CRICKETERS from Pakistan

Top 8

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Pakistani Cricketers of all time. This list of famous Pakistani Cricketers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Shahid Afridi (1980 - )

With an HPI of 28.89, Shahid Afridi is the most famous Pakistani Cricketer.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages on wikipedia.

Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi (Urdu: شاہد افریدی‎, Pashto: شاهد افریدی; born 1 March 1977) is a Pakistani former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. An all-rounder, Afridi was a right-handed leg spinner and a right-handed batsman. Afridi made his ODI debut in 1996 against Kenya. In his second ODI match against Sri Lanka, he played his first international innings and broke the record for fastest century in ODI cricket (doing so in 37 deliveries). He made his Test debut against Australia in 1998. Afridi made his T20I debut against England in 2006. Afridi was named player of the tournament of the 2007 T20 World Cup. Afridi was player of the match in the final of the 2009 T20 World Cup scoring an unbeaten 54 and getting figures of 1/20 off of 4 overs as Pakistan went on to win the final. Shortly after Pakistan's win at the 2009 World Cup, Pakistan's captain, Younis Khan, announced his retirement from T20Is and Afridi was appointed as his successor. In 2010, Afridi was appointed Pakistan's ODI captain after the sacking of Mohammad Yousuf. Afridi was also appointed Pakistan's Test captain but retired from the format after one match as captain. He led the Pakistan team in the 2011 Cricket World Cup where they reached the semi-finals before losing to rival India. In 2011, Afridi was removed as ODI captain. In 2015, Afridi retired from ODI cricket. After Pakistan's group stage elimination from the 2016 T20 World Cup, Afridi stepped down from captaincy. He was not selected afterwards and on 19 February 2017, Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket. He made a brief return to international cricket after being selected to represent and captain the World XI against the West Indies in the 2018 Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge charity match. Following the conclusion of the match, Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket again on 31 May 2018. He served as the interim chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team for Pakistan's series against New Zealand. Afridi runs his own charity, the Shahid Afridi Foundation which aims to provide education and healthcare facilities. He also teamed up with UNICEF to promote the anti-polio campaign in the country. During the 2019 Coronavirus pandemic, he was involved in helping people across Balochistan during the lockdown in the country. This led to him contracting COVID-19 on 13 June 2020. Afridi was also nominated among the top 20 most charitable athletes of 2015.

2. Wasim Akram (1966 - )

With an HPI of 28.30, Wasim Akram is the 2nd most famous Pakistani Cricketer.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Wasim Akram HI (Punjabi, Urdu: وَسیم اکرم; born 3 June 1966) is a Pakistani cricket commentator, coach, and former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Akram is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. He is often revered as The Sultan of Swing. In October 2013, Wasim Akram was the only Pakistani cricketer to be named in an all-time Test World XI to mark the 150th anniversary of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As captain, he led Pakistan to the finals of the 1999 Cricket World Cup, where they lost to Australia by 8 wickets. He was a part of the Pakistani squad which won the 1992 Cricket World Cup. A left-arm fast bowler who could bowl with significant pace, he holds the world record for most wickets in List A cricket, with 881, and is second only to Sri Lankan off-spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan in terms of ODI wickets, with 502 in total. He is considered to be one of the founders, and perhaps the finest exponent of, reverse swing bowling. He was the first bowler to reach the 500-wicket mark in ODI cricket, and he did so during the 2003 World Cup. In 2002, Wisden released its only list of the best players of all time. Wasim was ranked as the best bowler in ODI of all time, with a rating of 1223.5, ahead of Allan Donald, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, Joel Garner, Glenn McGrath and Muralitharan. Wasim took 23 four-wicket hauls in 356 ODI matches played. On 30 September 2009, Akram was one of five new members inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He was the bowling coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he took a break from the position for IPL 6, citing a need to spend more time with family in Karachi, and he took a further break from IPL 2017; he was replaced by Lakshmipathy Balaji. He was working as director and bowling coach of Islamabad United in Pakistan Super League until he left to join Multan Sultans in August 2017. In October 2018, he was named in the Pakistan Cricket Board's seven-member advisory cricket committee. In November 2018, he joined PSL franchisee Karachi Kings as President. The Government of Pakistan awarded him the Hilal-e-Imtiaz on 23 March 2019 for his lifetime achievements in the field of cricket.

