Revision as of 21:00, 17 October 2016

Of the six players to score a double century and take a catch in a match (till Oct 2015), three are Pakistani ; Graphic courtesy:

Pakistan's top run-getters in tests; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, October 14, 2015

Cricket: Pakistan, a history

The authors of this article are …

AFP | May 13, 2015, 04.56 PM IST

1992: peak

See World Cup (cricket): 1992

2009

No Test-playing team has toured Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009, leaving eight people dead and seven visiting players injured.

1996: 'Match-fixing was at its peak'

IANS |Match-fixing was at its peak in 1996, says Shoaib Akhtar| October 17, 2016

Shoaib Akhtar also claimed to have warned fixing convict Mohammad Amir back in 2010 to avoid meeting people who could lure players to match fixing.

• He claimed that the atmosphere of the Pakistan dressing room was also very strange at that time

• Akhtar claimed that he warned Amir back in 2010 to avoid meeting people who could lure players to match fixing

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar claimed on Tuesday that match-fixing was at its rampant best in 1996 but he himself refrained from getting involved in the malpractice.

"The atmosphere of the Pakistan dressing room was very strange. Trust me it was the worst possible dressing-room," Akhtar was quoted as saying by Geo News.

The "Rawalpindi Express" added he always stayed away from fixing circles and cautioned other people about it, advising team-mates to play with integrity and sincerity.

Akhtar also claimed to have warned fixing convict Mohammad Amir back in 2010 to avoid meeting people who could lure players to match-fixing.

Amir served a five-year suspension after admitting to fixing in 2010. He returned to action last year and is now a regular in the Pakistan team.

Akhtar said he intervened to put an end to a recent public verbal dispute between Javed Miandad and Shahid Afridi, urging the two warring former Pakistan skippers to resolve the matter through dialogue. (Also read: Shahid Afridi, Javed Miandad bury the hatchet following spat)

"To resolve the matter through talks was the most possible solution. I spoke to Afridi and Javed bhai to settle the matter outside court. If it would have go to the court, then a lot of names would have cropped up," Akhtar told Geo Tv.

"My main concern was that. I told Afridi not to send a legal notice and advised Javed bhai to keep control of his anger and not say anything controversial in public. He exceeded limits by uttering unnecessary things."

The 41-year-old said Miandad and Afridi's spat could have opened a Pandora's box, tarnishing Pakistan cricket's image worldwide.

The bitter feud erupted when Miandad accused Afridi of fixing matches for money.

"Things are said in the heat of the moment and I also said some inappropriate things in the heat of the moment. I take them back," Miandad said recently.

They later resolved their differences, posting a video online in which Miandad took back his words and Afridi apologised, stating he had always considered Miandad as his elder brother.

2015

Bangladesh tour

Pakistan slumped to ninth in the ICC one-day international table -- their lowest since rankings were introduced in 2002 -- after losing the ODI series to minnows Bangladesh 3-0, threatening their participation in the 2017 Champions Trophy in England where only top eight teams will feature.

The tourists also suffered their first ever Twenty20 defeat against Bangladesh.

Although they managed to win the two-Test series 1-0 with victory in the second Test in May, and Pakistan can also take heart by the way their bowlers -- especially pacemen Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan and Yasir Shah dismantled Bangladesh's batting in the final Test, the national pastime of inquisition and blame game began.

Isolation results in decline

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan labelled the first-class system as "completely flawed" and fitness of the players as "worst in the world."

The absence of any international cricket on Pakistan soil since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009 has also been detrimental.

PCB officials say countries refuse even to send 'A' teams because of security fears. Such tours are normally arranged on a reciprocal basis meaning no Pakistan 'A' team has played outside the nation's adopted 'home' grounds in the United Arab Emirates for five years.

Fast bowler Wahab Riaz and batsman Umar Akmal rose to senior level after the last Pakistan 'A' tour to Australia in 2009 and Inzamam said until fringe players tour abroad they cannot make the step up to Test and ODI level.

Zimbabwe breaks isolation

In 2015 Zimbabwe became the first international team to tour Pakistan after the 2009 attack.

Till almost the last day it was not clear if Zimbabwe would actually be able to come. However, Zimbabwe stuck to its commitment. Zimbabwe also went ahead with the third and final one day international against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium despite security concerns after a suicide bomber blew himself up close to the stadium during the second ODI, a day and a half before the third ODI. Police tried to pass it off as a transformer blast. However, Federal Minister for Information Pervez Rasheed said it was an alleged foiled suicide bomb attack.