The T20 World Cup 2022 has kicked off in Australia. The tournament has already witnessed some huge upsets and close finishes. In addition, the T20 format requires a batsman to maintain a decent strike rate. Shahid Afridi is one such Pakistani cricketer who comes to mind when you talk about explosive strike rates.
Apart from Afridi, there are a few other Pakistani cricketer too who can strike the ball at decent strike rates. Considering that the T20 World Cup 2022 will be one of the most competitive World Cups. Thus, the strike rate factor becomes more imminent.
Top 8 Pakistani Cricketers with the Highest Strike Rates
1. Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi was perhaps the most explosive Pakistani batsman ever. In his prime, Afridi was also the most fearsome batsman in the world. In his first international inning, he scored a century off just 37 balls in an ODI match against Sri Lanka. He also struck eleven sixes and created an ODI world record which was later broken by Rohit Sharma.
Talking about the T20I format, Afridi played 98 matches and scored 1405 runs at an average of 18.01 and an explosive strike rate of 150.75. In the ODI format, he has scored 8027 runs in 393 matches at an average of 23.81 and a strike rate of 116.94.
2. Sharjeel Khan
Talking about the Pakistani cricketer with the highest strike rates, one can’t get past Sharjeel Khan. The fierce opening batsman known for his explosive starts, Khan has played for Pakistan for seven years. In addition, he has played T20 franchise cricket all around the globe.
He has played 21 T20I matches for Pakistan, scoring 406 runs at an average of 22.55. His strike rate of 133.11 is the best for any opening batsman for Pakistan. In ODI, Sharjeel Khan has played 25 matches for Pakistan, scoring 812 runs at an average of 32.48. In addition, his strike rate of 113.40 is equally fearsome.
3. Fakhar Zaman
The explosive southpaw Fakhar Zaman, who was the hero of Pakistan’s famous Champions Trophy 2017 victory, comes next. He is widely known for his fierce batting approach and ability to clear boundaries with ease.
In T20Is, Zaman has scored 1349 runs in 71 matches at an average of 21.75 with a strike rate of 129.09. Subsequently in ODIs, he has 2628 runs in his account at an average of 45.31 and a healthy strike rate of 93.62.
4. Shoaib Malik
The veteran Pakistani batsman has played his cricket in three different generations, having made his debut in October 1999. Malik is also one of the most consistent Pakistani batsmen.
Malik has represented Pakistan in 123 T20I matches so far, scoring 2423 runs at a decent average of 31.46 and a strike rate of 125.67. In ODIs, he has scored 7534 runs in 287 matches at an average of 34.55 with a strike rate of 81.90.
5. Umar Akmal
Known for his excellent finishing skills and death-over batting. Umar Akmal was a regular face in the Pakistani lower middle order.
In his 79 T20I innings, he has scored 1690 runs at an average of 26.00 with a strike rate of 122.73. In his 110 ODI innings, he has 3194 runs under his belt at an average of 34.34 at a strike rate of 86.04.
6. Babar Azam
Unarguably the best-ever Pakistani cricketer and batsman, Pakistani captain Babar Azam is perhaps one of the best modern-day batsmen too. He is someone who can accelerate and strike the ball whenever he wishes to.
In 92 T20I matches, he has scored 3231 runs at an average of 43.66 with a decent strike rate of 129.65. Subsequently, in his 90 ODI innings, Babar scored 4664 runs at an average of 59.79 and a strike rate of 89.74
7. Kamran Akmal
Widely known for his fierce batting approach, Kamran Akmal was the mainstay in the Pakistani batting lineup for several years.
In 53 T20I innings, he has scored 987 runs at an average of 21.00 and a strike rate of 119.63. Moreover, in 138 ODI innings, he has scored 3855 runs at an average of 26.09 at a strike rate of 83.94.
8. Sarfaraz Ahmed
Former Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was known for his brilliant finishing skills and ability to score boundaries at will.
In 42 T20I innings, he has scored 818 runs at an average of 27.26 and a strike rate of 125.26. Moreover, in 91 ODI innings, he has scored 2315 runs at an average of 33.55 and a strike rate of 87.85.
