History of cricket in Pakistan 

In this article we will talk about the history of cricket in Pakistan and their journey to where they stand now and the hardships they dealt with along the way.

History of cricket: 

Cricket gained popularity in past few years and keep on growing and gaining an audience in the world. And it is taking its time to grow but, in some countries, it is the most popular game. In Pakistan, India, Australia, West Indies, etc. Cricket first came to North America via English colonies back in the 17th century. It arrived in Australia almost as soon as colonization began in 1788 and the sport reached New Zealand and South Africa in the early years of the 19th century and after that, it started to spread in the world and has developed globally in the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Where does cricket stand right now? 

The number of countries that play cricket is 106 but only 12 teams are full members of International Cricket Council (ICC) 94 Associate Members. Associate Members are countries where cricket is firmly established and organized but do not qualify for Full Membership. There are some associate members who based on their success rate in World Cricket League and were included in the ODI and Pakistan cricket team is one of them making its name in the world of cricket since 1952. Below mentioned are the 12 members of ICC: 

• Pakistan
• Australia
• India
• South Africa

• England
• New Zealand
• Afghanistan
• West Indies
• Sri Lanka

• Ireland
• Bangladesh
• Zimbabwe

History of Pakistan cricket: 

Pakistan National Cricket team known as Green Shirts, Shaheens, Men in Green and Cornered Tigers managed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The origin of cricket predates the separation of Pakistan. The first international match of Pakistan was held in Karachi in on 22nd, 223rd and 24th of November 1935 between Sindh and Australia. After the partition Pakistan played its first international match under the captaincy of Abdul Hafeez Kardar, held in Lucknow and scored their first victory. 

Pakistan in International cricket: 

Pakistan cricket team is governed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and a permanent member of International Cricket Council (ICC). Pakistan team regularly participates in international series. Pakistan cricket team also participate in following international tournaments: 

• ICC Cricket World Cup (ODI): Inaugural Tournament and Debut in 1975 
• ICC World T20 (T20I): Inaugural Tournament and Debut in 2007 
• ACC Asia Cup (ODI) And (T20I): Inaugural Tournament and Debut in 1984 

• ICC Champions Trophy (ODI): Inaugural Tournament and Debut in 1998 
• ICC World Test Championship (Test): Inaugural Tournament and Debut in 2019/21 
• ICC Test Championship (Test): Inauguration and Debut in 2003 

Pakistan national cricket team has had success on the international stage having a best international ranking of 1st in the ODI, TEST and T20I cricket. In terms of tournament success:  

• ICC Cricket World Cup: Champions in 1992 

• ICC World T20: Champions in 2007 
• ACC Asia Cup: Champions in 2000 & 2012 
• ICC Champions Trophy: Champions in 2017 
• ICC World Test Championship: N/A 
• ICC Test Championship: Mace Holders in 2006 

Conclusion: 

The growth of cricket in Pakistan has been massive since its start in 1952. They have achieved number one rankings across all formats for a brief period of time. In the late 90s and early 2000, they were one of the dominant teams that rocked the cricket world. The love for cricket in the country is so big that their current Prime Minister is their World Cup-winning skipper Imran Khan. However, in recent years, the development of cricket in Pakistan has been halted with a lack of infrastructure, internal politics, fixing scandals, and lack of safety. Nevertheless, the fans and the team are hoping to bring back the glory days as soon as possible.