3. Shoaib Akhtar (1975 - )

With an HPI of 25.60, Shoaib Akhtar is the 3rd most famous Pakistani Cricketer.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Shoaib Akhtar (Urdu, Punjabi: شعیب اختر; pronounced [ʃoeːb əxt̪ər] ; born 13 August 1975) is a Pakistani former international cricketer and commentator. Nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express", he is the fastest bowler in cricketing history, with an unbeaten 161.3 kmph delivery. Akhtar made his Test match debut in November 1997 as an opening fast bowler and played his first One Day International three months later. Post-retirement, he began a YouTube career by starting his own channel, where he gives reviews on International and league matches and Pakistani cricket.

4. Inzamam-ul-Haq (1970 - )

With an HPI of 24.59, Inzamam-ul-Haq is the 4th most famous Pakistani Cricketer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Syed Inzamam-ul-Haq SI (Urdu: انضمام الحق; born 3 March 1970), also known as Inzi, is a former Pakistan cricketer and captain of Pakistan national cricket team. He is regarded as one of the best middle-order batsmen of all time. He is the former chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team before resigning in 2023. He was a part of the Pakistani squad which won the 1992 Cricket World Cup. He was the leading run scorer for Pakistan in one-day internationals, and the third-highest run scorer for Pakistan in Test cricket. He is the only Pakistani batsman to score 20,000 runs in international cricket arena. He was the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team from 2003 to 2007. As well as being a prolific batsman, he also occasionally bowled gentle left-arm spin. Inzamam rose to fame in the semi-final of the 1992 Cricket World Cup. He remained one of the team's leading batsmen throughout the decade in both Test and ODI cricket. In 2003, he was appointed captain of the team. His tenure as captain ended after Pakistan's early exit from the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Inzamam retired from international cricket in 2007, following the second Test match against South Africa, falling three runs short of Javed Miandad as Pakistan's leading run scorer in Test cricket at the time. Following his retirement, he joined the Indian Cricket League, captaining the Hyderabad Heroes in the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 competition. In the ICL's second edition, he captained the Lahore Badshahs, a team composed entirely of Pakistani cricketers. Inzamam-ul-Haq is a prominent member of the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic missionary organisation, and remains an influential personality in Pakistan cricket. In April 2016, he was appointed the chief selector of the Pakistan national cricket team. In August 2023, he was again appointed chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team.

5. Shoaib Malik (1982 - )

With an HPI of 22.46, Shoaib Malik is the 5th most famous Pakistani Cricketer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Shoaib Malik (pronounced [ʃoeːb məlɪk]; born 1 February 1982) is a Pakistani cricketer who played for the Pakistan national cricket team and currently plays for Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He was the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team from 2007 to 2009. He made his One-Day International debut in 1999 against the West Indies and his Test debut in 2001 against Bangladesh. On 3 November 2015, Malik announced his retirement from Test cricket to focus on the 2019 Cricket World Cup. On 2 July 2018, he became the first male cricketer to play 100 T20Is. On 5 July 2019, he announced his retirement from One Day International Cricket after Pakistan won their last group stage game against Bangladesh at Lord's at the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Malik was a member of the Pakistan team that won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. He has taken over 150 ODI wickets and has a batting average in the mid-30s in both Test and ODI cricket. His bowling action has come under scrutiny (particularly his doosra), but he has had elbow surgery to correct that. Malik was ranked second, behind teammate Shahid Afridi, in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings in June 2008. In March 2010, Malik received a one-year ban from international cricket from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB); the ban was overturned two months later. Malik was captain of the now defunct Sialkot Stallions and led them to a domestic record eight domestic T20 titles, with the last one coming in 2015. On 13 September 2017, Malik became the highest run–scorer in T20I for Pakistan. He made 126 runs against India in the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. In April 2018, he was named as the captain of Punjab's squad for the 2018 Pakistan Cup. On 1 July 2018, Malik also became the first Asian batsman to score 2,000 runs in T20Is, the third overall, and first player to play 100 T20Is in the world. In August 2018, during the 2018 Caribbean Premier League tournament, he became the fourth batsman to score 8,000 runs in T20s. On 10 October 2020, in the 2020–21 National T20 Cup, Shoaib Malik became the first Pakistani batsman to score 10,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket, doing so in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's match against Balochistan. In February 2023, while playing for the Rangpur Riders in the 2022–23 Bangladesh Premier League, he became the third cricketer (after Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo from the West Indies) and the first Pakistani to play 500 T20 matches.

