Pakistan’s 2009 T20 World Cup Winners: Where are they now?

Pakistan (Champions T20 World Cup 2009). (Source – Twitter/X)

In 2009, Pakistan made history by clinching their first ICC T20 World Cup title, becoming the second Asian team to do so under the leadership of Younis Khan. This victory followed a close runner-up finish in the inaugural edition in 2007, where they lost to arch-rivals India in the final by a mere five runs.

The Men in Green won three out of their five group-stage matches and defeated South Africa in the semi-finals by seven runs. In the summit clash at the Lords on June 21, they faced off against Sri Lanka, chasing a target of 139. Pakistan secured victory with eight wickets in hand, with Shahid Afridi earning the Player of the Match award for his stellar all-round performance.

As Pakistan prepare to win their second title with the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, let us dive deep into the performances of the players in the 2009 edition and what they are doing now.

Here’s a look at all the Pakistan players from the 2009 T20 World Cup:

15. Umar Gul

The fast bowler was instrumental in Pakistan lifting their first T20 World Cup title, as he emerged as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, picking 13 wickets across seven matches. In a crucial group stage match against New Zealand, Gul delivered an exceptional performance, ending with figures of 5/6, dismissing the Kiwis for a mere 99 runs. The 41-year-old currently serves as the fast-bowling coach for the Men in Green.

14. Sohail Tanvir

Despite featuring in six matches during the inaugural edition, the left-arm quick could only play three games without taking any wickets in the 2009 edition. The career of Tanvir was frequently interrupted by injuries, which often kept him out of the national squad. After announcing his retirement in March 2023, the 39-year-old serves as the head of the junior selection committee for the PCB.

14. Mohammad Amir

Amir had a decent performance in the 2009 edition, picking six wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 7.29. However, he was banned from playing the game for five years, from 2010 to 2015, due to his involvement in spot-fixing allegations. After announcing his retirement from international cricket in 2021, the 32-year-old continued to play in various T20 leagues around the world. Recently, he announced his decision to come out of retirement, making himself available for selection. Notably, he is the only player from the class of 2009 who is in squad for the upcoming 2024 edition.

13. Saeed Ajmal

The off-spinner had an outstanding performance in the tournament, bagging 12 wickets in seven matches, ending as the third-highest wicket-taker. His standout performance came against Ireland in the group stage, where he ended with figures of 4/19. After a remarkable career, Ajmal announced his retirement from cricket in 2017. Currently, he serves as the spin-bowling coach for the senior men’s team.

12. Iftikhar Anjum

Rao Iftikhar Anjum came as a replacement for Shoaib Akhtar in the 2009 edition. With front-row pacers around, he could not breach the playing XI. In his entire career, he featured in only two T20Is and picked just one wicket. The retired cricketer is currently part of PCB’s national team selection advisory committee.

11. Yasir Arafat

The all-rounder had to withdraw his name from the tournament midway due to a hamstring injury, which forced the team to announce a replacement player. Arafat played only one match against England, where he scored four runs with the bat and failed to take any wickets. Later, in 2023, Arafat was appointed as the high-performance coach for Pakistan’s five-match T20I series in New Zealand, where Shaheen Shah Afridi captained the side.

10. Abdul Razzaq

Razzaq replaced Arafat in the squad. During the tournament, he scored 32 runs in four games and took five wickets with the ball. His standout performance came in the final against Sri Lanka, where he ended with figures of 3/20. After retiring from international cricket, the 44-year-old has been involved in various coaching roles. He previously served only in the Pakistan men’s selection committee and later joined the selection committee for the Pakistan women’s team as well.

09. Shoaib Malik

The all-rounder had an average run in the second edition of the marquee event, scoring 144 runs and claiming just one wicket in seven matches. Notably, he was a member of Pakistan’s winning squad that clinched the Champions Trophy in 2017 against arch-rivals India. Malik last appeared in a T20I in 2021. Since then, he has continued to participate in franchise-based tournaments across the world and has been working as a commentator and an expert. Malik was recently part of the panel to inaugurate the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, which is set to host the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 match on June 09.

