The Asia Cup, considered one of the most prestigious ODI tournaments on the international cricket calendar, was established in 1983 under the Asian Cricket Council. It was designed to be a biennial competition among member countries of the ACC. Since its inception, 14 editions of the tournament have been held, starting from 1984 and concluding with the most recent one in 2022. In this blog post, Explore It Beyond will discover how many times Pakistan won Asia Cup and highlight the key moments that have shaped their legacy.
Pakistan won Asia Cup 2000
The Asia Cup 2000 was held in Bangladesh from May 28 to June 7, 2000. Pakistan emerged as the champions of the tournament by defeating Sri Lanka in the final. Here are some significant details of the event:
Venue: The matches of the Asia Cup 2000 were played across three venues in Bangladesh: Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong and Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra.
Participants: The participating teams in the tournament were Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Format: The tournament followed a round-robin format, where each team played against each other once. The top two teams from the round-robin stage advanced to the final.
Pakistan’s Performance: Pakistan had a strong campaign in the Asia Cup 2000. They won four out of their five round-robin matches, losing only to Sri Lanka. Their victories came against Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and the UAE.
Final Match: The final of the Asia Cup 2000 was contested between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on June 7, 2000, at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka. Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first.
Sri Lanka’s Innings: Sri Lanka posted a total of 228 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Marvan Atapattu top-scored with 83 runs, while Mahela Jayawardene contributed 42 runs. For Pakistan, Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq both took three wickets each.
Pakistan’s Innings: In pursuit of 229 runs, Pakistan chased down the target with four balls to spare. Saeed Anwar played a crucial innings of 97 runs, narrowly missing out on a century. Yousuf Youhana (now Mohammad Yousuf) scored an unbeaten 81 to guide Pakistan to victory. They finished at 229/6 in 49.2 overs.
Man of the Match: Saeed Anwar’s outstanding knock of 97 earned him the Man of the Match award in the final.
Title Victory: Pakistan’s victory in the Asia Cup 2000 marked their first title win in the tournament. They clinched the championship by defeating Sri Lanka by four wickets.
Other Performances: India finished in the third position, while Bangladesh and the UAE were eliminated in the round-robin stage.
Pakistan won Asia Cup 2012
The Asia Cup 2012 was held in Bangladesh from March 11 to March 22, 2012. Here are some significant details about the event:
Venue: All the matches of the Asia Cup 2012 were held in Bangladesh across two venues: Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, and Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah.
Participants: The tournament featured the participation of five teams: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Format: The tournament followed a round-robin format, where each team played against each other once. The top two teams with the most points at the end of the round-robin stage advanced to the final.
Teams’ Performance: Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka finished the round-robin stage with 8 points each, while India managed to secure only 4 points. The UAE, as an associate member, played three matches but failed to secure any points.
Final Match: The final of the Asia Cup 2012 was contested between Pakistan and Bangladesh on March 22, 2012, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.
Bangladesh’s Innings: Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first in the final. They posted a challenging total of 236 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Mahmudullah Riyad top-scored with 62 runs, while Nasir Hossain contributed 41 runs. Aizaz Cheema was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers, taking 3 wickets.
Pakistan’s Innings: In pursuit of 237 runs, Pakistan faced an early setback as they lost their opener Nasir Jamshed for a duck. However, a crucial century partnership between Mohammad Hafeez (68 runs) and Younis Khan (70 runs) steadied the innings. Shahid Afridi played a blistering knock of 32 runs off 18 balls towards the end to guide Pakistan to victory. They reached the target with two balls to spare, finishing at 236/4 in 49.4 overs.
Man of the Match: Aizaz Cheema’s bowling performance of 3/46 earned him the Man of the Match award in the final.
Title Victory: Pakistan’s victory in the Asia Cup 2012 marked their second title win in the tournament. They had previously won the tournament in 2000.
Other Performances: Sri Lanka finished in the third position, while India and the UAE were eliminated in the round-robin stage.
In conclusion, Pakistan won Asia Cup were not just moments of glory but also a testament to their cricketing prowess and resilience. The first victory in the 2000 Asia Cup showcased their ability to perform under pressure, culminating in a well-deserved championship title. Similarly, their triumph in the 2012 Asia Cup will forever be remembered as pivotal moments in Pakistan’s cricketing history, symbolizing their ability to rise above challenges and emerge as champions.
Pakistan have a strong chance of victory in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. For more updates on this check out on Explore It Beyond!
