Pakistan brings something special to cricket: great players, surprise moves and real passion. When the Asia Cup is near, everyone gets excited, especially in Pakistan. A Pakistan game isn’t just a game. It’s something else, usually with lots of drama and tough moments.
Over the years Pakistan has had some great Asia Cup games. Here are five of the best, full of the spirit of Pakistani cricket, from close finishes to smart plays.
Let’s have a look at the most special and iconic moments of Pakistan in Asia Cup
1. Pakistan vs India – 2014 (Mirpur)
Pakistan was chasing 246 and looked lost at 236-9. Then Shahid Afridi hit two big sixes off Ravichandran Ashwin and won the game from a losing position.
Key Stats:
Hafeez: 75 (117)
Afridi: 34 (18)
Ajmal: 3/40
This game is still the most talked about game in both India and Pakistan as It showed Pakistan’s ability to win when it matters most, especially against India.
2. Pakistan vs Bangladesh – 2012 Final (Mirpur)
Pakistan scored 236 and just about held on as Bangladesh fought hard. Aizaz Cheema’s last over won the game by 2 runs.
Key Stats:
Sarfaraz: 46* (52)
Gul: 2/60
This win will always be special in the history of Pakistan as it was Pakistan’s first Asia Cup win in 12 years and the pressure of playing the final in Bangladesh.
3. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka – 2000 (Dhaka)
Stylish batter Moin khan along with Inzamam ul haq helped pakistan to set the target of 278 chasing to which Sri lanka crumbled to 238 with Mevan Atapattu scoring a phenomenal 100
Key Stats:
Moin Khan 56(31)
Inzamam: 72 (66)
It is still one of the top performances of Pakistan in Asia cup as they lost wickets at regular intervals but then Moin khan came and played an absolute blinder.
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saeed Anwar c Muralitharan b Jayasuriya | 82 | 115 | 4 | 1 | 71.30 |
| Imran Nazir c & b Zoysa | 31 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 155.00 |
| Shahid Afridi c Arnold b Zoysa | 22 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 81.48 |
| Mohammad Yousuf c & b Chandana | 25 | 54 | 2 | 0 | 46.30 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq not out | 72 | 66 | 5 | 1 | 109.09 |
| Moin Khan not out | 56 | 31 | 3 | 4 | 180.65 |
| Extras | 17 (b 3, lb 7, w 2, nb 5) | ||||
| Total | 277/4 (50 Ov) |
Pakistan Innings
4. Pakistan vs India – 2022 (Dubai)
Pakistan needed 182. They moved Mohammad Nawaz to No. 4 and it changed the game. He hit 42 off 20 and turned the game around.
Key Stats:
Rizwan: 71 (51)
Nawaz: 42 (20)
A bold move to send Nawaz up the order shows how Pakistan’s cricket thinking has changed under pressure.
5. Pakistan vs Hong Kong – 2022 (Sharjah)
Pakistan batted well in this game and bowled Hong Kong out for 38, the lowest score in Asia Cup history.
Key Stats:
Rizwan: 78 (57)
Shadab: 4/8
Pakistan outplayed Hong in both batting and bowling department.
