Sum up of Pakistan Cricket in 2021

A year that began with a disheartening innings defeat at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch finished on a high with a 3-0 T20I series win over two-time former T20 world champions West Indies in Karachi.

Between the two series in 2021, Pakistan won three-Test series and drew one, and also reached the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 where the second last over changed the match in Australia’s favour who went on to win their maiden T20 world title in Dubai.

Overall, in the 2021 calendar year, Pakistan won seven of their nine Tests, lost four of the six ODIs and ended up on the winning side in 20 off the 29 T20Is. In the previous calendar year, which was marred by the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan had won one out of five Tests, two out of three ODIs and seven off the 11 T20Is.

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The matches that left everlasting memories in the minds of the fans came in the T20 World Cup where Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets as well as New Zealand and Afghanistan by five wickets respectively. These wins were followed by 45 runs and 72 runs victories over Namibia and Scotland, respectively.

The supporters were revitalised by the performances, as the entire nation rallied behind the men in green, cheering and supporting them throughout the competition.

India, who opted to bat first in the match against Pakistan on October 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, were crushed by Shaheen Shah Afridi, who concluded with three for 31 as the traditional rivals were reduced to 151 for seven. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan batted brilliantly, amassing 68 and 79 runs respectively as Pakistan won with more than two overs to spare.

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This triumph came after a five-wicket win over New Zealand, in which Haris Rauf claimed four wickets and Mohammad Rizwan (33), Shoaib Malik (26 not out), and Asif Ali (27) all contributed significantly.

The encounter against Afghanistan, Pakistan’s third in six days, will be remembered for Asif Ali’s four sixes in the penultimate over, which secured a five-wicket triumph for the 2009 champions. Babar Azam, who scored 51 runs in a 148-run chase, was the other significant scorer.

The interim head coach Saqlain Mushtaq, Matthew Hayden (batting consultant), and Vernon Philander (bowling coach) played a key role in the Pakistan team’s remarkable turnaround, as they appeared relaxed, composed, motivated, and resilient. Babar Azam, of course, had a key role in the team’s success, as he demonstrated outstanding leadership and led by example and performance.

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The victory over Bangladesh in the second Test at Sher-e-Bangla was no less entertaining, thrilling, or exciting, as Pakistan won by an innings and eight runs in the final session of the match, which saw only 63.2 overs bowled in the first two days and the third day’s play was called off due to rain.

In Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s 95-run victory over South Africa was sweet. Not only did Hasan Ali take ten wickets in his comeback series following a career-threatening back injury, but Mohammad Rizwan hit an unbeaten 115 in the second innings to raise Pakistan from a dangerous 143 for seven to 298 all-out, setting the visitors a 370-run mark.

While there were some heartwarming victories, there were also a few heartbreaks.

In August, Pakistan lost by one wicket in the Jamaica Test against the West Indies, denying Pakistan a second consecutive series victory in the Caribbean.

Then, on November 11 in Dubai, the ghost of the 2010 T20 World Cup returned to haunt Pakistan when Matthew Wade hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over to give Australia a five-wicket victory. Australia needed 37 off the final three overs and 22 from the final 12 deliveries.

Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman deserved to be on the winning side in the ODIs for their spectacular innings, but it wasn’t to be. Babar’s 139-ball 158 against England in Birmingham was in vain, as England won the series 3-0 by three wickets, while Fakhar Zaman’s 193 from 155 balls with 18 fours and ten sixes fell short of helping Pakistan cross the line in Centurion, where South Africa won by 17 runs. Pakistan took a 2-1 lead in the series.

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With 695 runs in nine Tests, Abid Ali was Pakistan’s best batter. Fawad Alam (571), Azhar Ali (549), Mohammad Rizwan (455) and Babar Azam (455) were his closest competitors (416 runs). Shaheen Shah Afridi led the bowlers with 47 wickets, followed by Hasan Ali (41), Nauman Ali (19), Sajid Khan (18), and Faheem Ashraf (10).

Babar Azam, the No. 1 batsman in the world, led the batting order with 405 runs in six ODIs, followed by Fakhar Zaman (365), Imam-ul-Haq (189), and Mohammad Rizwan (189). (134). With 13 wickets, Haris Rauf was the most successful bowler, while Shaheen Shah Afridi took eight.

Mohammad Rizwan, the world’s number three batsman, won the T20I batting title after scoring 1,326 runs in 29 matches, including a 52-ball 67 against Australia in Dubai after spending 30 hours in the hospital due to a chest ailment.

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Babar Azam, the second-best batsman in the tournament, scored 939 runs, while Fakhar Zaman scored 415. With Hasan Ali on 25 wickets, Haris Rauf cemented his reputation as a prolific white-ball bowler, while Shaheen Shah Afridi was once again among the wickets with 23. Shadab Khan finished with a total of 20 wickets.

If the three ODIs and five T20Is against New Zealand, two T20Is against England in September/October, and three ODIs against the West Indies had gone forward as scheduled, these statistics could have been even higher. New Zealand, citing security concerns, cancelled the tour on the day of the series opener, and England followed suit. Both boards later decided to travel Pakistan in 2022 alongside the West Indies, who were forced to return home after a Covid-19 outbreak in their ranks left them weakened and under-strength for the ICC World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals.

With Australia already confirmed to visit Pakistan in March/April 2022 for three Tests, three ODIs, and one T20I, Pakistan is gearing up for one of the busiest and heaviest home international cricket calendar years ever, with eight Tests, 11 ODIs, and 13 T20Is on the books. Pakistan will tour Sri Lanka for Tests, ODIs, and the ACC T20 Cup before competing in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia in October.

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Unlike the men’s team, the national women’s team had a disappointing calendar year, winning only three of their thirteen ODIs and one of their six T20Is. They also qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand in 2022 and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.

At the pathway level, the Pakistan Shaheens greeted 2021 with two victories in a row over New Zealand A, followed by a tour of Sri Lanka in October/November. Sri Lanka A held their mettle to tie both four-day matches, but the Shaheens won the sole completed 50-over match by six wickets. Pakistan U19 then competed in the ACC U19 Asia Cup, where they defeated Afghanistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates in group matches but lost in the semi-final against Sri Lanka.

Covid-19 continues to disrupt a variety of international sporting events this year, and Pakistan Super League 6 was no exception. Following 14 matches in Karachi in February/March, the remaining 20 matches were held in Abu Dhabi in June, when Multan Sultans won their first title by defeating Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs.

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In addition to the PSL 6, the PCB hosted nine other domestic tournaments, totalling 267 matches around Pakistan.

Away from the field, Pakistan was given the hosting rights for the ACC 50-over Asia Cup in 2023 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, marking two important victories. Pakistan last hosted an ACC event in 2008, while the last ICC event they co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka was in 1996. The granting of the two events was a credit to Pakistan’s security services’ achievements, as the world finally realised security is no longer a concern.

Abdul Qadir and Fazal Mahmood have been inducted into the PCB Hall of Fame, joining Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Zaheer Abbas, who were the first entrants after being inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

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In the second half of 2021, Ehsan Mani’s three-year term came to an end, and Ramiz Raja, a former Pakistan captain, took over as president. Following the resignation of Chief Executive Wasim Khan in September, the PCB named Faisal Hasnain, an experienced finance and sports administrator, as the new Chief Executive.