0	919	136	57.43	2	8	6
West Indies	4	5	0	96	65	19.20	0	1	1
Zimbabwe	8	14	1	519	145	39.92	1	5	2
Total	55	91	2	4052	188*	45.52	11	25	18

ODI Performance by Opponent

Saeed Anwar's performance in ODI matches

Opponent	Matches	inn	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct
Australia	30	30	1	683	104*	23.55	1	0	6
Bangladesh	6	6	1	285	90	57.00	0	3	3
England	11	11	0	488	77	44.36	0	5	1
India	50	48	2	2002	194	43.52	4	8	12
Kenya	3	3	0	29	27	9.66	0	0	0
Namibia	1	1	0	23	23	23.00	0	0	0
Netherlands	3	3	2	136	83*	136.00	0	1	0
New Zealand	32	32	4	1260	113*	45.00	4	7	5
Scotland	1	1	0	6	6	6.00	0	0	0
South Africa	24	24	1	398	42	17.30	0	0	1
Sri Lanka	52	52	3	2198	126	44.85	7	13	9
United Arab Emirates	2	2	1	79	40*	79.00	0	0	0
West Indies	17	16	1	534	131	35.60	2	2	4
Zimbabwe	15	15	3	703	103*	58.58	2	4	1
Total	247	244	19	8824	194	39.21	20	43	42

See Also

• Pairs on Test debut
• List of highest individual scores in ODIs
• List of Pakistan One Day International cricket records
• List of Cricket World Cup centuries