From Misbah to Afridi: Pakistan’s greatest T20I batsmen

Ozer McMahon 11:19 11/02/2016
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  • Who do you think is Pakistan’s greatest T20I batsman?

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    MISBAH-UL-HAQ

    Pakistan’s Test captain will go down as one of the greatest players the country has ever produced, and as a T20 batsman he certainly proved he could be as productive in the shortest form of the game as he has been for 15 years in Test cricket.

    Misbah played in 39 T20Is between 2007 and 2012, scoring 788 runs at an average of 37.52.

    The 41-year-old has three international half centuries in Twenty20 cricket, including a top score of 87, and was part of the Pakistan squad that won the World T20 tournament in 2009.

    MOHAMMED HAFEEZ

    Until being banned from bowling for 12 months due to an illegal action, Hafeez was one of the best all-rounders in T20 cricket and is Pakistan’s leading run scorer in the format.

    Hafeez stepped down from the captaincy after a disappointing 2012 World T20 tournament, but has remained a key part of Pakistan’s squad in the ensuing years.

    He has 1,514 runs –with a top score of 86 – to his name in T20Is at an average of 22.93, but the opener missed out on Pakistan’s World T20 triumph in 2009.

    SHAHID AFRIDI

    Pakistan’s current T20 skipper is his country’s most experienced operator in this format of the game and Afridi has seemed the perfect player for T20 cricket ever since its inception.

    No player has appeared for the side more than the 90 times Afridi has trotted onto the field, and the all-rounder has claimed 91 wickets and notched 1,313 runs with the bat.

    He has four half centuries, with a top score of 54* coming in Pakistan’s victorious World T20 final in 2009.

    SHOAIB MALIK

    Like Afridi, a not out asterix will forever stand beside Mailk’s name on the 2009 World T20 final scorecard.

    With an impressive haul of 1,251 from 70 games, the former captain has an average of 24.05 at the crease.

    Malik has hit four fifties for Pakistan, with a top score of 75 coming against England in November last year.

     AHMED SHEHZAD

    Despite his omission from the Pakistan squad for the upcoming World T20, there’s no question Shehzad is an extremely destructive player when he gets in the grove.

    With only 40 T20Is under his belt, having made his debut aged just 18, the 24-year-old already sits fifth on Pakistan’s highest run scoring charts with 941 to date.

    Shehzad is the only Pakistan player to record a century in this format, scoring 111 not out against Bangladesh in 2014, and he also claimed an unbeaten 98 against Zimbabwe a year earlier.

    UMAR AKMAL

    Another spring chicken by Pakistani batting standards, Akmal has represented his country 71 times in T20Is.

    The 25-year-old debuted in 2009 and has contributed 1,506 runs for his country, second only to Afridi in the all-time list.

    Akmal has an average of 26.89 to his name and a top score of 94, recorded against Australia in 2014.

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