Saeed Anwar: Player Profile of Pakistan’s Elegant Left-Handed Opener
Profile of Saeed Anwar, the Pakistan opener whose 194 against India in 1997 stood as the ODI record score for over a decade.
Early life and rise
Saeed Anwar was born in 1968 in Karachi, Pakistan. He rose through domestic cricket and made his international debut in 1990, becoming a regular in Pakistan’s one-day and Test teams over the next decade.
Playing style
Anwar was a classical left-handed opening batter, noted for the beauty of his strokeplay and especially the wristiness with which he turned the ball off his pads. He was strong through the off side and played with a relaxed elegance that made difficult conditions look straightforward. In one-day cricket he combined smooth timing with a high rate of scoring.
Career highlights
His signature innings came in 1997 in Chennai, when he scored 194 against India in a one-day international. At the time it was the highest individual score in ODI history, and it remained the record for more than a decade, until it was matched in 2009 and then surpassed by later batters.
He was a mainstay in Pakistan’s teams of the late 1990s, a period in which the side featured several world-class players. He also scored centuries in Test cricket, and he played in the 1999 World Cup in which Pakistan reached the final.
Anwar retired from international cricket in 2003, after a long career as one of Pakistan’s leading openers.
Legacy
Saeed Anwar is remembered as one of the finest opening batters Pakistan has produced and as a player of rare grace. His 194 remains one of the most famous innings in limited-overs cricket. He is often mentioned among the best left-handed openers of his generation and left a lasting impression on supporters who admired his timing and calm approach.
Frequently asked questions
What is Saeed Anwar’s highest ODI score?
He scored 194 against India in Chennai in 1997, which was an ODI record for more than a decade.
What was Saeed Anwar’s batting style?
He was a left-handed opening batter known for elegant, wristy strokeplay.
When did Saeed Anwar retire?
He retired from international cricket in 2003.