Alas! Pakistan's test cricket has suffered so heavily recently that it appears to have reversed back to the primitive days. The Pakistan team has shown performances the likes of which were only exhibited by South Africa when entering test cricket but that was over 114 years ago. To the utter disbelief of their supporters the Pakistan team was bundled out for paltry scores of 59 and 53 in the two innings of the recent second test match at Sharjah against Australia. The aggregate is the lowest match aggregate for Pakistan in test cricket to date.

The more gloomy aspect of these lowest aggregates was that it had come on the eve of country's 50th Anniversary of playing the inaugural test match. (October 1952).

Pakistan's record lowest match aggregate is the fourth lowest aggregate ever in test cricket after South Africa's 36 + 45 against Australia at Melbourn in 1931-32, 47 + 43 against England at Cape Town in 1888-89 and New Zealand's 42 + 54 versus Australia at Wellington in 1945-46. Lamentfully Pakistan's pathetic performance in the second test match at Sharjah also created only the second instance since 1945-46 for a test match to be wrappedup in two days. (the other instance being West Indes versus England at Leads in 2000).

Presented below is a list of Pakistan's lowest match aggregates (completed innings) to date:

Match     1st  2nd   Venue     V/S  Year      Result
Aggregate Inn  Inn
112       59   53    Sharjah   Aus  2002-03   Lost by an innings
                                              and 198 runs
208       77   131   Lahore    WI   1986-87   Lost by an innings
                                              and 10 runs
222       104  118   Hamilton  NZ   2001      Lost by an innings
                                              and 185 runs
240       106  134   Port of   SA   1997-98   Lost by 259 runs
                     Elizabeth 
244       105  139   Lords     Eng  1978      Lost by an innings
                                              and 120 runs
254       140  114   Trent     Eng  1967      Lost by 10 wickets
                     Bridge
289       145  144   Dacca     WI   1958-59   Won by 41 runs
297       133  164   Oval      Eng  1954      Won by 24 runs
302       150  152   New Delhi Ind  1952-53   Lost by an innings
                                              and 70 runs
304       132  172   Colombo   SL   1986      Lost by 8 wickets
305       140  165   Port of   WI   1993      Lost by 204 runs
                     Spain

NOTE: Surprisingly, despite Pakistan's batting debacles on two of the above occasions, Fazal Mahmood, the architect of Pakistan's six of their first eight victories, bowled his team to exciting victories (v England at the Oval in 1954 and v West Indies at Dacca 1958-59). Fazal Mahmood, on both occasions claimed twelve wickets in the match.

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