Pakistan Cricket History

[Musafir117]

The Pakistan cricket team made its Test cricket debut in 1952 and has since become one of the most successful teams in modern cricket. The team reached the semi-finals of the 1979,1983, 1987 World Cups, and finals in 1992 and 1999, and won the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup by defeating England in the final.[1]

Past HistoryEdit

Main articles: History of cricket in Pakistan from 1947 to 1970, History of cricket in Pakistan from 1971 to 1985, History of cricket in Pakistan from 1986 to 2000 and History of cricket in Pakistan from 2001
See also: History of the Indian cricket team and Cricket in Pakistan
After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, and the establishment of the separate nation state of Pakistan, cricket in the country developed steadily and Pakistan was given Test Match status at a meeting of the Imperial Cricket Conference at Lord's Cricket Ground on 28 July 1952 following recommendation by India,[2] which, being the successor state of the British Raj, did not have to go through such a process.

Pakistan's first Test match was played in Delhi in October 1952 as part of a five Test series which India won 2–1. Pakistan made their first tour of England in 1954 and drew the series 1–1 after a memorable victory at The Oval in which fast bowler Fazal Mahmood took 12 wickets. Pakistan's first home Test match was in Dacca in January 1955 against India, after which four more Test matches were played in Bahawalpur, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi (all five matches in the series were drawn, the first such occurrence in test history[3]).

The team is considered strong but unpredictable. Traditionally Pakistani cricket has had players of great talent but limited discipline, making them a team which could play inspirational cricket one day and then perform less than ordinarily another day. Over the years, competitions between India and Pakistan have always been emotionally charged and provide for intriguing contests, as talented teams from both sides of the border elevate their game to new levels to produce high-quality cricket. Pakistan's matches against India in the Cricket World Cup have seen packed stadiums and heightened atmospheres no matter where the World Cup has been held.

1986 Australasia CupEdit
The 1986 Australasia Cup, played in Sharjah, is remembered as a famous last-ball victory for Pakistan against arch-rivals India, with Javed Miandad emerging as a national hero.[4]

India batted first and set a target of 245 runs, leaving Pakistan with a required run rate of 4.92 runs per over. Javed Miandad came in to bat at number 3, and Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals. Later recalling the match, Miandad stated that his main focus was to lose with dignity. With 31 runs needed in the last three overs, Miandad hit a string of boundaries while batting with his team's lower order, until four runs were required from the last delivery of the match. Miandad received a leg side full toss from Chetan Sharma, which he hit for six over the midwicket boundary.[4][5]

1992 World Cup Semi FinalEdit
After winning the toss, New Zealand chose to bat first and ended with a total of 262. Pakistan batted conservatively yet lost wickets at regular intervals. With the departure of Imran Khan and Saleem Malik shortly thereafter, Pakistan still required 115 runs at a rate of 7.67 per over with veteran Javed Miandad being the only known batsman remaining at the crease. A young Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had just turned 22 and was not a well-known player at the time, burst onto the international stage with a match-winning 60 off 37 balls. Once Inzamam got out, Pakistan required 36 from 30 balls, which wicketkeeper Moin Khan ended with a towering six over long off, followed by the winning boundary to midwicket. The match is seen as the emergence of Inzamam onto the international stage.[6][7][8]

1992 World Cup VictoryEdit
The 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia & New Zealand marked Pakistan's first World Cup victory. It is remembered for the comeback Pakistan made after losing key players such as Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar, and being led by an injured captain Imran Khan. Pakistan won only 1 of their first 5 matches including a 1 no-result and were nearly eliminated in the first round of the tournament after being bowled out for 74 against England, until the match was declared as a "no result" due to rain. Captain Imran Khan famously told the team to play as "cornered tigers", after which Pakistan won five successive matches, including, most famously, the semi-final against hosts New Zealand and the final against England.[9] the most important part of the final was the ha-trick of WASIM AKRAM he got to important wickets in 44th over which made Paksitan win the WORLD CUP inshaallah we will be a good team kabi himat na haroo

