It is always an overwhelming feeling to represent one’s country in cricket and to perform well and help your team in any possible way to win that match. For this purpose, the cricket boards announced the “player of the match” award for the player who performs exceptionally well in that particular game. For this recognition, a player has to outperform the other 21 players on the field from both sides.
But what if a player who is making his debut wins this honor? That too in his first representation as an international player? Sounds entirely honorary and an exceptional over the moon type feeling, doesn’t it? And this feat has not been so uncommon nowadays. So let’s look at some of the players of the Pakistan Cricket Team who won this colossal appreciation in their first game itself.
10. Zakir Khan
Zakir Khan, a Pakistani veteran, played 2 Tests and 17 ODIs for the Pakistan cricket team. He was a pace bowler who debuted at the age of 21 in an ODI match against mighty New Zealand. He made a magnificent international debut on November 12, 1984, in Peshawar where he bowled match-winning figures of 4/19 and was adjudged as “player of the match”.
9. Imam Ul Haq
A bespectacled, slight young man and a ruthless accumulator at the crease, Imam rose as one of the best left-handed batters for Pakistan. He made a commendable ODI debut against Sri Lanka on 18 October 2017 and scored a maiden ODI century. He became the “player of the match” for his classic contribution to a winning cause. He became the second Pakistani batter to score an ODI Hundred on debut.
8. Saleem Elahi
Saleem Elahi was selected for the home series in Sri Lanka. In the first of his three matches, he scored 102 of 133 balls and remained not out thus becoming the first player from Pakistan to score a century on his debut. Only at the age of nineteen, he remains the youngest cricketer to score an ODI century on debut and win the “player of the match” award which helped Pakistan win the match comfortably by nine wickets.
7. Tuba Hassan
Tuba Hassan is a women cricketer from Pakistan, born on October 18, 2000, and made her debut on 24th May 2022 against Sri Lanka women. Leg spinner, Tuba Hassan had a fairytale debut as she became the debutant with the best figures. She spearheaded Pakistan to a six-wicket win in her first T20I against Sri Lanka. She bowled four overs and took three wickets by giving away just eight runs along with a maiden.
6. Fawad Alam
In July 2009, Fawad Alam made his Test debut against Sri Lanka. In the first innings, he wasn’t that impactful but his second innings of 168 runs bought him into the limelight. Though Pakistan was unable to win the match Fawad Alam was adjudged “joint player of the match” along with Nuwan Kulasekara. This inning included 200 runs partnership with then Pakistan captain Younus Khan. The pair broke the previous record of 151 runs partnerships. This was also the highest partnership for the Pakistan cricket team against the Srilankans in Sri Lanka.
5. Abid Ali
A late bloomer, Abid Ali made headlines in 2019 when he was a surprise pick in Pakistan’s provisional World Cup squad. Previously he made his ODI debut and scored a fine century. Abid Ali made his Test debut against the Sri Lankans and scored a century becoming the first male cricketer to score a century on both Test And ODI debut. In the second test match, he scored 174 runs in the second innings and not only became “player of the match” but also became the “player of the series” in his debut.
4. Mohammed Sami
Mohammed Sami, A Right-Arm Fast bowler from Pakistan made his debut in the most extended format of the game on 8th March 2001, against New Zealand. He became the “player of the match” for taking eight lethal wickets. He took five wickets in the second innings. This was a world record for most wickets by a debutant. Sami had a quick arm action, and he is regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket. He has unofficially bowled the most rapid delivery in cricket when he clocked 164kmph during an ODI. He was named modern-day Malcolm Marshall by then-captain Imran Khan.
3. Yasir Hameed
Yasir Hameed was a lethal and the most consistent Pakistani batter. During his first thirty ODIs, he scored more runs than any other batter. He scored four consecutive 100-run partnerships with Imran Farhat, and he also went on to score 1000 runs in just 22 ODIs, which is the fastest in Asia and the third fastest in the world. He made his Test debut in 2003 and scored mighty 170 runs in 1st innings which is the highest score by a Pakistani on debut. He also scored 105 in 2nd innings and was adjudged as “player of the match”.
2. Azhar Mahmood
Azhar Mahmood, a right-handed batter debuted for Pakistan as a young energetic player. He made his ODI debut against India in 1996 but wasn’t that effective. He went on to earn his Test debut against South Africa, where he scored 132 runs in 1st innings and a half-century in 2nd innings of the exact match. He was recognized as the “player of the match”. He joined the Pakistan team as a medium pacer but then eventually surprised everyone with his batting skills. Wisden in 2001 included Azhar’s debut innings of 132 against South Africa as the 8th best Test innings of all time in its list of Wisden 100.
1. Mohammed Zahid
Mohammed Zahid is a Pakistan cricket coach and a former Pakistan cricketer. Zahid was the first Pakistani cricketer to take a 10-wicket haul on his international debut. He went on to take 11 wickets against New Zealand in 1996. His 11 wickets included an incredible 7-66 in the second innings. Besides this, he bowled an exceptional over to Brian Lara<span style="font-weight: 400;">, who was then the premier batsman of the world: Lara played and missed the first three deliveries due to the sheer pace that Zahid generated before edging the fourth ball for a caught behind. Mohammad Zahid was noted for his pace from an early age and after his encounter with Brian Lara, Zahid was described by the left-handed batsmen as the fastest bowler in the world.
