Saeed Anwar and 10 Great Opening Batsmen in Pakistan History

Pakistan have been blessed with great opening batsmen since they began in international cricket, and they continue to produce top quality players for those positions.

The openers play a crucial role in setting the platform for their team, and Pakistan have been lucky to have several world-class operators to help do so.

On the birthday of one of their best—Saeed Anwar—let’s look at 10 great Pakistan openers in their history.

An aggressive opener, Aamer Sohail was a key partner for Saeed Anwar in the 1990s and 2000s in all forms of cricket.

He was dominant off the back foot and known for a love of improvised shot-making, something that especially stood him in good stead in one-day international cricket.

However, as his 205 against England at Old Trafford in 1992 shows, he was capable of hunkering down and scoring big against the red ball too.

One of the greatest Pakistani batsmen of all time, Hanif Mohammad was so versatile he kept wicket and bowled with both arms, although as an opener he was second to none at times.

His zenith came against the West Indies in 1958 as he made 337, and his defense was immaculate.

However, Mohammad was also capable of attacking strokes and pushing the run rate, something that could help blunt opposition bowling attacks.

He may be relatively new in proceedings, but Ahmed Shehzad has shown the makings of greatness for Pakistan and should be one of their top performers in the coming years.

Shehzad is only 23 but has three Test centuries to his name already in 11 matches, albeit on the sedate batting pitches of the United Arab Emirates.

If he can continue his good run and maintain his high level of performance in a team that is notoriously inconsistent, he could be in for a long tenure in the international game.

A fluent batsman, Majid Khan began life as a bowler before back injury and the growth of his batting brought him up the order.

Khan played with such grace it looked effortless at times, and he even managed to make runs in Australia, something many of his colleagues failed to do.

Saeed Anwar was a fixture in Pakistan’s team for over a decade, and was known for his easy strokeplay as opposed to outright aggression.

Anwar could be a joy to watch, especially in ODIs but also in the longest form, as he showed the ability to adapt his technique.

He also held the highest ODI score for a long time—194 against India—as he showed himself capable of staying at the crease for the long haul.

An opening batsman in a time when pitches were notoriously hard to bat on, Sadiq Mohammad stood up to even the toughest tests and was known as a battler.

His unbeaten 98 against the West Indies in Karachi helped the save the game after he suffered a facial injury and showed his strength of character in adversity.

Pakistan’s success in the 1970s owes much to Mohammad’s contributions at the top of the order.

A fluent opener capable of demolishing any bowling attack, Mohsin Khan was another who scored big runs in Australia.

Khan also scored a brilliant double-century at Lord’s against England, showing his ability to rise to the big occasion.

He was another capable of taking any bowling attack apart, and he did so while making it look so effortless.

In and out of the Pakistan side since making his debut, Imran Farhat always showed plenty of potential and at times delivered on that promise as an opener.

His three Test centuries came against three different teams and showcased his aggressive style.

Perhaps not as fluid as the likes of Anwar, Farhat has been let down by his failure to time his shots properly, although he still has time to come again in international cricket.

Mohammad Hafeez has played a wide variety of roles for Pakistan, and as an opener he has shown himself capable of dealing with the very best.

Now a regular after several years of being in and out of the side, Hafeez has shown plenty of ability in all forms of the game, even against the new ball.

With his recent ban from bowling, Hafeez will be able to focus more on his batting and could well become another truly great opener.

Unlike some of his peers, Mudassar Nazar was a patient opener who showed great determination not to give his wicket away under any circumstances.

He holds the record for the slowest Test century of all time, and his contributions to Pakistan should not be underestimated.

It was that stability atop the order that helped them take some key victories, especially on the slow and low pitches that Nazar favoured.