 Pakistan made history on Thursday at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi by securing their 500th one-day international victory against New Zealand by five wickets. This makes Pakistan the third team in the world to achieve this milestone, having played 949 50-over matches. Pakistan’s Men in Green have won 92 ODIs against Sri Lanka, 73 against India, 63 against West Indies, 57 against New Zealand, 54 against Zimbabwe, 34 against Australia, and 32 each against England and Bangladesh.
In addition to this landmark victory, Pakistan's captain Babar Azam achieved another international feat by completing his 12,000 runs in international cricket. He is the fastest Pakistani and second-fastest Asian batter to do so, achieving the milestone in 277 innings. Babar is also the top ODI batter in the world and the sixth-fastest overall to score 12,000 runs in international cricket.
The fastest batter to score 12,000 runs in international cricket is Sir Vivian Richards, who achieved this milestone in 255 innings. Babar had previously set the record for being the fastest Asian to score 10,000 and then 11,000 runs in international cricket. He now joins a prestigious group of eight Pakistani batters who have scored over 12,000 runs in international cricket. These include Inzamam-ul-Haq (20541), Younis Khan (11790), Mohammad Yousaf (17134), Javed Miandad (16213), Saleem Malik (12,938), Saeed Anwar (12876), and Mohammad Hafeez (12780).
Meanwhile, Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah also set a world record for the most wickets taken after the first six ODI matches of his career. After claiming two wickets in the first ODI against New Zealand, Naseem has clinched 20 wickets in six ODIs. The previous record was held by New Zealand’s Matt Henry, who claimed 19 wickets in six matches.
During the match, Shah registered impressive figures of 2-29 in 10 overs as New Zealand set Pakistan a target of 289 runs. The young pacer has shown immense potential and has quickly become a valuable asset for the Pakistani cricket team.
Pakistan’s victory against New Zealand was a memorable one for the team and the country as they reached this historic milestone. The win was a testament to the team's hard work, dedication, and perseverance. With talented players like Babar Azam and Naseem Shah, the future looks bright for Pakistan's cricketing future.