KARACHI, Jan 24: Pakistan cricket hit a new low on Saturday when Sri Lanka handed them their biggest defeat by runs in the series-deciding third One-day International at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Pakistan’s inexplicable collapse saw them suffering a massive defeat by 234 runs. Their previous ‘worst’ loss in terms of runs was against Australia by a margin of 224 at the Gymkhana Club Ground in the tri-nation tournament on Aug 2, 2002.

Sri Lanka’s margin of victory by runs is the second largest between two Test-playing nations and the sixth biggest in the history of One-day Internationals. Sri Lanka also has the honour of achieving the biggest win against a Test country when India were annihilated by 245 runs at Sharjah on Oct 29, 2000.

New Zealand hold the record of scoring the largest win by runs in this format of the game when they trounced Ireland by 290 runs at Aberdeen on July 1 last year.

In between India defeated Bermuda by 257 runs during the 2007 World Cup league-round fixture at Port-of-Spain on March 19, Australia won by 256 runs in the 2003 World Cup group match against Namibia at Potchefstroom on Feb 23 while India also won by the same margin (256 runs) against Hong Kong during last year’s Asia Cup preliminary-round game in Karachi on June 25.

Pakistan’s biggest defeats by runs in ODIs:

234 — v Sri Lanka at Lahore, Jan 24, 2009.

224 — v Australia at Nairobi, Aug 30, 2002.

198 — v England at Nottingham, Aug 20, 1992.

164 — v South Africa at Centurion, Feb 4, 2007.

157 — v South Africa at Johannesburg, Jan 12, 1995.

152 — v Australia at Sydney, Feb 4, 2000.

Pakistan’s total of 75 against Sri Lanka on Saturday is their fourth lowest in 693 One-day Internationals played by them since 1972-73. Of course, Pakistan’s smallest total in a completed innings was 43 against the West Indies on a spiteful Newlands pitch in Cape Town during a triangular tournament match in early 1993 (see the table below).

Pakistan’s lowest-ever total against Sri Lanka prior to Saturday’s diabolical batting performance was 122 during the Asia Cup match at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on July 21, 2004.

Pakistan’s lowest totals in ODIs:

43 — v West Indies at Cape Town, Feb 25, 1993.

71 — v West Indies at Brisbane, Jan 9, 1993.

74 — v England at Adelaide, March 1, 1992.

75 — v Sri Lanka at Lahore, Jan 24, 2009.

81 — v West Indies at Sydney, Dec 17, 1992.

85 — v England at Manchester, May 24, 1978.

87 — v India at Sharjah, March 22, 1985.

89 — v South Africa at Mohali, Oct 27, 2006.