Pakistan is known as a land of pacers, where you will find a number of bowlers bowling at 90 mph consistently. That’s where the history of Pakistan has been very rich, as they have given many great pace bowlers to the world. Even in the current generation, bowlers like Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf are some of the best in the game.
Not just pacers, Pakistan have also produced some legendary spinners like Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Qadir, Saeed Ajmal, and many more. But who are the best bowlers ever produced in Pakistan’s history, who also took wickets and were also impactful in terms of performances? Hence, we will talk here about the best Pakistani bowlers of all-time that the world has witnessed.
Top 5 All-time Wicket-takers for Pakistan at International Cricket
5. Saqlain Mushtaq

Saqlain Mushtaq was one of the best spinners to play for Pakistan in his era. Not just in test cricket, he also established himself in the white-ball format. Saqlain played between 1995 and 2004. He played a total of 218 matches (49 tests, 169 ODIs) and picked up a total of 496 wickets with 19 fifers and three five-wicket hauls. He was the fastest bowler to take 250 ODI wickets in history and took only 138 matches for it. Adding to that, Saqlain also holds the record for most ODI wickets in a calendar year twice. In 1996, he took 65 wickets, and in 1997, he took 67 wickets, which is still a record.
4. Shahid Afridi

Many will argue that Shahid Afridi was not a specialist spinner, but his records tell a totally opposite story. The guy who came into popularity with a 37-ball ODI hundred in his first innings went on to become one of the leading wicket-takers for Pakistan at international level. That’s why he is probably the biggest superstar for Pakistan in the last 2–3 decades. Afirid played 27 Tests, 398 ODIs, and 99 T20Is and took 48, 395, and 98 wickets, respectively, including ten five-wicket hauls. He also scored 11148 runs with 11 international centuries. Afridi holds some big records, like most ODI sixes (351), the youngest to score an ODI ton (16 years and 217 days), and the second-best ODI figure ever (7/12).
3. Imran Khan

Well, if you have followed Pakistan cricket closely, then you must know that there was no one who came close to what Imran Khan was in his time. He was arguably the biggest superstar that Pakistan have ever produced. A World Cup winning captain, an incredible bowler, a hard-hitting batter, and a gun fielder. He was a complete package and was the face of Pakistan cricket in the in the 1970s and 1980s. Imran Khan also took his country to their maiden ODI World Cup title in 1992. Imran played 263 matches (88 tests and 175 ODIs) and took 544 wickets with 24 fifers. He also scored 7516 runs with seven international centuries. Imran’s 8/60 against India in 1982 is still the second-best figure by a captain in test cricket.
2. Waqar Younis

There was a time when Pakistan had a deadly bowling unit in the 1990s, and Waqar Younis was the vital cog of that bowling attack. The right-arm pacer played international cricket between 1989 and 2003 and won various matches for his team. He was their main weapon, especially in the white-ball format. He formed a deadly combe with Wasim Akram, who was special for demolishing the opposition batting. Waqar played 87 Tests and 262 ODIs and took 373 and 416 wickets, respectively. He is the second-highest wicket-taker for Pakistan ever. Waqar holds the record for the best bowling figure by a captain in ODIs and Test cricket. He is also the fastest to 400 ODI wickets and took only 252 matches. He also holds the record for most ODI fifers and four-wicket hauls in history.
1. Wasim Akram

When it comes to the best bowler in the Pakistan cricket team, Wasim Akram comes at the top of the table. The left-arm pacer was one of the best in his generation, and we will never find a bowler like him. He was the one who introduced the art of the reverse swing to the game. Adding to that, Wasim was the leading wicket-taker in the 1992 ODI World Cup, which Pakistan won. Wasim played 460 matches (104 tests and 356 ODIs) and took 916 international wickets with 31 fifers. He also scored 6615 runs with three international centuries. Wasim Akram holds many records, just like most sixes in a test inning (12), the third-most MOTM award in tests (17), and the and the first bowler to take 500 ODI wickets.