Five times Pakistan have stood one win from an ICC final — and five times they have taken it. From Inzamam’s 60 off 37 at Auckland in 1992 to Babar and Rizwan’s ice-cold chase at Sydney in 2022, these are the semi-final victories that define Pakistan’s knockout heritage.
Quick answer: Pakistan have won 5 ICC semi-finals: 1992 ODI World Cup vs New Zealand (Auckland, by 4 wickets), 1999 ODI World Cup vs New Zealand (Manchester, by 9 wickets), 2007 T20 World Cup vs New Zealand (Cape Town, by 6 wickets), 2009 T20 World Cup vs South Africa (Nottingham, by 7 runs) and 2022 T20 World Cup vs New Zealand (Sydney, by 7 wickets).
In this guide
1992: Auckland — Inzamam announces himself
New Zealand 262/7 (50) — Martin Crowe 91. Pakistan 264/6 (49) — Inzamam 60 (37), Miandad 57*. Won by 4 wickets, 21 March 1992, Eden Park.
Pakistan were 140 for 4 chasing 263 when a 22-year-old Inzamam-ul-Haq walked in and played the most famous semi-final innings in Pakistan’s history — 60 off 37 balls, all power and placement. Javed Miandad shepherded the chase home, and four days later Pakistan were world champions at Melbourne. This remains the semi-final Pakistani fans replay most.
1999: Manchester — the 9-wicket stroll
New Zealand 241/7 (50). Pakistan 242/1 (47.3) — Saeed Anwar 113*, Wasti 84. Won by 9 wickets, 16 June 1999, Old Trafford.
The most complete semi-final performance Pakistan have produced. Shoaib Akhtar’s raw pace kept New Zealand to 241, and Saeed Anwar’s majestic unbeaten hundred — supported by Wajahatullah Wasti’s 84 — made the chase a procession. (The Lord’s final against Australia, sadly, was the mirror image.)
2007: Cape Town — Gul’s strangulation
New Zealand 143/8 (20) — Umar Gul 3/15. Pakistan 147/4 (18.5) — Imran Nazir 59. Won by 6 wickets, 22 September 2007, Newlands.
Umar Gul produced the definitive T20 death-bowling spell of the inaugural World T20, and Imran Nazir’s ferocious 59 off 41 balls — including some of the biggest sixes of the tournament — carried Pakistan into the first T20 World Cup final. India won that final off the last over; the semi-final, though, was pure dominance.
2009: Nottingham — the Afridi final-before-the-final
Pakistan 149/4 (20) — Afridi 51 (34). South Africa 142/5 (20) — Afridi 2/16. Won by 7 runs, 18 June 2009, Trent Bridge.
Shahid Afridi owned this semi-final outright: a 34-ball fifty to lift Pakistan to 149, then 2 for 16 — including the wicket of Jacques Kallis — to defend it against the tournament’s most feared batting line-up. Two days later he did it again in the final at Lord’s, and Pakistan were T20 world champions.
2022: Sydney — the perfect chase
New Zealand 152/4 (20). Pakistan 153/3 (19.1) — Babar 53, Rizwan 57. Won by 7 wickets, 9 November 2022, SCG.
Pakistan had scraped into the knockouts on other results; then produced their most composed chase in years. Shaheen Afridi removed Finn Allen first ball, the spinners squeezed, and Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s 105-run opening stand — both fifties, zero panic — sealed it with five balls to spare. England proved too strong in the Melbourne final.
See the full picture in our Pak semi final record hub and the painful counterpoint: Pakistan’s 10 semi-final defeats.
Frequently asked questions
How many ICC semi-finals has Pakistan won?
Five: 1992 and 1999 (ODI World Cup) and 2007, 2009 and 2022 (T20 World Cup).
Who scored the fastest fifty in a Pakistan semi-final win?
Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 60 off 37 balls against New Zealand at Auckland in 1992 — still the benchmark innings of Pakistan’s semi-final history.
Has Pakistan ever won a Champions Trophy semi-final?
No. Pakistan lost all three Champions Trophy semi-finals they reached (2000, 2004, 2009); their 2017 Champions Trophy title came via a direct final win over India.
