Top 5 most humiliating losses for Pakistan in cricket ft. T20 World Cup 2024 vs USA
Pakistan are among the top cricket teams in the world with a storied history. They have won the ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup, but like every top team, the Men in Green have had their off days on the cricket field.
There have been some notable instances of lower-ranked teams causing an upset against Pakistan, that too at the grand stage of ICC events. In this listicle, we will look at five of the most humiliating defeats suffered by Pakistan in cricket history.
#1 USA beat Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2024
USA qualified for T20 World Cup for the first time this year after ICC allotted them the hosting rights. Not many expected USA to beat the higher-ranked teams, but they defeated Pakistan in Dallas on Thursday, June 6.
A phenomenal half-century from USA captain Monank Patel and an excellent Super Over from Saurabh Netravalkar helped the American side beat the former T20 World Cup champions in the Super Over. The 20-over game ended in a tie after both teams scored 159 runs, and then, USA beat the Men in Green by five runs in the one-over eliminator.
#2 Afghanistan beat the Men in Green in 2023 ODI World Cup
Babar Azam's team could not qualify for the semifinals of the ODI World Cup 2023, and one of the biggest reasons behind it was their defeat against Afghanistan in the group stage. Afghanistan chased a 283-run target in Chennai with supreme ease, losing only two wickets.
Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz smacked half-centuries for Afghanistan to help them win by eight wickets. Earlier in the game, Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique's half-centuries had helped the Men in Green reach 282/7 in 50 overs.
#3 Ireland knock Pakistan out of the 2007 ODI World Cup
Another ODI World Cup defeat to feature on the list is from the 2007 edition of the mega event. Ireland, making their debut at the grand stage, surprisingly bowled their higher-ranked opponents out for just 132 runs in Kingston. Boyd Rankin stole the show with a three-wicket haul.
However, chasing 133 on a tricky surface was not easy. Niall O'Brien stepped up for the Irish team, scoring a 107-ball 72. His brother Kevin O'Brien remained unbeaten on 16 off 52 as Ireland reached 133/7 in 41.4 overs. That defeat ultimately resulted in a group stage exit for the former world champions.
#4 Zimbabwe beat Babar Azam and Co. by 1 run at T20 World Cup 2022
Pakistan finished as runners-up in the 2022 T20 World Cup, but the Men in Green stated their campaign with two defeats. The first was against arch-rivals India in a last-ball thriller at MCG.
A few days later, Babar Azam's men locked horns with Zimbabwe, where the African side successfully defended a 131-run target against the star-studded Pakistan outfit. Sikandar Raza's three-wicket haul and Brad Evans' incredible last over ensured that the African side stopped their opponents at 129/8 and won the game by one run.
#5 Zimbabwe crush Pakistan by an innings and 64 runs in a Test match
The frequency of an upset is higher in shorter formats as compared to Test cricket. However, back in 1995, Zimbabwe managed to register their first-ever Test win against Pakistan, and the winning margin was an innings and 64 runs.
Harare hosted that historic Test, where Grant Flower's double hundred and Andy Flower and Guy Whittall's centuries inspired the home team to 544/4 dec in the first innings. Heath Streak then took a six-wicket haul to bowl their opponents out for 322 in the first innings.
Zimbabwe enforced a follow-on and reduced their opponents to 35/5 in the second innings. Inzamam-ul-Haq tried to fight back with a half-century, but three-wicket hauls from Streak, Whittall, and David Brain guided Zimbabwe to victory by an innings and 64 runs.