In the last five years, Pakistan has risen as one of the most competitive and consistent teams in T20Is (Twenty-20 Internationals). One of the main reasons for Pakistan’s success in the shortest format is their batting unit. The Pakistani team has got some brilliant batters in their team as of present and have also produced some great batters in the past. Today, we look at Pakistani batters with the highest number of fifties in T20 international cricket.
1. Babar Azam
First on the list is Pakistan’s current captain, Babar Azam, their run-machine. Babar Azam is a right-handed top-order batter from Lahore. He started playing in T20Is for Pakistan in 2016 and has scored 2754 runs so far in 80 matches at an impressive average of 42.36. With 27 fifties to his name, he is the first to feature on the list.
2. Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan is a right-handed opening batter for Pakistan in T20Is and is their premier wicketkeeper batter at present. In 62 T20I matches, he has scored 1933 runs at an outstanding average of 52.24. He has scored 16 fifties in 51 innings so far, which also includes a century.
3. Mohammad Hafeez
Next, we have Mohammad Hafeez, a Pakistan cricket veteran who played as a right-handed batter and a right-arm off-break bowler. Hafeez started playing T20Is in 2006 and featured in 119 matches for Pakistan, scoring 2514 runs and picking up 61 wickets. He scored 14 fifties in his T20 international career and is thus placed third on the list.
4. Shoaib Malik
Number four on the list is Shoaib Malik, one of Pakistan’s best spin bowling all-rounders. Malik began his T20I career in 2006 and featured in 123 matches until 2021. He scored over 2400 runs in 110 innings and had nine fifties to his name by the time he retired from T20 international cricket.
5. Ahmed Shehzad
Next on the list is Ahmed Shehzad, a right-handed opening batter from Lahore, Punjab. Shehzad made his debut in T20 international cricket in 2009 against Australia. In 59 T20Is, he scored 1471 runs at an average of 25.80 with one century and seven fifties to his name and had the highest score of 111 not out. He retired in 2019 after playing his last T20 international against Sri Lanka.
6. Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman is Pakistan’s attacking and blistering left-handed top-order batter. Zaman began his T20 international career in 2017 against the West Indies at Port of Spain. Until 2022, he had played in 71 matches, scoring 1349 runs at an average of 21.75 with eight fifties to his name.
7. Umar Akmal
Umar Akmal is a former right-handed wicketkeeper batter from Lahore, Punjab. Umar was all class and elegance during his career, with a knack for scoring runs at crucial stages of the game. From 2009 to 2019, he played in 84 T20Is and scored 1690 runs at an average of 26 with eight half-centuries to his name.
8. Kamran Akmal
Next, we have Kamran Akmal, the elder brother of Umar Akmal and another right-handed wicketkeeper batter. Kamran started playing in the shortest format in 2006 when he featured in his first match against England at Bristol. Until 2017, he played in 58 T20Is, scoring 987 runs at an average of 21, which includes five half-centuries.
9. Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi is one of Pakistan’s most successful spin bowling all-rounders in white-ball cricket. Afridi began his T20I career in 2006 against England at Bristol. He featured for Pakistan in T20 internationals until 2016 and played in 98 matches. In 90 innings, he scored 1405 runs, with four fifties to his name.
10. Haider Ali
At number ten, we have Haider Ali, a young, explosive, and stroke-making right-handed middle order batter. Ali made his T20I debut in 2020 against England at Manchester. Until 2021, he has played in 21 T20 internationals, scoring 406 runs in 19 innings at an average of 23.88 with three half-centuries to his name.
