History
Following the Partition of India in 1947, and the establishment of the separate nation state of Pakistan, it was not long before the latter was accepted into the Test fold at a meeting of the Imperial Cricket Conference in July 1952, after being recommended by India. Pakistan's first Test match took place in Delhi in October 1952 and its first home five-day encounter was held in Dacca (also against India) in January 1955.
International Competition
After three successive appearances in the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup, Pakistan made it one step further in 1992 when Imran Khan led his side to a 22-run win. It reached the final again in 1999 but failed to get out of the group stages in the last two competitions. Pakistan did almost win the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 2007 but it fell agonisingly short in the final against India, although it managed to defeat Sri Lanka to win the 2009 event at Lord's. Pakistan are a mercurial team in all forms of the game - capable of beating the best yet also slumping to humiliating losses when least expected. Security issues means it is currently unable to play matches in its homeland, meaning England played host to one-day and Test series against Australia and the home nation in 2010.
Domestic Cricket
The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is Pakistan's premier first-class competition and was first contested in 1953. A mixture of 11 regional teams and departments compete in two groups with the winners of each contesting the final. The Pentagular Cup is another first-class competition, this time contested by five teams. The premier one-day tournament is the ABN Amro Cup (played as four 50-over leagues followed by a Super Eight phase leading to semi-finals and a final) as well as a 20-over tournament.
All-time Great
Imran Khan would almost certainly have deserved the accolade as Pakistan's greatest ever cricketer even if he had "merely" represented his nation as a rank and file servant. But when you add in the way he coaxed, cajoled and united a collection of potentially volatile individuals into a powerful unit there really is no alternative. Khan's greatest moment was leading his team to ICC Cricket World Cup glory in 1992 but the results his sides had previously achieved in the longer format should also not be underestimated. Not only was he one of the finest bowlers of his age - one of the pioneers of the reverse-swinging yorker - but he would also have merited a spot in the team purely as a batsman. His 362 Test wickets @ 22.81 and 3807 runs @ 37.69 need no further embellishment.
Women's Cricket
Having appeared in the Women's World Cup in 1997, it earned a place in the ICC Women's World Cup 2009 after overcoming stiff opposition in the qualifying event - which was shifted from its home country to South Africa following political unrest. Going into the World Cup it was ranked eighth, and emerged as sixth in the world. The Pakistan women's cricket team is certainly heading in the right direction.
