He came into the limelight against the Australians in 1988-90 season by scoring 127 not out for NWFP Governor's XI at Peshawar in his first appearance. Taken to Australia for the World Series Cup, he made his one-day debut against West Indies at Perth in 1988-89 which he did not make much impression. He was sent back home to play against Sri Lanka under-25 and scored heavily. His 42 in Pakistan's seven-run win at Gujranwala in the 2nd one-day against India earned him the Man of the Match Award. He toured Australia again in 1989-90 and batted magnificently in the World Series Cup. Against Sri Lanka he hammered a century in 99 balls at Adelaide, sharing a record 202 runs opening stand with Ramiz Raja. He finished the home season in 1989-90 making 1,082 runs (67.62) including five centuries and three fifties and later was proud member of the Australasia Cup winning team in Sharjah.

Saeed Anwar won his first Test cap against the West Indies in the second Test at Faisalabad, making a pair, and was ignored for the tour of England in 1992. He bounced back to regain his place for the 1993-94 tour of New Zealand and made his maiden Test century (169) in the second Test at Wellington, adding 197 for the third wicket with Basit Ali. On the Sri Lankan tour in 1994 he made another Test century. A land mark came in his life when he made a remarkable world record in one-day international against India in Independence Cup at Madras of scoring 194 runs.