Pakistan Cricket's Greatest Moments: 1992, 2009 and 2017

Pakistan have always been one of cricket's most exciting teams: capable of beating anyone on their day, famous for great fast bowlers and for comebacks nobody expected. These are the moments that shaped Pakistan cricket.

1952: Test cricket begins

Pakistan played their first Test against India in Delhi in October 1952. They lost that match, but won the second Test in Lucknow only days later, with fast-medium bowler Fazal Mahmood taking 12 wickets. A new Test nation had arrived.

1954: The Oval

On their first tour of England, Pakistan won the fourth Test at The Oval by 24 runs. Fazal Mahmood took 12 wickets again, and the series was drawn 1–1 on Pakistan's very first tour of England.

1992: World Cup champions

The 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand began badly for Pakistan. After five matches they had only one win, and they needed help from other results to reach the semi-finals. Captain Imran Khan told his players to fight "like cornered tigers".

They beat New Zealand in the semi-final, with a young Inzamam-ul-Haq playing a brilliant innings, and met England in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Pakistan made 249 for 6, with Imran scoring 72 and Javed Miandad 58. Then Wasim Akram, with his left-arm pace and late swing, bowled two unplayable balls in a row to dismiss Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis. England were all out for 227 and Pakistan won by 22 runs. Wasim was named player of the final.

The fast-bowling tradition

Pakistan's identity is built on fast bowling. Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis made reverse swing famous around the world: an old ball that swings late and fast at the batter's toes. Later came Shoaib Akhtar, whose 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) delivery at the 2003 World Cup is the fastest ball officially measured, and then Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

2009: T20 World Cup at Lord's

Two years after losing the first T20 World Cup final to India, Pakistan returned to a final in 2009. Under Younis Khan, they beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets at Lord's. Shahid Afridi, who had starred in the semi-final, finished the chase with an unbeaten 54. It was a joyful day in a difficult period, when international cricket could not be played in Pakistan.

2016: Number one in Tests

Under captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan played their "home" Tests in the United Arab Emirates for years. Their steady improvement took them to the top of the ICC Test rankings in August 2016 after a drawn series in England, where Misbah celebrated his century at Lord's with push-ups.

2017: Champions Trophy

Pakistan arrived at the 2017 Champions Trophy as the lowest-ranked team and lost their first match heavily to India. Under Sarfaraz Ahmed they then won four matches in a row to reach the final against the same opponents at The Oval.

Fakhar Zaman scored 114 and Pakistan made 338 for 4. Mohammad Amir removed India's top order early, and India were all out for 158. Pakistan won by 180 runs, one of the biggest winning margins in an ICC final. Hasan Ali was named player of the tournament.

Why these moments matter

Each of these wins came when Pakistan were not the favourites. That is what fans love most about this team: it can turn a hopeless position into a famous victory. Follow our Pakistan Cricket section for previews and reports of the team's next matches.

More famous days for Pakistan fans

• 1986, Sharjah: in the Austral-Asia Cup final, Javed Miandad hit the last ball of the match for six to beat India by one wicket. It is still one of the most famous finishes in one-day cricket.
• 1987, India: Pakistan won a Test series in India for the first time, sealing it with a 16-run win in Bangalore in Imran Khan's last Test in India.
• 2017, Jamaica: Younis Khan became the first Pakistani batter to score 10,000 Test runs, in his final series before retirement.
• 2021, Dubai: Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets at the T20 World Cup, their first win over India in a World Cup match. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan chased the target without losing a wicket.
• 2022, Melbourne: Pakistan reached the T20 World Cup final again after a slow start to the tournament, and lost to England by 5 wickets at the MCG, thirty years after the famous 1992 final at the same ground.

Pakistan's ICC titles at a glance

Year	Tournament	Captain	Final
1992	ODI World Cup	Imran Khan	Beat England by 22 runs, Melbourne
2009	T20 World Cup	Younis Khan	Beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets, Lord's
2017	Champions Trophy	Sarfaraz Ahmed	Beat India by 180 runs, The Oval

What makes Pakistan cricket special

Pakistan's great teams have rarely been the most organised, but they have always had match-winners. A single spell from a fast bowler or one brave innings can change a series. Street and tape-ball cricket in cities such as Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar has produced many of these players, which is one reason why Pakistan keeps finding new fast bowlers with real pace.

Frequently asked questions

How many ICC trophies has Pakistan won?

The men's team has won three major ICC titles: the 1992 World Cup, the 2009 T20 World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy.

When did Pakistan play their first Test?

In October 1952, against India in Delhi. Pakistan won the second Test of that series in Lucknow.

Who bowled the fastest ball in cricket?

Shoaib Akhtar, with a delivery measured at 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) against England at the 2003 World Cup.