6. Misbah-ul-Haq (1974 - )

With an HPI of 21.31, Misbah-ul-Haq is the 6th most famous Pakistani Cricketer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Misbah-ul-Haq PP SI (Urdu: مصباح الحق ; born 28 May 1974) is a former Pakistani cricket coach and former international cricketer. Misbah captained Pakistan in all formats and is former head coach and former chief selector of the Pakistan national team. As captain, he led Pakistan to being the champions of the 2012 Asia Cup. Misbah was a member of the team that won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, two years after the defeat from the final in the previous tournament. A late bloomer, Misbah was a middle-order batsman best known for his composure with the bat whilst also having the ability to be an aggressive big shot player when required. Misbah scored the fastest fifty in Test cricket and set a new record for the fastest Test hundred and holds the record for most career ODI runs without a century. Misbah has an MBA degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Management and Technology in Lahore, Punjab. After announcing retirement from limited overs cricket in 2015, Misbah continued to play Test cricket for a few years. On 4 April 2017, Misbah announced his retirement from all international cricket as well after the conclusion of West Indies tour. Misbah retired from all formats of international cricket on 14 May 2017.

7. Waqar Younis (1971 - )

With an HPI of 21.05, Waqar Younis is the 7th most famous Pakistani Cricketer.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Waqar Younis Maitla HI (Punjabi, Urdu: وقار یونس میتلا; born 16 November 1971) is a Pakistani cricket coach, commentator and former cricketer who captained Pakistan national cricket team. A right-arm fast bowler, he is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in cricket. He is the former head coach of the Pakistani cricket team. He was a part of the squad which finished as runners-up at the 1999 Cricket World Cup. As of 2021, Younis holds the record for being the youngest Pakistani Test captain and the fourth youngest Test captain in history (22 years 15 days). He played 87 Tests and 262 One Day International (ODI) matches for Pakistan during his international cricket career from 1989 to 2003. Younis' trademark was his ability to reverse swing a cricket ball at high speed. He took 373 Test wickets and 416 One Day International wickets during his career. Together with bowling partner Wasim Akram, he formed one of the world's most feared bowling attacks. Younis has the second best strike rate, after Dale Steyn, for any bowler with over 350 Test wickets. He is the youngest bowler to take 400 wickets in ODI cricket. He is also placed in the top ten of all time based on ICC rankings. He worked as a bowling coach with the national side from 2006 to 2007. Waqar was appointed the coach of the Pakistan cricket team on 3 March 2010. He resigned as Pakistan's cricket coach on 19 August 2011 citing personal reasons. He joined Sunrisers Hyderabad as their bowling coach for the Indian Premier League 2013 season. On 4 September 2019, Younis was appointed by the PCB as Pakistan's new bowling coach on a 3-year contract. He replaced Azhar Mahmood, who was sacked after Pakistan's disappointing performance in the ICC World Cup 2019 tournament.

8. Mohammad Amir (1992 - )

With an HPI of 14.63, Mohammad Amir is the 8th most famous Pakistani Cricketer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Mohammad Amir (Urdu: محمد عامر; born 13 April 1992) is a Pakistani cricketer who is playing for the Pakistan national cricket team. He is a left-arm fast bowler and a left handed batsman. He retired from international cricket in 2020 aged 28 but on 24 March 2024 he took his retirement back and made his availability for the Pakistan cricket team. He was a member of the Pakistan team that won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. Amir made his first-class debut in November 2008, and his first One-Day International and Test appearances in July 2009 in Sri Lanka at the age of 17. He played his first international match during the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, helping the national side win the tournament. Eight years later in England, he helped Pakistan win the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, and was a major contributor with the ball in the final, getting the major wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shikhar Dhawan. On 29 August 2010, he was arrested for spot-fixing and was given a five-year ban for bowling two deliberate no-balls. Amir pleaded guilty on the verdict handed out by his prosecutor in the International Cricket Council, and publicly asked for forgiveness. In November 2011, Amir was convicted at Southwark Crown Court, along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, of conspiracy charges relating to spot-fixing and spent three months in prison. His ban was considered lenient, due to his juvenile age and confession, as compared to the other two conspirators who were given seven and 10 years' suspensions, effectively ending their careers. On 29 January 2015, it was announced that Amir would be allowed an early return to domestic cricket despite his original ban being due to expire on 2 September 2015. Mohammad Amir signed with Chittagong Vikings to play in the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League. He returned to play for Pakistan on their tour of New Zealand in 2016. In August 2018, he was one of 33 players to be awarded a central contract for the 2018–19 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). On 26 July 2019, he announced his retirement from Test cricket in order to focus on limited overs cricket. On 17 December 2020, he announced his retirement from international cricket. But on 24 March 2024, he withdrew his retirement from International cricket for 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.