Pakistan thump Zimbabwe 5-0: List of Pak’s biggest wins in ODI series of 5 or more games

Pakistan scripted yet another series whitewash in one-day internationals (ODIs), pummelling Zimbabwe 5-0 in their own den. The series, played between July 13-22, saw the Asians annihilating their opponents in each game of the series, making it one of the most one-sided in the history of the 50-over format.

It also happened to be Pakistan’s second 5-0 win in an ODI series in less than a year. In October last year, Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by the same margin in the United Arab Emirates.

Here is a look at some of Pakistan’s biggest series (featuring five or more matches) victories in ODIs

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 5-0(5) in UAE, 2017-18: Led by Sarfraz Ahmed, Pakistan thrashed Upul Tharanga’s Sri Lankan side in all matches of a 5-game series played in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai in the UAE in October 2017. Pakistan won the games by 83 runs; 32 runs; 7 wickets; 7 wickets and 9 wickets. Pakistan’s right-arm fast bowler Hasan Ali was adjudged the man of the series with 14 wickets.

Pakistan beat West Indies 3-1(5) in the West Indies, 2013: Captained by Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan defeated the Caribbeans 3-1 in a 5-match away series in July 2013. The series, however, did not look to end one-sided till the halfway stage as the two teams were tied 1-1 after the third game with one match finishing in a tie. But the visitors won the last two games by 6 wickets (Duckworth-Lewis method) and 4 wickets, respectively, to win it 3-1. Misbah-ul-Haq was the man of the series after finishing as the top scorer with 260 runs.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 4-1(5) in UAE, 2011-12: Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan defeated Tillakaratne Dilshan-led Lankans 4-1 in a five-game ODI series played in the UAE in November 2011. The Sri Lankans squared the series in the second game by winning it by 25 runs after Pakistan won the first by 8 wickets. But then it was all Pakistan as they won by 21 runs, 26 runs, and 3 wickets, respectively. Shahid Afridi was the man of the series for picking 13 wickets.

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe 5-0(5) in Pakistan, 2007-08: Pakistan have whitewashed Zimbabwe in a 5-game ODI series earlier as well and it came a decade ago at their home. Under the captaincy of Shoaib Malik, the Asians thumped the Africans led by Prosper Utseya in a one-sided series. Pakistan won the five games by 104 runs; 5 wickets; 37 runs; 7 wickets and 7 wickets, respectively. Malik was adjudged the man of the series for picking up 11 wickets.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh 5-0 (5) in Pakistan, 2007-08: Led by Shoaib Malik again, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh, a Test-playing nation by then, 5-0 in the very next home series. Pakistan started the series with a massive 152-run win and wrapped it up with another 150-run thrashing of the visitors led by Mohammad Ashraful. They won two of the matches in between by 7 wickets (one of them was rain-hit) and one game, the closest of the series, by 23 runs. The home team’s opening batsman Salman Butt was picked as the man of the series for scoring two centuries and two half-centuries.

Pakistan beat West Indies 3-1(5) in Pakistan, 2006: Pakistan was led by Inzamam-ul-Haq while the Caribbeans by Brian Lara. The series was turned into a 4-game affair after the opening game in Rawalpindi was washed out. Pakistan then won the next two games batting second to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. The West Indies pulled one back in Multan, winning it by 7 wickets but the hosts bagged the series by winning the final game in Karachi by 7 wickets despite a good but slow century from Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Pakistani pacer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan was adjudged the man of the series for taking 7 wickets.

Pakistan beat India 4-2(6) in India, 2005: This is one of Pakistan’s best series victories in ODIs. The team, led by Inzamam-ul-Haq, was trailing 0-2 in the six-game series but then went on to win four on the trot to script 4-2 victory. This series saw the Indian side hit by a big controversy as Sourav Ganguly was handed a ban and Rahul Dravid became the captain for the last two games. After India won the first two matches by 87 and 58 runs, Pakistan won the next matches by 106 runs; 3 wickets; 5 wickets and 159 runs, respectively. Pakistan’s Rana Naved-ul-Hasan was given the man of the series award.

Pakistan beat New Zealand 5-0(5) in Pakistan, 2003-04: Captained by Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistanis thrashed Chris Cairns’s New Zealand 5-0 at home. The hosts won by 3 wickets (Lahore); 124 runs (Lahore); 51 runs (Faisalabad); 7 wickets (Rawalpindi) and 49 runs (Rawalpindi).

Pakistan beat Bangladesh 5-0(5) in Pakistan, 2003: Inzamam-ul-Haq’s captaincy saw the Pakistanis thumping their opponents 5-0 in yet another ODI series, in 2003. The visitors, led by Khaled Mahmud, suffered defeats by 137 runs; 74 runs; 42 runs; 5 wickets and 58 runs in the five matches in Multan, Faisalabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi, respectively. Three Pakistani players — Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Yousuf, and Umar Gul – were declared the men of the series.

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe 5-0(5) in Zimbabwe, 2002: Pakistan was led by Waqar Younis while the Zimbabweans had Alistair Campbell in charge. The visitors won the first match in Bulawayo closely by 7 runs but thereafter, they had a one-sided series win. Pakistan won the next four matches by 104 runs; 48 runs; 8 wickets and 70 runs, respectively. Mohammad Yusuf from the visiting side earned the man of the series award.

Pakistan beat India 4-1(5) in Canada, 1998: It was the third edition of the annual Friendship Cup in Toronto, Canada. Mohammed Azharuddin led India while Aamer Sohail was in charge of Pakistan. India won the first game by 6 wickets to continue their good run of 1997 (they won 4-1 on that occasion) but it was all Pakistan from then on. They won the next four games by 51 runs; 77 runs; 134 runs and 5 wickets to return it back to the arch-rivals. Inzamam-ul-Haq was adjudged the man of the series.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 4-1(5) in Sri Lanka, 1994: After Pakistan won the first match by 9 wickets, the Islanders did well to square the series in the second game by winning it by 7 wickets but the Pakistanis captained by Saleem Malik then won three consecutive games to win the series 4-1. It was a series in which the Pakistani ‘W’ duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis excelled and kept the hosts under a serious check.

Pakistan beat New Zealand 3-1(5) in New Zealand, 1994: Saleem Malik’s Pakistan won the series straightaway by winning the first three games on the trot while the fourth match was tied. The home side led by Ken Rutherford then won the concluding game by 7 wickets to reduce the gap to 3-1. Both teams came up with some great bowling performances in this series even though the Asians had the last laugh.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 4-1(5) in Pakistan, 1992: Led by Aravinda de Silva, Sri Lanka could win only one game against Imran Khan’s Pakistan who went on to lift the world cup in a couple of months’ time. The hosts won the first game in Sargodha by 8 wickets and then took a 3-0 lead by winning the next two as well, by 29 runs and 59 runs, respectively. The visitors won the fourth game in Multan by 6 wickets but Pakistan annihilated them by 117 runs in the final game.

Pakistan beat India 5-1(6) in India, 1987: This is Pakistan’s best series win versus India in a bilateral series. Led by Imran Khan, the visitors defeated India 1-0 in a Test series and then thumped the hosts, led by Kapil Dev, 5-1 in a six-game series. It was in this series that Saleem Malik had produced a blistering batting display (72 off 36 balls – something special in those pre-T20 days) in Kolkata to give his team an unlikely win. India’s only win came in Hyderabad and it was because of losing less number of wickets after both sides scored the same total. India’s consolation in that series lied in Ravi Shastri winning the man of the series award.