When it comes to cricket, Pakistan has always been a team with an outstanding balance of bowlers and batters. Their batting is joyful to watch, and the nation has produced some great batters as well. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are the current pioneers of their batting alongside the likes of Imam ul-Haq. In the past, legendary batters like Javed Miandad, Inzamam ul-Haq, Misbah ul-Haq, and Younis Khan have all contributed to the team’s batting line-up. The nation won its first-ever ODI WC in 1996 under the maestro Imran Khan. Since then, Pakistan has been looking for another title to put in its cabinet. Although known as the land of fast bowlers, Pakistan has had some great batters too.
1. Javed Miandad
Javed Miandad was one of the fiercest batters in Pakistan. His style of playing was different from other batters. Javed could pile up runs quickly and would often change the game in his team’s favor. In crunch situations, Javed Miandad established himself as the “Messiah” for his team. His career will always be remembered because of quite a few miraculous innings that he played for Pakistan. The right-handed middle-order batter was the epitome of fighting spirit and determination. He made his ODI debut against the West Indies in 1975. He is one of the few players to participate in six World Cups from 1975 to 1996. Miandad scored 1083 runs in his WC career, including an unbeaten century.
2. Saeed Anwar
Saeed Anwar was a former left-handed opening batter for Pakistan. Widely regarded as one of the best openers to ever play for Pakistan, the southpaw made his ODI debut against the West Indies in 1989. The batter was known for his majestic timing and pin-point placements while building his innings. Anwar is one of the few batters in ODI cricket to score three consecutive hundreds in the format. He achieved the feat by smashing tons against Sri Lanka, West Indies, and then again Sri Lanka in the `1993 Champions Trophy. He ended his career with 20 ODI centuries and piled up 915 runs in his WC career.
3. Inzamam-ul-Haq
One of Pakistan's best batters, Inzamam, represented Pakistan for 16 years from 1991 to 2007. Although there were fitter players than him, he did not let this affect his batting. A beautiful bat swing with perfect head and eye coordination, Inzamam quickly became one of the team’s significant assets. The middle-order right-handed batter was born in Multan in 1970 and made his ODI debut against the West Indies at home. He was also a former skipper for Pakistan and led his team in various major tournaments. The batter played five WCs from 1992 to 2007 and scored 717 runs in 35 matches. His ability to hit the ball well and score runs at a brisk pace was unmatched.
4. Ramiz Raja
The voice of Pakistan cricket, Ramiz Raja, was a former cricketer for Pakistan. The right-handed batter was born in Faisalabad in 1962. Ramiz made his ODI debut against New Zealand in 1985. He was one of the most stylish batters in Pakistan and was capable of elegant stroke-making. Ramiz played three ODI World Cups from 1987 to 1996 and scored 700 runs, including three centuries.
5. Imran Khan
Imran Khan is one of the most celebrated players in Pakistan. The right-arm fast bowler and an equally good right-handed batter down the order made his ODI debut against England in 1974. His bowling skills, especially with the old ball, were pretty much unplayable for the batters. His reverse swinging deliveries at the end of the innings were indeed a treat to watch. Imran batted down the order and played the role of an all-rounder for his team. The only Pakistan skipper to win an ODI WC scored 666 runs in ODI WCs.
6. Misbah-ul-Haq
Misbah was a former captain and a middle-order batter for Pakistan. Widely regarded as one of the best batters in Pakistan, the right-handed Misbah-ul-Haq was the “Mr. Dependable” for his team. His presence on the crease meant no one could rule out Pakistan from the game. Even in the most challenging situations, the skipper stood tall every time. Misbah made his ODI debut against New Zealand in 2002 and became an essential part of the squad. He played two WC editions from 2011 to 2015. He scored 598 runs in ODI WCs.
7. Aamer Sohail
The left-handed batter from Lahore represented Pakistan for ten years, from 1990 to 2000. His ODI debut came against Sri Lanka, and he quickly managed to cement his place in the team alongside Saeed Anwar as an opening batter. He was an aggressive layer both with the bat and mouth. He liked to get on top of the opposition and play mind games with them. He played in two WC editions in 1992 and 1996 and even made a crucial contribution in the 1992 WC triumph. His WC career involved 598 runs and two centuries.
8. Zaheer Abbas
Zaheer Abbas was a former right-handed batter for Pakistan. He played for his nation for 11 years, from 1974 to 1985. His ODI debut came against England in 1974, and the player with “high back-lift” cemented his place in the squad. He was named ‘Asian Bradman’ because of his style of playing. The batter played three WC editions from 1975 to 1983 and scored 597 runs.
9. Saleem Malik
Saleem Malik was a dominating former middle-order batter for Pakistan. He was a solid player square of the wicket and compiled most of his runs in the area. He was banned for life by the ICC because of match-fixing in 2000. A promising batter’s career came to an unfortunate end. He piled up 591 runs in the World Cups.
10. Babar Azam
Babar Azam is the skipper of Pakistan across formats. He is one of the best batters ever produced by the nation. The batter is ranked no.1 in the ODI rankings. His beautiful technical display of batting is something every cricketer could not replicate. He has scored 557 runs in ODI WCs.
