Many of these players bowed out of the game before the inception of Twenty20 cricket, a format ideally suited to the country's style of play.
As Pakistan gears up for the main round of the National T20 Cup, here is a fantasy eleven of former players, who had all the ingredients to rule the shortest format of the game.
1. Saeed Anwar
Perhaps one of the classiest openers Pakistan has ever produced, this wristy left-hander from Karachi could score at the rate of knots, and was playing T20 style cricket long before the format became a reality. A wonderful timer of the ball, Anwar was particularly aggressive against spinners and medium pacers, and would have been one of the most successful T20 openers of all time.2. Aamir Sohail
Who better to partner with Anwar than Aamir Sohail? Although Sohail wasn’t as elegant a batsman as his teammate, in his prime he could score just as quickly, and was particularly strong square of the wicket. Sohail’s aggression, which sometimes led to his downfall, would have been perfect for the T20 format. What’s more, his left-arm finger spin would have been more than useful for the team. Sohail was a classic example of a cricketer who was more than the sum of his parts.3. Ijaz Ahmed
Carrying the most awkward batting technique I have ever seen, Ijaz was dubbed the 'axe man' for his stance. It is no wonder they called him the butcher from Sialkot. Also a brilliant fielder, Ijaz was pure dynamite when on fire, and could hit any bowling attack to all parts, even the fastest of them. I recall with fondness his low skimming sixers smashed against the Aussies in the World Series Cup Down Under. Ijaz also was useful with his gentle left arm seamers, with a slinging action more awkward than his batting technique. Ijaz scored 10 limited over centuries at a strike rate of over 80, and would have surely been a hit in T20s.For more detail 11 Pakistani cricketers who would have been legends of T20 cricket
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