2007 World Cup ShockEdit
Pakistan participated in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup History when they were knocked out of the competition in a shock defeat to Ireland, who were playing in their first competition. Pakistan, needing to win to qualify for the next stage after losing to the West Indies in their opening match, were put into bat by Ireland on a green pitch. They lost wickets regularly and only 4 batsmen crossed double figures. In the end they were bowled out by the resurgent Irish for 132. The Irish went on to win the match, helped by a knock of 72 from Niall O'Brien. This meant that Pakistan had been knocked out during the first round for the second consecutive World Cup.[10][11][12]

Tragedy struck the team when coach Bob Woolmer died one day later on 18 March 2007 in a hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaican police spokesman, Karl Angell, reported on 23 March 2007 that, "Mr Woolmer's death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation", and that, "Mr Woolmer's death is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder."[13]

Subsequent to his team's defeat and the death of Bob Woolmer, Inzamam-ul-Haq announced his resignation as captain of the team and his retirement from one-day cricket, stating that he would continue to take part in Test cricket but not as captain.[14]

On 23 March 2007, Pakistan players and officials were questioned by Jamaican police and submitted DNA samples along with fingerprints, as part of the routine enquiries in the investigation into Woolmer's murder.[15] Three days after leaving the West Indies for Pakistan, via London, the Pakistan team were ruled out as suspects. The deputy commissioner of Jamaican police. Mark Shields, the detective in charge of the investigation, announced, "It's fair to say they are now being treated as witnesses." "I have got no evidence to suggest it was anybody in the squad."[16] A memorial service was held in Sacred Heart Church, Lahore, for Bob Woolmer on 1 April 2007. Among the attendees were Pakistan players and dignitaries, including Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was quoted as saying, "After Woolmer's family, the Pakistan team was the most aggrieved by his death."[17] After the World Cup ended, serious doubts were raised about the investigation, with increasing speculation that Woolmer died of natural causes. This has now been accepted as fact, and the case has been closed.[18]

On 16 July 2007, Geoff Lawson, previously head coach of New South Wales, was appointed coach of the Pakistan for two years, becoming the third foreigner to take on the role.[19] In the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, Pakistan exceeded expectations to reach the final but ended as runners-up, after losing the final to India in a nail-biting finish. On 25 October 2008, Intikhab Alam was named as a national coach of the team by the PCB.

Player disputes and rebellionsEdit
The Pakistan team has been marred by player disputes and rebellions within the team on various instances. The first such reported instance was in 1981, when ten players including Imran Khan, Asif Iqbal and Majid Khan refused to play under the captaincy of Javed Miandad.[20]
Once again, in 1992 Miandad was the target of another revolt this time lead by Wasim Akram with the support of now retired Imran Khan. This led to Miandad being replaced with Akram. Later in 1993, when Wasim Akram was appointed captain of the national team, players including Waqar Younis and Javed Miandad revolted against him and Akram was removed as captain. Akram did regain captaincy again in 1996 and then again in 1998-99.[20]

In 2009, many senior players revolted against captain Younis Khan when the team was playing in the UAE against New Zealand. Press reports say that a group of eight players led by Shoaib Malik went to the house of former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, where they swore on the Quran to never play under Younis again.[21] Sensing the direction of the wind, Younis left the team for "rest" and the captaincy was awarded to Mohammad Yousuf.[22]
On the subsequent Australian tour, differences between Yousaf and the other players came to the forefront, causing Yousaf to give the captaincy of the fifth ODI to Shahid Afridi. Shoaib Malik, captain the team in the T20 (after Afridi was suspended due to ball tampering), started a tirade against Yousaf.
The above mentioned revolt lead to an operation cleanup within the Pakistan team, when selectors were asked not to consider Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousaf for any future series.[23]

Match fixingEdit
Pakistan cricket team has been scarred by match fixing allegations on many occasions. First such incident was reported in 1995, when Shane Warne alleged that Salim Malik had offered money. In 2010 Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were suspended from international cricket. This later led to ten-, five- and seven-year bans respectively. The trio also served time in prison in the UK.
History of the Pakistani cricket team - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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[Musafir117]

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Little master Hanif Mohammad

Hanif Mohammad: 12 things you should know about the original Little Master | News and Gossip on Cricket Players at Criclife.com

 

[terry5]

Nice thread on the Greatest Cricketing nation to come out of Asia .

