Cricket in Pakistan
The history of Cricket in Pakistan predates the creation of the country in 1947. The first ever international cricket match in what is Pakistan today was held in Karachi on November 22, 1935 between Sindhi and Australian cricket teams. The match was seen by 5,000 Karachiites. It was introduced by the British during their colonial rule of British South Asia, which covered the area now known as Pakistan. Cricket is the most popular sport in the country.[1] Pakistan has produced many talented cricketers who have been among the best batsmen and bowlers in international cricket.
The Pakistan Cricket Board controls both all domestic cricket tournaments. Pakistan is an official member of the International Cricket Council and the Asian Cricket Council.
History
In One Day International and Test cricket matches, Pakistan has one of the best winning records among teams from Asia. Pakistan has won the Cricket World Cup in 1992 and the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009.
- 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
- History of cricket in Pakistan from 2001
Organization
The Pakistan Cricket Board governs all official domestic tournaments. Pakistan is also an official member of the International Cricket Council and the Asian Cricket Council.
Almost all cities and villages in Pakistan have their own cricket teams and unofficial tournaments. Pakistani children start playing the game at a young age. The game is one of the most popular form of sports in the country.
Domestic cricket
Domestic Cricket in Pakistan is currently sponsored by HAIER PAKISTAN.. The most important domestic cricket tournaments in Pakistan include:
- Quaid-i-Azam Trophy
- Pakistan Super League
- Pentangular Trophy
- National One-day Championship
- Faysal Bank T20 Cup
- Patron's Trophy
International cricket
Cricket teams in Pakistan take part in domestic competitions such as the ABN-AMRO Cup, the ABN-AMRO Patron's Trophy, ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup and the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. International Test matches and One Day International matches are played between the Pakistan national team and foreign opponents regularly.
The team has won many international cricket tournaments, including the World Cup and the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. They finished runners up in the 1999 World Cup and the 2007 World Twenty20.
They also take part in officially sanctioned Asian Cricket Council competitions including the Asia Cup, Asian Test Championship, ACC Trophy and the Asian Cricket Junior Tournament.
Famous Pakistani cricketers include Hanif Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas, Mansoor Akhtar, Abdul Qadir, Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul, Younis Khan, Rameez Raja, Aamir Sohail, Saqlain Mushtaq, Saeed Ajmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Sami, Muhammad Rizwan, Sohaib Maqsood, Azhar Ali, Muhammad Hafeez, Yasir Shah, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Nasir Jamshed