Pakistan have played at every ICC Champions Trophy tournament but the glittering gold trophy has evaded them every single time. The Green Shirts, however, have managed to reach the semi-finals thrice: in 2000, 2004 and 2009.
At number eight, Pakistan are the lowest-ranked team in this year’s Champions Trophy but the Green Shirts, led by their young captain Sarfraz Ahmed, will be looking to change that by coming from behind to beat the big guns.
With the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 just around the corner, here is a look back at Pakistan’s best performances in Champions Trophy tournaments over the years.
All-rounder Shoaib Malik has the most appearances for Pakistan at the ICC Champions Trophy (15). The upcoming edition will be a landmark tournament for him, as he will become the first ever Pakistani cricketer to feature in his sixth successive tournament.
Malik has played at the 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2013 editions of the Champions Trophy and is all set to feature in CT17.
The 35-year-old also hit Pakistan’s highest score at the tournament with his knock of 128 against archrivals India in 2009.
Malik has also taken more catches than any other Pakistan player with eight in 15 games.
Former captain and all-rounder Shahid Afridi has wreaked the most havoc on his opponents in Champions Trophy tournaments (no surprises there!).
With 10 sixes, Afridi has the highest number of maximums in the tournament, six of which were hit in one innings against Netherlands in 2002. That was also the match where he blasted the fastest-ever fifty at the tournament off 18 balls – the most by a Pakistan batsman in an innings.
Afridi also has the highest strike rate of any Pakistan batsman at the tournament – 123.62 across his 13 innings.
The all-rounder’s performance with the ball has been just as impressive; he has taken the most wickets for Pakistan at Champions Trophy (14).
Afridi also has Pakistan’s best-ever figures at the tournament, with 5 for 11 vs Kenya in 2004 – which is also the second-best in the history of the tournament.
Former batsman Mohammad Yousuf is the leading run scorer for Pakistan, with 484 runs across five tournaments
Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik are also Pakistan’s most successful batting partners in the tournament, with 414 runs between them – which is also the second most in the tournament.
The duo also orchestrated Pakistan’s highest partnership in the history of the tournament, with 206 runs for the 4th wicket against India in Champions Trophy 2009.
Former speedster Shoaib Akhtar has the best average at the tournament, with 7 wickets at an average of 16.28.
The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ also has the best economy rate for his country at the ICC Champions Trophy – a rate of just 3.01 off his 37.5 overs.
In all, Shoaib Akhtar played five Champions Trophy matches for Pakistan, bowled 37.5 overs and took 7 wickets for 114 runs.
Saeed Anwar has the highest average from Pakistan, being miles ahead of his countrymen with an extraordinary average of 114.50 at the tournament. He scored 289 runs in just four innings.
209 of Saeed Anwar’s runs came in the 2000 edition – the highest number of runs scored by a Pakistan player at any one edition of the ICC Champions Trophy.
Anwar also has the most centuries (2) for Pakistan at the tournament.
He also sports the record for most scores of 50+ for Pakistan at the tournament with Mohammad Yousuf – both of whom passed the half-century mark on three occasions.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal bagged 8 wickets for his country at the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 – the most in a single edition by a Pakistan bowler.
Azhar Mahmood, currently Pakistan team’s bowling coach, has the best strike rate of 18.7 at the tournament, with 8 wickets from 25 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has the highest tally of dismissals behind the stumps, with 11 catches and 3 stumpings.