 

[Musafir117]

Team's First Poster boy



Fazal Mahmood waves to the crowd after his 12 wicket haul at The Oval. — Oxford University Press
A young green-eyed boy ran into bowl on a 22-yard strip. He aimed at a coin kept at good length, carefully placed in line with the off-stump. Each time the boy hit the coin, it was his to pocket.

By the age of thirteen he got into his college team, at fourteen he picked five for thirteen in the inter-college finals, as Islamia College were crowned champions in 1941.

For the next few years his father made sure the boy bagged a lot of coins and set a strict regime for the young lad. In bed latest by 10pm, rising at 4:30am to start rigorous training; a ten-mile run set at different levels of speed every morning.

Ghulam Hussain, a professor of Economics at the Islamia College was a passionate cricket enthusiast and the president of the college cricket club. But more importantly he nurtured his son to become Pakistan’s first true cricketing celebrity, star and poster boy. He fathered and mentored the legendary Fazal Mahmood.

Fazal came from an educated and well respected lineage; his grandfather Allah Ditta graduated from King Edward Medical College and was one of the first Muslim doctor’s in the sub continent.

At the age of 19 Fazal was selected to play for India on its maiden tour to Australia in 1947-48, which was going to be his only chance to play against Sir Don Bradman who was to retire that year. He even attended the conditioning camp for the tour, but amidst mass murder and bloodbath in the region, Fazal had to flee the country in haste.

“I was informed about the slaughter when I reached the airport. I could not go to Delhi and Lahore. A kindly passenger gave me his ticket, and I managed to travel to Karachi. The incident changed my life. I decided to stay in Pakistan. I had a lot in India, emotionally and financially, but I had to reconcile myself and settle down in Pakistan,” he recalled.


Pakistan was a new nation and lacked systems, finances and infrastructure. In 1949, the ICC (Imperial Cricket Conference) rejected Pakistan’s application for Test status because of BCCP’s failure to submit membership fee. Second objection was a lack of competitive domestic cricket in Pakistan.

In 1949-50, Fazal was the leading bowler on Pakistan's tour of Ceylon, and when Ceylon returned the visit in 1950 he took 20 wickets in two representative matches. This was a trailer of what was in store.

In 1951 England (MCC Team) decided to visit Pakistan for two side games and two unofficial Tests as break from their tour to India. First three games were drawn at Sialkot, Lahore and Bhawalpur as the two teams headed to Karachi.

Fazal had picked up a thigh injury in Lahore and was ruled out of the match. “A day before the match, while I was in my hotel room (in Karachi), I switched on the radio and found that I had not been selected in the team. I could not believe that I had been dropped, and was crestfallen,” wrote Fazal in his autobiography ‘From Dusk till Dawn’.

One of the selectors Dilawer Hussain called him at night and asked him to come to the Karachi Gymkhana Ground in the morning for the game. Dilawer lied to the other selectors that the Board Chairman Justice A. R. Cornelius had ordered Fazal’s selection.


Colin McDonald bats against Fazal Mahmood, Pakistan v Australia, 1st Test, Dacca, 2nd day, November 14, 1959. The 1959-60 Dacca Test was one of the rare occasions when the captains, Fazal Mahmood and Richie Benaud, took six or more wickets each. — AP
By lunch on day one, England was five down and Fazal had picked four. “Son, you’ve saved me from the gallows,” said Dilawer to Fazal as he walked into the pavilion for lunch.

