2017: A year of many firsts for Pakistan cricket

As 2017 breaths its last, let us give the passing year its full credit for bringing us new highs and achievements, particularly in Pakistan cricket, as 2017 is indeed a number that will be remembered by the country’s cricket fans for a long time.

Major Turning Points

• 2017 saw international cricket finally returning to the country.
• Pakistan winning the Test series in West Indies for the first time.
• Younis Khan completing 10,000 Test runs and bidding goodbye to international cricket along with Pakistan most successful Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.
• Last but definitely not the least, Pakistan winning the ICC Champions Trophy under the leadership of Sarfraz Ahmed.

The Phoenix rises at Champions Trophy    

Unarguably the biggest achievement by Pakistan cricket in 2017 was it claiming the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time in its history.

Nothing could be a better underdog story then Pakistan winning Champions Trophy, after its initial defeat by India in the very first match, which was enough to boil the temperatures. Pakistan, under the leadership of Sarfraz Ahmed, made a great comeback with style .

Defeating the always favourites South Africa and Sri Lanka, Men in Green qualified for the semi-final of the Champions Trophy, where they defeated the powerful hosts England to qualify for the final.

The mega-final, couldn’t have been better written as it was the classic Pakistan versus India encounter. With history against Pakistan, Sarfraz’s men needed something out of the ordinary, and they pulled it off by defeating India in the final to lift the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time.

International cricket returned home

The celebrations of winning the Champions Trophy final in June were still fresh, when the month of September brought in the much needed return of international cricket back to Pakistan, after eight gruelling long years.

The historical Independence Cup, a three-match T20I series at home, against the World XI, which was led by South Africa captain Faf du Plessis was not any ordinary cricket series as it was a triumph of a nation embattled with terrorism.

As cherry on top, Pakistan even went on to defeat the star-studded World XI 2-1. The following month, the Sri Lanka cricket team played a T20I in Lahore against Pakistan.

Pakistan bids farewell to MisYou

In 2017, Pakistan bid farewell to two of its finest batsman and captain, Younis Khan, the country’s leading run-maker in Test, and Misbah ul Haq, Pakistan’s most successful Test skipper hang up their boost after an extraordinary career.

The series against West Indies was especially memorable. Younis Khan completed his 10,000 Test runs to become the first ever Pakistani batsman to reach the landmark, while Misbah became the first Pakistan’s captain to win a Test series in West Indies.

Leggie, Yasir Shah orchestrated a historic win for Pakistan, handing his country its first ever Test series win in West Indies.

Sarfraz took the reins of the Test team after Misbah’s retirement.