Pakistans Legendary Cricket Stars Through the Years

Hasan Ali started his career in 2013 playing for Sialkot. He scored a century and was named the best player in the 2021 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final. That year, he became captain of Central Punjab and later joined Karachi Kings in 2023. He bowls fast and swings the ball well. His international debut came in August 2016 against Ireland. In the 2017 Champions Trophy, he took 13 wickets and was named player of the tournament. He became the fastest Pakistani to reach 50 ODI wickets. In 2018, the Pakistan Cricket Board included him in their list of centrally contracted players.

Babar Azam was born on 15 October 1994. He is a right-handed batter who plays at the top of the order. He leads Pakistan in all formats and captains Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League. In 2024, he scored the most runs in T20 internationals. Babar stepped down twice from white-ball captaincy because of workload but returned in different roles. In 2025, he showed skill with both bat and ball. His calm approach and consistent performance help his team in many conditions.

Mohammad Nawaz started professional cricket in 2018–19. He earned a central contract in the same period and was a reserve player for the 2020 tour to England. He was part of the squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. In 2022, he took five wickets in a Test match for the first time. Nawaz played a key role in a record chase in a T20 international. His left-arm spin and strong batting help Pakistan in limited-overs matches.

Abrar Ahmed made his international debut in December 2022 during a Test against England. In that match, he took ten wickets, with seven in the first innings and four in the second. Born on 11 September 1998, he bowls with mystery spin that confuses batsmen, especially on flat pitches. In May 2024, he was selected for the ICC T20 World Cup. His ability to take wickets regularly helped him secure a spot among Pakistan’s main spin bowlers.

Fakhar Zaman was born on 10 April 1990. He scored a century in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against India. In 2018, he became the first Pakistani to score a double century in an ODI. He reached 1,000 ODI runs faster than any other Pakistani player. In April 2021, he scored 193 runs against South Africa, helping Pakistan win. In November 2023, he hit 11 sixes in a T20 match against New Zealand. Fakhar is an important opener in all formats.

Imam-ul-Haq was born on 22 December 1995 in Karachi. He scored a century on his ODI debut against Sri Lanka. Soon after, he received a central contract for the 2018–19 season. In March 2022, he made centuries in both innings of a Test match against Australia. His 61 runs helped Pakistan recover and win against Afghanistan. Imam often bats near Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, playing an important role in the team.

Mohammad Rizwan was born on 1 June 1992. He leads Pakistan’s limited-overs team and captains Multan Sultans in the PSL. Rizwan also leads Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in domestic cricket. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, he scored 53 not out against Canada. He made 171 not out in a Test match versus Bangladesh. In 2021, he earned ICC’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award and was named by Wisden. He scored 1,326 runs in T20Is that year with an average of 73.66, becoming the first player to reach 2,000 T20I runs in a calendar year.

Shaheen Afridi was born on 6 April 2000. He became T20I captain and led Lahore Qalandars to PSL championships in 2022, 2023, and 2025. Afridi made his international debut in 2018. He was named ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2021 and received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, becoming the first Pakistani to earn it. He married Ansha in 2023, and their son Aliyaar was born in 2024. Shaheen is a leading left-arm fast bowler who plays well in national and franchise cricket.

Saud Shakeel was born on 5 September 1995. He is vice-captain of Pakistan’s Test team. His ODI debut came in July 2021, and he played his first Test in December 2022. In July 2023, Saud scored Pakistan’s first Test double century in Sri Lanka. He made a solid 68 on debut and played important innings in World Cup matches. Saud bats steadily and bowls part-time spin, becoming an all-format player.

Abdullah Shafique was born on 20 November 1999. He plays for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL. His World Cup debut came in October 2023 when he scored 113 runs off 103 balls against Sri Lanka. He also made 64 runs against Australia and 58 against Afghanistan. Abdullah has strong technique and is becoming an important top-order batter for Pakistan in Tests and ODIs.