Pakistan's 5 highest run-scorers in Asia Cup history (ODIs) ft. Shahid Afridi & Umar Akmal
The 2023 Asia Cup has all the bearings to be another blockbuster event. All the sides would want to fine-tune their combinations and plans as they prepare for the ICC ODI World Cup that takes place almost immediately after. This will be the 16th edition of the Asia Cup and Sri Lanka come into the competition as the defending champions.
The 2023 Asia Cup is being jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka — this is the first time in the history of the tournament that it is being held across two nations. Pakistan are the third most successful team in the tournament since they have won the cup twice. This competition will be played in a 50-overs format and will be great preparation for the world cup.
Here we take a look at Pakistan's five highest run-scorers in Asia Cup history (ODIs):
#5 Umar Akmal
The highly talented Umar Akmal could not realize his full potential, but he has been part of a number of memorable matches for Pakistan.
In the Asia Cup, the right-hander played 12 matches where he scored 510 runs at an average of 51 and with an impressive strike rate of 99.41. He notched up a century and four half-centuries in these innings and his best performance was an unbeaten 102.
#4 Shahid Afridi
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi played 23 matches in the Asia Cup (ODI) and scored a total of 532 runs, with an average of 35.46. Notably, he scored two centuries and a half-century in this tournament.
There have been a number of excellent cameos played by the right-hander in the competition over the years and he was certainly an impact player for Pakistan.
#3 Younis Khan
Younis Khan, one of the greatest batters to play for Pakistan, is third on this list.
His remarkable record includes amassing 546 runs across 14 matches, boasting an impressive average of 49.63. Younis Khan slammed two centuries and three half-centuries and played several innings of impact in the competition.
His strike rate over these 14 matches was more than 100 and is a testament to his match-winning abilities and remarkable consistency.
#2 Inzamam-ul-Haq
Arguably, one of Pakistan’s biggest match-winners, Inzamam made a mark in almost all the tournaments he was a part of.
With six half-centuries and a solitary ton, Inzamam amassed 591 runs in 13 innings across the 15 matches that he featured in. In these matches, he averaged 59.10 and had a strike rate of 89.27.
#1 Shoaib Malik
Shoaib Malik burst onto the scene with impressive performances in the Asia Cup and he continued to boss the tournament. He was an excellent player of spin and this came in handy for the right-hander.
In 15 innings, Malik scored 786 runs with an average of 65.50 and a strike rate of 90.65. He was the one batter from Pakistan who kept churning out the runs – three hundreds and three fifties are a testament to his excellence.