Pakistan's 2009 T20 World Cup Winners: Where are they now?

In 2009, Pakistan made history by clinching their first ICC T20 World Cup title, becoming the second Asian team to do so under the leadership of Younis Khan. This victory followed a close runner-up finish in the inaugural edition in 2007, where they lost to arch-rivals India in the final by a mere five runs.

The Men in Green won three out of their five group-stage matches and defeated South Africa in the semi-finals by seven runs. In the summit clash at the Lords on June 21, they faced off against Sri Lanka, chasing a target of 139. Pakistan secured victory with eight wickets in hand, with Shahid Afridi earning the Player of the Match award for his stellar all-round performance.

As Pakistan prepare to win their second title with the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, let us dive deep into the performances of the players in the 2009 edition and what they are doing now.

Here's a look at all the Pakistan players from the 2009 T20 World Cup:

15. Umar Gul

The fast bowler was instrumental in Pakistan lifting their first T20 World Cup title, as he emerged as the tournament's leading wicket-taker, picking 13 wickets across seven matches. In a crucial group stage match against New Zealand, Gul delivered an exceptional performance, ending with figures of 5/6, dismissing the Kiwis for a mere 99 runs. The 41-year-old currently serves as the fast-bowling coach for the Men in Green.

14. Sohail Tanvir

Despite featuring in six matches during the inaugural edition, the left-arm quick could only play three games without taking any wickets in the 2009 edition. The career of Tanvir was frequently interrupted by injuries, which often kept him out of the national squad. After announcing his retirement in March 2023, the 39-year-old serves as the head of the junior selection committee for the PCB.

14. Mohammad Amir

Amir had a decent performance in the 2009 edition, picking six wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 7.29. However, he was banned from playing the game for five years, from 2010 to 2015, due to his involvement in spot-fixing allegations. After announcing his retirement from international cricket in 2021, the 32-year-old continued to play in various T20 leagues around the world. Recently, he announced his decision to come out of retirement, making himself available for selection. Notably, he is the only player from the class of 2009 who is in squad for the upcoming 2024 edition.

13. Saeed Ajmal

The off-spinner had an outstanding performance in the tournament, bagging 12 wickets in seven matches, ending as the third-highest wicket-taker. His standout performance came against Ireland in the group stage, where he ended with figures of 4/19. After a remarkable career, Ajmal announced his retirement from cricket in 2017. Currently, he serves as the spin-bowling coach for the senior men's team.

12. Iftikhar Anjum

Rao Iftikhar Anjum came as a replacement for Shoaib Akhtar in the 2009 edition. With front-row pacers around, he could not breach the playing XI. In his entire career, he featured in only two T20Is and picked just one wicket. The retired cricketer is currently part of PCB’s national team selection advisory committee.

11. Yasir Arafat

The all-rounder had to withdraw his name from the tournament midway due to a hamstring injury, which forced the team to announce a replacement player. Arafat played only one match against England, where he scored four runs with the bat and failed to take any wickets. Later, in 2023, Arafat was appointed as the high-performance coach for Pakistan's five-match T20I series in New Zealand, where Shaheen Shah Afridi captained the side.