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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan reached a landmark moment in their cricketing history on Saturday as they stepped on the field to play their 1000th One Day International (ODI) during the series opener against Australia at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The milestone made Pakistan only the third team in men’s ODI cricket to feature in 1000 matches, joining Australia and India in the exclusive club.
Having made their ODI debut against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1973, Pakistan entered the series opener with 999 matches under their belt. Of those, they had won 527 and lost 442, while nine ended in ties and 21 produced no result.
Over the last five decades, Pakistan have enjoyed several memorable moments in the 50-over format, including their historic ICC Men’s World Cup triumph in 1992 under the captaincy of Imran Khan and their ICC Champions Trophy victory in 2017 led by Sarfaraz Ahmed.
India currently hold the record for the most ODI appearances, having played 1,075 matches, while Australia sit second with 1,019 games.
Ahead of the historic fixture in Rawalpindi, Australia captain Josh Inglis presented Pakistan skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi with a special commemorative souvenir to mark the occasion.
The memento featured a bat topped with a bail and three cricket balls arranged to form the number “1000”, symbolising Pakistan’s latest achievement in ODI cricket.
Speaking at the toss, Shaheen described the occasion as a proud moment for Pakistan cricket and said the team was determined to celebrate the milestone with a strong performance.
“It is a special occasion for Pakistan. It’s a happy thing that when Pakistanis represent in ODI cricket, it is a big achievement. So I think it is a special moment for the whole team and we will enjoy it and push for it,” Shaheen said.
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