Three days later Fazal hit the winning runs that would secure Pakistan Test status.

In 1952 the Pakistani team crossed the Wagah Border for their inaugural Test series that started in Feroze Shah Kotla, Delhi. Before the game a pretty looking girl told Fazal, “Good luck, but you can’t win against India.” After Pakistan’s innings defeat she approached Fazal again and repeated her lines. This time an emotional Fazal replied: “If you want to see India lose, better come to Lucknow.”


Fazal Mahmood receiving medal from Pakistan president during the Golden Jubilee of Test Cricket Gala, Islamabad, September 16, 2003. — Pakistan Cricket Board
The girl was said to be Indira Gandhi, daughter of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Fifteen years later, she went onto become Prime Minister herself.

It is not known if Indira went to Lucknow for the second Test, but the match was wrapped up in four days as Fazal bagged 12 wickets and Pakistan won by an innings.

Next, Pakistan toured England in 1954. The Pakistani team was invited to the Buckingham Palace and introduced to Queen Elizabeth, where she asked why Fazal had blue eyes unlike his countrymen. Later, he got special invitation to the queen’s annual Royal Garden Party. Some people suggest that it was due to Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth’s younger sibling) that Fazal was invited to the annual event for several years to come.

England won the Test at Nottingham and Pakistan somehow scrapped through with draws at Lords and Old Trafford, assisted by rain. The last Test at the Oval followed the script of the series and England was in a commanding position, needing 168 to win against a bowling attack they had played with relative ease throughout the wet summer.

England were 109/2 and needed just 59 to win with 8 wickets in hand before Peter May held out to Kardar on a ball from Fazal. Fearing rain, Sir Len Hutton promoted swash buckling keeper Godfrey Evans in the hope of finishing the game that evening.

England was soon reduced to 121/6 before close through some brilliant Pakistani bowling.


Fazal Mahmood walks to the steps at The Oval following his 12-wicket haul against England. — Oxford University Press
A huge Pakistani contingent showed up at the ground the next morning to see their team ignite the Englishmen. Pakistan had switched on the furnace and every run seemed like a milestone for the English. Pakistan recorded a historic win when Jim McConnon tried to steal a single but fell short of the crease. Last four wickets were bottled for 18 runs that morning and the Kingdom was Fazalled by Pakistan’s magic.

England had lost their first Test match in over three years as the Oval Test witnessed one of the largest crowds in a cricket ground in Britain since World War II.


Mourners gather for Fazal Mahmood's funeral, Lahore, May 31, 2005. — AFP
Though Fazal missed several games through injury, he finished the tour of 1954 with 77 wickets at 17.53 runs apiece.

While Sarfraz Nawaz in Melbourne and Imran Khan at Karachi can claim to have delivered the most memorable and significant solo fast bowling spells in Pakistan Test cricket history, the legend of Oval will live in Pakistani cricket folklore as the ultimate showdown.

Fazal took 12 wickets in the game as Pakistan squared the series with a 24 run victory; at home a national holiday was declared as Pakistan announced their arrival on the cricketing map in style.

Today, we mourn, we pay our respects, but most of all, we cherish Fazal Mahmood’s contribution to Pakistan cricket on the 10th death anniversary of the “Legend of Oval”.

“Pakistan has come here to stay,” Fazal often said, repeating the lines of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

 

[Musafir117]

Abdul Hafeez Kardar — The Father of Pakistan Cricket

Abdul Hafeez Kardar, the first Test captain of Pakistan, was born on January 17, 1925. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at the man who had led Pakistan to a win against all Test-playing nations.

—

Of all the Test nations, Pakistan probably has had the most frequent captain changes. They have produced Test captains of various statures over the decades. Despite the prevalence of legendary captains – including Imran Khan – only one of them is still referred to as “The Skipper”. He was one of those men who could lift ordinary men to lift their levels to perform extraordinary feats: he was an excellent motivator of people, and always believed in leading by example.

