Saeed Anwar

Saeed Anwar was a Pakistani left-handed opening batsman whose 194 against India in 1997 stood as the highest ODI individual score for over a decade.

Saeed Anwar was born on 6 September 1968 in Karachi, Pakistan, and developed into one of the finest opening batters Pakistan has ever produced, making his ODI debut against the West Indies in 1989 before his Test debut against the same opponent the following year. Anwar scored 20 One Day International centuries, the most by any Pakistani batter for many years, and set a world record individual score of 194 against India in Chennai in 1997, a mark that stood as the highest ODI score for over a decade before being surpassed. Anwar was Pakistan's leading run-scorer at three separate Cricket World Cups, in 1996, 1999, and 2003, and captained the national Test and ODI teams during a 14-year international career built on elegance and remarkable consistency at the top of the order. Anwar retired from international cricket in 2003, finishing with over 12,000 combined international runs across formats, and was honoured with Pakistan's Pride of Performance award, remaining widely regarded as one of the most stylish and consistently prolific opening batters of his cricketing generation.

Anwar was an elegant left-handed opening batsman known for his fluent strokeplay and ability to dominate bowling attacks. He possessed excellent timing and placement, particularly strong through the off-side with his drives and cuts. His aggressive approach made him ideally suited to limited-overs cricket where he could provide explosive starts.

Anwar established himself as one of the most prolific ODI openers of his era and helped Pakistan achieve success in limited-overs cricket during the 1990s.

• Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1998
• former world record holder for highest ODI score (194)