A captain acts as the nucleus of the team and is responsible for several things both on and off the field. It is the captain who, like a sailor, steers his team’s ship in the correct direction. We have witnessed some exceptional captains emerge from Pakistan over the years who have contributed immensely to their team’s success. Thus, today we look at some of the Pakistani players with the most matches as captain in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and their respective performances.
1. Imran Khan (139 Matches)
Imran Khan is Pakistan’s world cup-winning and one of their most successful captains. He had excellent leadership skills and qualities and helped build a fierce and formidable Pakistani team in the 80s. From 1982 to 1992, he captained the Pakistan ODI team in 139 matches, winning 75, losing 59, tying one, and four matches resulting in no result.
2. Wasim Akram (109 Matches)
Wasim Akram is popularly known as the king of reverse swing. He was one of Pakistan’s frontline bowlers and a handy batter in the lower order. Wasim also rose to prominence as a fine captain after Imran Khan’s retirement. He captained the Pakistani ODI team in 109 matches, winning 66, losing 41, and tying two, with a win percentage of 61.46.
3. Inzamam-ul-Haq (87 Matches)
Inzamam-ul-Haq, a right-handed batter from Multan, is next to feature on the list. Inzamam was one of Pakistan’s best batters in the early 2000s and was also responsible for captaining the team. From 2002 to 2007, he captained Pakistan in 87 ODIs, winning 51, losing 33, and three matches resulting in no result.
4. Misbah-ul-Haq (87 Matches)
Misbah-ul-Haq was a right-handed middle-order batter and had an incredible amount of patience and temperament. He is one of the calmest people you will see on a cricket field, no matter what the situation is. Misbah captained the ODI team from 2008 to 2015 in 87 matches and won 45, with a win percentage of 53.48.
5. Javed Miandad (62 Matches)
Javed Miandad is one of the best batters that Pakistan has ever produced. He was a master at finding gaps and was always looking for runs. Miandad also got to captain the ODI team in 62 matches, winning 26, losing 33, and tying one with two matches resulting in no result.
6. Waqar Younis (62 Matches)
Next on the list is Waqar Younis, a right-arm fast bowler and certainly one of the best the game has ever seen. He and Wasim Akram formed a formidable and deadly bowling duo. Waqar also captained the One-Day team in 62 matches, winning 37 with a win percentage of 61.66.
7. Sarfaraz Ahmed (50 Matches)
Sarfaraz Ahmed, a right-handed middle-order wicketkeeper batter, is next on the list. Sarfaraz’s most significant moment as captain came in 2017 after Pakistan won the Champions Trophy, beating archrivals India in the finals. In total, he captained Pakistan in 50 ODIs, winning 28, losing 20, and two matches resulting in no result.
8. Shoaib Malik (41 Matches)
Next, we have Shoaib Malik, a Pakistan veteran, and a handy all-rounder. Malik was a right-handed batter and used to bowl right-arm off-spin. He was never a permanent captain for Pakistan, but he captained the ODI team in 41 matches. The team won 25 and lost 16 matches under his captaincy, with a win percentage of 60.97.
9. Shahid Afridi (38 Matches)
Shahid Afridi is hands down one of Pakistan’s best all-rounders. He was a fierce power hitter and finisher, sometimes an opening batter and a leg-spinner par excellence. From 2009 to 2014, he led the Pakistani team in 38 ODIs, winning 19, losing 18, and one game resulting in no result.
10. Moin Khan (34 Matches)
Moin Khan, a right-handed wicketkeeper batter born in Rawalpindi, is the next to feature on the list. Moin is one of Pakistan’s best and most successful wicketkeepers of all time. He was the captain of the Pakistani ODI team in 34 matches, winning 20 and losing 14 of them.
