ICC World Cup 2019: Pakistan – Statistical Review

Pakistan came into the World Cup 2019 on the back of losing each of their last ten completed ODIs and lost three of their first four completed games in the tournament. The team and players were put into a tough spot by the criticism back home after their defeat to India. However, the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side won their last four matches to have a chance of making it to the semis. The expected results didn’t go their way and Pakistan had to miss out on a final four finish due to their NRR which was well behind that of New Zealand who also had as many points.

All the stats and numbers from Pakistan’s mixed success at the World Cup 2019:

0 – No player before Shaheen Shah Afridi had a 4-wicket haul in a World Cup game before turning 20. Shaheen was 19 years and 84 days old when he took a 4-fer against Afghanistan and 19 years and 90 days old when he took a 6-wicket haul in the last game against Bangladesh.

2 – Imad Wasim became only the 2nd spin bowler to have bowled the first over of an ODI and end up scoring the winning runs during the same game. He accomplished this feat in the game against Afghanistan at Leeds.

Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza was the first to do so when he hit a six to seal an ODI series win against Sri Lanka in 2017. Imad also became the first Pakistan player to bowl the first over of a World Cup game and end up scoring the winning runs in the same match.

6/35 – Shaheen Shah Afridi became the first player to take a 6-wicket haul for Pakistan in World Cup. His 5/16 against Kenya in the 2011 edition are the previous best bowling figures in a World Cup game for Pakistan.

Shaheen Shah became the first left-arm bowler to pick up a 6-wicket haul for Pakistan in ODI history. He is also the only bowler to take a 6-wicket haul in this edition.

16 – Shaheen Shah took 16 wickets from only five matches in this tournament; the most wickets in a World Cup by a teenager. Abdul Razzaq had 13 wickets in the 1999 edition at the age of 19.

23y 205d – At the age of 23 years and 205 days, Imam-ul-Haq became the youngest player from Pakistan to score a World Cup hundred. He scored a century against Bangladesh in the last league match before getting out hit wicket. Saleem Malik was Pakistan’s previous youngest CWC centurion as he was 24 years and 192 days old when he scored 100 against Sri Lanka in 1987.

101 – Babar Azam became the first non-opening batsman to score a World Cup century for Pakistan while chasing. His century is the 5th for Pakistan in a CWC chase but the previous four were scored by openers. Babar’s unbeaten 101 is also the highest individual score for Pakistan in the World Cup by a No.3 batsman. He went past Saleem Malik’s 100 against Sri Lanka during 1987 edition game in Faisalabad.

105 – Pakistan’s total of 105 against Windies in their first game is their 2nd lowest total in the World Cup. Their lowest of 74/10 came during the 1992 tournament against England. Pakistan batted 21.4 overs before getting bowled out in that game; their shortest completed innings in the World Cup and the second shortest ODI innings. Pakistan lasted 19.5 overs in the 1993 Cape Town ODI also against the Windies.

218 – Windies chased down the target of 106 with 218 balls to spare against Pakistan in the first game of respective teams. This is the biggest defeat in terms of balls to spare for Pakistan in the World Cup surpassing the defeat to Australia in the 1999 CWC final with 179 balls to spare. This is also the 2nd biggest ODI defeat in terms of balls to spare for Pakistan as their biggest was by 225 balls also against Windies during the 1993 Cape Town ODI.

348/8 – This total of 348/8 against England is Pakistan’s 2nd highest in a World Cup game. Their highest is 349/10 against Zimbabwe in the 2007 edition.

Pakistan’s total of 348/8 against England is the highest total in the World Cup for any team without an individual century. The previous highest CWC total without an individual ton was 341/6 by South Africa in 2015 against UAE where the highest individual score was 99.

474 – Babar Azam amassed 474 runs in eight innings during the tournament; the most by a player for Pakistan in a World Cup. Babar went past Javed Miandad’s tally of 437 runs came across nine innings in the 1992 edition.