Pakistan has been one of the best-performing teams in T20Is over the past year and has registered the most wins in the current calendar year. The stability in the side under the captaincy of Babar Azam has been commendable as Pakistan has won 17 matches in the calendar year, having registered 8 wins in their previous 9 matches including a 3-0 clean-sweep against Bangladesh away from home.
Pakistan’s recent success in the shortest format has been down to contributions from the entire team rather than individual brilliance. Almost every member of the squad has contributed towards Pakistan’s victories, highlighting the importance of teamwork in the success of a team.
In Pakistan’s previous nine victories in T20Is, there have been nine different players who have been awarded the player of the match award. Surprisingly, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, and vice-captain, Shadab Khan are the only two players from the regular starting line-up who have not won the award.
Haider Ali, Fakhar Zaman, and Hasan Ali won the player of the match award in the three matches in the T20I series against Bangladesh. Veteran middle-order batter, Shoaib Malik, and gritty wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan, were the player of the match in Pakistan’s last two matches in the Super 12s stage in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Shaheen Afridi’s magnificent three-wicket spell in the high-octane encounter against India earned him the player of the match award in Pakistan’s opening encounter in the mega event. Haris Rauf’s exploits against New Zealand in the following encounter led him to be awarded as the player of the match. Asif Ali’s heroics, four sixes in the penultimate over against Afghanistan, earned him the player of the match award in that particular encounter.
Prior to the start of the T20 World Cup, Mohammad Hafeez had been awarded the player of the match in Pakistan’s match against West Indies.
Here are Pakistan’s player of the match awards in previous 9 victories:
| Fixture | Man of the Match | Performance |
| Pakistan vs West Indies 2nd T20I | Mohammad Hafeez | 1/6 in 4 overs |
| Pakistan vs India T20 World Cup | Shaheen Afridi | 3/31 in 4 overs |
| Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 World Cup | Haris Rauf | 4/22 in 4 overs |
| Pakistan vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup | Asif Ali | 25 runs off 7 balls |
| Pakistan vs Namibia T20 World Cup | Mohammad Rizwan | 79* off 50 balls |
| Pakistan vs Scotland T20 World Cup | Shoaib Malik | 54* off 18 balls |
| Pakistan vs Bangladesh 1st T20I | Hasan Ali | 3/22 in 4 overs |
| Pakistan vs Bangladesh 2nd T20I | Fakhar Zaman | 57 off 51 balls |
| Pakistan vs Bangladesh 3rd T20I | Haider Ali | 45 off 38 balls |
