Pakistan’s ODI performances under different captains since 2007

How five captains ran the team affairs in eight years

Pakistan’s surge in ODI format—series wins against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka— is indeed a respite from the awful results suffered all the way up to the ‘Banglawash’ immediately after the 2015 World Cup. The ODI format’s continuous rule tweaks have challenged the Greenshirts greatly.

Despite the recent upward trend the Greenshirts are still struggling to cement a spot in the 2017 Champions Trophy, especially if the West Indies take to the field and win a few games before the September 30 cut-off period for qualification.

In this scenario the need of the hour perhaps is to put Pakistan’s returns against the leading teams under the scanner, which have forced them to lurk in the middle to low region of the ICC ODI rankings.

None of the captains who have held the reins in the last eight years have succeeded in maintaining an even record against the top eight opponents. While Pakistan’s overall win percentage is still better than 50%, their record against the leading teams in the world has nosedived remarkably.

From their first ODI against New Zealand in 1973 to the game against the West Indies in the 2007 World Cup, Pakistan played the top eight sides 587 times. They won 287 and lost 281 of these; the rest of the 19 games were either tied or didn’t yield a result.

The 2007 World Cup itself was a tale of woes with the Inzamamul Haq-led side crashing out after a shocking defeat to Ireland in the opening round.

In this special we tabulate the win-loss record of the captains who led Pakistan after the 2007 World Cup exit all the way up to the quarter-final defeat to Australia in this year’s edition of the coveted ODI tournament.

Five captains — Misbahul Haq, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf — were in charge for a total of 142 games against leading teams, with Pakistan winning a mere 57 out of these games, approximately four out of every 10.

Overall figures (April 1, 2007 – April 1, 2015)

The numbers of these captains — especially Misbah, Afridi and Malik’s — appear inflated when lesser teams  such Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and the Associates are included yet lean towards the ordinary against the seven prominent sides: Australia, England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the West Indies.

While Bangladesh have enjoyed an unprecedented run of success recently and are currently ranked amongst the top eight teams, their upward curve started during the World Cup 2015 only. Hence the Bengal Tigers are bracketed amongst the lesser teams for the period that we aim to dissect.

Captain’s returns against the leading teams

1. Misbahul Haq

Played 65: Won 25, Lost 38, NR 2

PHOTO: ICC

Misbah captained in 65 games against top eight teams, winning a mere 25 and losing 38. He averaged 41.61 with the bat in the 38 games lost with a strike rate of 70.29.

Misbah scored 11 fifties in losing causes and his career best of 96 not out at the Oval was also posted in a defeat against the West Indies during the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, where Pakistan suffered the ignominy of their worst ever world ODI event; losing all three games.

In the 25 games that Pakistan won, Misbah scored 792 runs at an average of 46.58 and a strike rate of 71.48. His tally includes nine fifties in these wins.

2. Shahid Afridi

Played 34: Won 15, Lost 18 NR 1

PHOTO: AFP

Afridi led in 34 ODIs against top eight outfits. 15 of these matches ended in wins for Pakistan while 18 ended in defeats.

In the 18 losses, Afridi averaged 21.22 with the bat, including a blistering century against Sri Lanka at Dambulla, during the 2010 Asia Cup. With the ball, the leg-spinner collected 16 wickets at 47.37 runs per wicket and economy rate of 4.71.

In the 15 games won in his reign, Boom Boom himself contributed 343 runs at 31.18 at a remarkable strike rate of 144.11, and the tally is embellished with two half centuries. As a bowler, he snared 22 wickets at 27.72, and the economy rate comes down to 4.31.

3. Shoaib Malik

Played 23: Won 11, Lost 12

PHOTO: AFP

In 23 games against top eight teams, Malik won 11 and lost 12. Malik’s own performance with the bat in the 12 defeats was consistent, with the right-hander scoring 513 runs at a healthy average of 51.30, striking at 81.55.

His tally included a hundred and four fifties. The century was scored against India during the 2008 Asia Cup match at Karachi’s National Stadium.

On the other hand in the 11 wins, Malik’s average decreased as he accumulated 361 runs at 40.11, albeit with a much improved strike rate of around 96. The tally includes three fifties with a best of 89.

4. Younus Khan

Played 16: Won 6, Lost 10

PHOTO: AFP

After his appointment as full-time captain in 2009, Younus led the team in a largely tumultuous era. Amid growing reports of rifts and infighting his team slipped to 10 defeats against the top eight outfits.

In the 10 defeats Younis scored a mere 169 runs at a miserly average of 16.90, scoring 44 in his only noteworthy contribution in Dambulla against Sri Lanka.

His tally improved in the six games that Pakistan won under him during his permanent run as captain, contributing 223 runs at 37.16 with a strike rate of 70.79 and two fifties.

5. Mohammad Yousuf

Played 4: Won 0, Lost 4

PHOTO: AFP

One of Pakistan’s most gifted batsmen had a terrible run at the helm during the ignominious 2010 tour of Australia. Pakistan lost all nine internationals (five ODIs, three Tests, and a one-off T20) on the tour.

In four ODIs – the fifth was led by Afridi, the match most remembered for his chewing antics, Yousuf scored 81 runs with a best of 58, averaging 20.25 with a poor strike rate of 62.79.

Yousuf was stripped of captaincy following the tour and only made a brief return to the team for the England tour the same year. He faded away after appearing in only one ODI of the five-match series against South Africa later in the year.

In all, he captained seven times against the top eight sides registering only one win.