Pakistan opener reaches a major international milestone during the first Test against England at Headingley.
Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq reached a significant career milestone on Wednesday by completing 5,000 international runs during the opening day of the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds.
The 30-year-old left-hander came into the Test needing only four runs to reach the landmark. He had accumulated 4,996 runs across international formats, including 1,823 in Tests, 3,152 in ODIs and 21 in T20 internationals.
Imam completed the milestone during the ninth over of Pakistan’s first innings when he struck England pacer Ollie Robinson for a boundary. The achievement made him the 30th Pakistani batter to score at least 5,000 international runs.
The milestone places Imam alongside several of Pakistan’s most celebrated batters, including Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Javed Miandad, while former captain Imran Khan is also among the Pakistani players to have crossed the prestigious mark.
After reaching the landmark, Imam continued to provide stability at the top of Pakistan’s order. He scored a patient 42 before being dismissed by Josh Tongue during the second session of the opening day.
His innings took his international tally to 5,038 runs from 107 appearances. He currently boasts an average of 41.29 and has registered 12 centuries and 31 half-centuries during his international career.
Imam’s dismissal ended an important 91-run partnership for the third wicket with Abdullah Shafique. Pakistan subsequently suffered further setbacks, losing two more wickets in quick succession and slipping to 118 for five.
At the time of filing, Pakistan had moved to 127 for five after 40 overs. Mohammad Rizwan and stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha were at the crease, unbeaten on three and six respectively.
The first Test is part of Pakistan’s three-match series against England, with both sides aiming to make a strong start at Headingley. Imam’s latest achievement adds another notable milestone to his international career as Pakistan looks to build a competitive first-innings total.