Kardar played Tests even before Pakistan was formed: born in Lahore, he had played three Tests for undivided India on the 1946 England tour, albeit as Abdul Hafeez. He was a very aggressive left-hand batsman – often a bit too aggressive – and a very effective left-arm spinner, though he often switched to medium pace.

He adapted to the British conditions quite well. He studied in Oxford, represented Warwickshire, honed his skills under the great Martin Donnelly, and even married the club chairman Cyril Hastilow’s daughter. It was in England that a journalist had written “batted like an Eastern mystic” to describe his skills, only to be published as “an Eastern mistake” the next day!



After Partition, he remained in Lahore and became Pakistan’s first Test captain. Though Vinoo Mankad trounced Pakistan in their maiden Test, Pakistan struck back strongly in only their second Test at Lucknow. On a matting wicket the incomparable Fazal Mahmood took 12 wickets and Pakistan won by an innings in only their second Test ever.



It was a memorable moment for Pakistan. Almost no team has won a Test so early after their advent in the international arena, and this was quite a revelation. Kardar was hailed a national hero, and Pakistan, unlike other rookies, were not considered a minnow – they became a force to reckon with almost immediately.



The bunch of newcomers, catapulted to the highest level, had already shown immense promise under Kardar. It was evident that they were destined for bigger things: the world of cricket was to be shocked by a bigger upset in less than two years’ time.



The innings defeat at Trent Bridge had meant that Pakistan went 0-1 down in the final Test at The Oval. Kardar won the toss and elected to bat on what looked seemed to be a blunder under overcast conditions. The English fast bowlers – the experienced Brian Statham and the debutants Peter Loader and Frank Tyson – soon had Pakistan reeling at 51 for seven. From a precarious situation Kardar batted superbly with the tail, top-scored with a crucial 36 and helped Pakistan reach 133 (which included four ducks).



When it was Pakistan’s turn to bowl, Fazal Mahmood bowled throughout the innings and took 6 for 53 to shock England; Mahmood Hussain, with 4 for 58, also took vital wickets, and England were shot out for 130. Thereafter, Pakistan crawled to 164 with Johnny Wardle continuing to pick up wickets, leaving England a paltry 168 for a win.



They still had to handle Fazal, though – who was backed by a very good supporting line-up. Once again Fazal was relentless, eating away at the English line-up; and suddenly from a comfortable 109 for 2, Fazal induced a collapse. Kardar marshalled his men efficiently, with immaculate bowling changes and astute field placements. Fazal took 6 for 46, England were bowled out for 143, and the series was levelled in front of thousands of Pakistanis who had crowded to the ground to witness history on the fourth morning.



That one victory changed everything. People began to take Pakistan seriously; and the world of cricket considered Kardar as one of the most inspirational captains of contemporary cricket. Back home, an entire generation was inspired to take on the sport, and gave the newly formed nation an icon to follow. His stature increased even more when Pakistan thrashed New Zealand 2-0 at home, Kardar taking 8 wickets in the two victorious Tests.



A year after, Australia were scheduled to make their first tour to Pakistan, and were clear favourites in the one-off Test. They elected to bat, and their heavyweight batting line-up was expected to score huge. They had a rather nasty shock when Kardar got Fazal (Six for 34) and Khan Mohammad (Four for 43) to bowl unchanged throughout their innings, and the mighty Australians were bowled out for 80.



They fought back, though: a star-studded bowling side reduced Pakistan to 70 for five; it was then that Kardar walked in and counterattacked, scoring 69 out of a partnership of 104 with Wazir Mohammad. It was an innings worthy of a captain who was being hailed as one of the best in the world. Once a 119-run lead was achieved, Fazal (Seven for 80) and Khan Mohammad (Three for 69) bowled out Australia for 187, and rest was a mere formality. Australia had to leave Pakistan defeated and outclassed.



