Pakistan may not have an ideal year when it comes to economy and political stability, but sports in the country have come a long way.

Though like many other factors, it the athletes and games have seen their ups and down throughout the year.

Here is a sports recap of 2022:

Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen’s kicks off 2022

Football is still struggling to find its feet in Pakistan, however, the arrival of England and Liverpool football legend Michael Owen in Karachi back in January was a major boost to the game in the country.

He arrived to promote international football in the country in collaboration with Global Soccer Ventures (GSV).

Shaheen takes Lahore Qalandar to new heights

If you are not impressed with the arrival of Owen in Pakistan, then you might have to relive the miraculous title-winning journey of Lahore Qalandars.

In short, Qalandars clinched their maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) title as they thrashed defending champions Multan Sultans by 42 runs in the final of the event in February.

Australia end Pakistan’s 24-year wait

One of the biggest things that happened this year in Pakistan cricket history was the return of Australia after 24 years. Their historic six-week visit saw the team play in three cities – Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

They clinched the Test series and the one-off T20I against Pakistan but lost the ODI series 2-1.

Struggle of Pakistan hockey continues

Pakistan hockey continues its’ downward trajectory after crashing out from Asia Cup against Japan 3-2. Their defeat, not only mean that they won’t qualify for the semi-final of the tournament but also were out of the race to play the FIH Hockey World Cup.

Unstoppable Babar enjoys batting against West Indies

Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam reached new heights during the West Indies tour of Pakistan. The series provided Babar Azam an opportunity to pile up runs and smash new records.

During the series, he became the only batter in the history of the game to score three consecutive hundreds in ODIs twice. The skipper had earlier made two centuries against Australia before the series and also racked up three tons in a row in 2016, all against the West Indies.

Shehroze Kashif rules mountains

Shehroze Kashif became the youngest climber in the world to summit nine peaks of over 8,000 meters.

Arshad Nadeem, Nooh Butt make Pakistan proud at CWG

Pakistan’s javelin star Arshad Nadeem and weightlifter Nooh Butt won gold medals at the Commonwealth games.

Nadeem set a new Commonwealth Games record with a 90.18m throw to claim the top position, while Butt lifted a total of 405kg, which included 173kg in snatch and 232kg in clean and jerk to claim gold.

Sri Lanka stun Pakistan in Asia Cup final

One of the biggest upsets of the year was Pakistan losing to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final. The Men in Green fell 23 runs short of Sri Lanka’s 170-run target despite Mohammad Rizwan scoring 55.

England thrash Pakistan in seven-T20I thriller

England finally arrived in Pakistan after 17 years only to thrash the host 4-3 in a seven-match series played in Karachi and Lahore ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup.

T20 World Cup final heartbreak at MCG

Pakistan, who played the semifinal against Australia in the 2021 T20 World Cup, found themselves falling short, but this time in the final.

It was a repeat of the 1992 World Cup, as England and Pakistan met at that stage only the second time. Pakistan were denied another trophy thanks to Ben Stokes’ heroics.

Pakistan in FIFA World Cup

Pakistan haven’t featured in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, but the country has its representation at the grandest sporting event thought its high-quality footballs in Qatar.

Forward Sports — a multinational sports equipment company in the northeastern city of Sialkot — made Adidas’ Al Rihla – the official World Cup ball – for the show peace event.

Stokes’ England give Pakistan Bazball taste

Following the T20 World Cup, England returned to Pakistan to show off their Bazball style of play in Test cricket. The visitors thrashed Pakistan 3-0 in the series played in Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi.

New Zealand back in Pakistan

To sign off the year, New Zealand are back in Pakistan to play two Tests and three ODIs in Karachi. This was the first time they played cricket on Pakistan soil in 19 years. Though they visited Islamabad in 2021 but left the tour without playing a ball due to security concerns.