08. Shahzaib Hasan

The 34-year-old cricketer had a lacklustre season in the second edition of the tournament. In four matches, he scored 77 runs at an average of 19.25 and a strike rate of 106.94. This right-handed batter’s international career was relatively short-lived, having represented Pakistan in 10 T20Is and three ODIs. However, Hasan‘s domestic career took a hit when he was involved in spot-fixing allegations during the Pakistan Super League, leading to a four-year suspension from the game.

07. Fawad Alam

Alam, had a poor season, featuring in six games and scoring just 15 runs. Despite the subpar season, his overall career numbers were average. In 19 Tests, 38 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, he scored 1011, 966, and 194 runs, respectively. After representing Pakistan in 2022 for the last time, he decided to play in the Minor League Cricket T20 in the USA. He currently is trying his hand at acting as he is regularly seen in Pakistani shows.

06. Salman Butt

Despite having a lacklustre performance in the World Cup, where he played only three games and scored 46 runs, Butt found himself in spot-fixing scandals just a year later while serving as the captain of the Pakistan national team. This incident led to his permanent exclusion from representing his national side.

Throughout Butt’s international career, which spanned 33 Tests, 78 One Day Internationals, and 24 Twenty20 Internationals, he scored 1889, 2725, and 595 runs, respectively. Towards the end of the previous year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially offered him a consultant role with the chief selector, but within a day withdrew the offer due to his past allegations.

05. Ahmed Shehzad

A young 17-year-old then, Shehzad, featured in just one match in the opening game against England, where he scored just four runs. However, he later transformed into one of the most aggressive opening batters. Shehzad holds the record of being the first Pakistani player to score a century in all three formats of the game. Despite this remarkable achievement, he was not able to prolong his international career, with his last outing at the age of just 29. His most recent appearance was in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020. In late 2023, the right-hand batter announced his retirement from the PSL, alleging a deliberate effort by all six franchises to exclude him from the competition.

04. Kamran Akmal

The wicketkeeper-batter finished as Pakistan’s highest run-scorer, scoring 188 runs across seven matches at an average of 26.85 and a strike rate of 125.33. Throughout the season, he clinched two Player of the Match awards. The first came against the Netherlands, where he scored 41 runs and executed four stumped dismissals. Akmal’s second Player of the Match performance occurred against Ireland, where he scored 57 runs and getting a couple of batters stumped. Post-retirement, he has shifted his focus towards coaching and administrative roles, and in late 2023 he was appointed as the consultant to the chief selector by the board (PCB).

3. Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah had the best opportunity to guide Pakistan to victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 against India, but unfortunately, he couldn’t take his side over the line. In the 2009 edition, he managed to score only 82 runs in seven matches. However, he went on to become one of Pakistan’s greatest batters by the end of his career. After retiring from international cricket in 2017, he took on the roles of the national head coach and chief selector. The 50-year-old also works as a popular cricket expert on television, and in 2023, he became a part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) cricket technical committee.

2. Shahid Afridi

Afridi, the legendary all-rounder, played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s title victory at the 2009 T20 World Cup. He performed brilliantly with both bat and ball, scoring 176 runs from seven innings at an impressive average of 35.20, while also claiming 11 wickets. Afridi‘s standout performances came in the semifinals and finals, where he was awarded the Player of the Match on both occasions. Throughout his illustrious career, Afridi continued to make headlines, coming out of retirement multiple times and even leading the Men in Green team for a significant period. After his playing days, the veteran cricketer regularly appears on TV broadcasts to share his insights. Recently, he was appointed as the ambassador for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

1. Younis Khan

Khan was widely considered one of the greatest Pakistani batters of his era. During the 2009 T20 World Cup, he excelled not just with the bat, but also as a leader when he captained them to win the title. In six innings of that tournament, he scored 172 runs at an average of 57.33. Notably, the retired cricketer is still the only Pakistani batter to have breached the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket. He captained the Pakistan side during regular stints. The 46-year-old last represented his national side in 2017, and after his retirement, he served as the batting coach with the PCB. Recently, he is often seen voicing his opinions as a cricket expert.