Within four years of their admission into Test cricket, Pakistan had managed to defeat four Test nations, all under Kardar. South Africa’s discriminating racial policies meant that Kardar would not get a chance to lead against them, but he still had to defeat West Indies to complete his “set”. He achieved that with an innings win at Port-of-Spain two years later against a strong West Indian outfit, thanks to a 189 from Wazir and 6-wicket hauls from Fazal and Naseem-ul-Ghani. It turned out to be Kardar’s last Test.



Over a tenure of six years Kardar had uplifted many cricketers from all parts of Pakistan and united them into a world force. He mentored all of them, and has always been considered the father figure of Pakistan cricket. His role, however, did not end there. He was a great visionary of the sport, and a more than capable administrator in Pakistan cricket.



When England had toured Pakistan in 1956, Donald Carr and his men were not very amused with a series of biased decisions from the umpire Idris Begh. They played a prank on Begh in the evening, pouring a bucket of water on his head. Though the entire thing was considered a joke (even by Begh), Kardar did not see the lighter side of things. He dealt with the situation with an iron hand, and made the English management to apologise to Begh. At the same time, he also prophesised neutral umpires for Test cricket – a vision that was came true several decades later.



As an administrator (he was the President of the Pakistan Cricket Board from 1972 to 1977) he helped revolutionise Pakistan cricket: it was during his era that the concept of the sport in the country was truly modernised, with improved facilities and team selections. He helped develop a sense of pride and professionalism – attributes that had singled him out – among the Test cricketers. He was also strong enough to become the voice of the Asian and African countries in the ICC – a move that initiated the shift of power in the later decades.



He was somewhat dictatorial in his outlook and often reacted to criticisms, and his tenure ended in a resignation over a pay dispute with players, but as an administrator he was impeccable. So much that Imran Khan – the only Pakistani cricketer to have matched Kardar’s stature as a leader and who was a part of the group with whom he had the 1977 fallout – commented soon afterwards “after his retirement in 1977, Pakistani cricket will be thrown to the wolves, the cricket bureaucrats whose progeny still rule the game”.



He shifted to politics after that, and became Pakistan’s ambassador to Switzerland (he had earlier been elected to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab in 1970). Though he somewhat detached himself from the sport, his was still hailed for his towards making the game popular at every level in his country and taking it to the next level.

Abdul Hafeez Kardar passed away at Lahore in 1996.

(A hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobiac by his own admission, Abhishek Mukherjee is a statistical analyst based in Kolkata, India. He typically looks upon life as a journey involving two components – cricket and literature – not necessarily as disjoint elements. A passionate follower of the history of the game with an insatiable appetite for trivia and anecdotes, he has also a rather steady love affair with the incredible assortment of numbers the sport has to offer. He also thinks he can bowl decent leg-breaks and googlies in street cricket.

 

[WAJsal]

Great thread. Watch this.
Pakistan Cricket - Moments in Time

 

[Musafir117]

Great thread. Watch this.
Pakistan Cricket - Moments in Time

Yes I already read it, here I'm trying to put materiel serial wise 50's 60's 70's and so on keep the trail if you want share please, it's hard to put each individual of our history here just picking the legends/heroes and historical won and lost.

 

[WAJsal]

Yes I already read it, here I'm trying to put materiel serial wise 50's 60's 70's and so on keep the trail if you want share please, it's hard to put each individual of our history here just picking the legends/heroes and historical won and lost.

Good.

 

[Musafir117]

Pakistan tour of India 1960/61 | Cricket news, live scores, fixtures, features and statistics on ESPN Cricinfo
All five test matches end on draw!

Cricket Records | Records | Pakistan in India Test Series, 1960/61 | Most runs | ESPN Cricinfo

Cricket Records | Records | Pakistan in India Test Series, 1960/61 | Best bowling figures in an innings | ESPN Cricinfo

Cricket Records | Records | Pakistan in India Test Series, 1960/61 | High scores | ESPN Cricinfo