Pakistan survived a late order scare from Sri Lanka to pull off an exciting 11-run win in the first one-day international, to go 1-0 up in the five-match series in Sharjah.
The Pakistan cricket team, sans captain Shahid Afridi, returned to a hostile reception in Lahore and Karachi after their disastrous World Twenty20 campaign which also included a loss to arch-foes India. The team returned home in batches in Lahore and Karachi on Saturday night. Afridi, on the other hand, has decided to stay back in Dubai for a few days. The flamboyant all-rounder is expected to take a call on his future in the next few days after drawing massive criticism for his poor form in the tournament and the comment that he and his team get more love in India than Pakistan. A group of players including manager Intikhab Alam, Muhammad Hafeez, Muhammad Irfan, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Ahmed Shehzad and others had to face chants of "shame shame" when they landed at the Allama Iqbal international airport in Lahore.
Featuring Santer, Jordan, Faulkner, Morris, Zampa.
Pakistan's Azhar Ali and Younus Khan forged a 120-run partnership to stall a rampant Australia on day two of the third and final Test in Sydney on Wednesday after a Peter Handscomb century had helped drive the hosts to 538 for eight declared.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told the media that negotiations with Richards were wrapped up as the two parties could not agree on financial details and the West Indian legend also had prior commitments.
Ramiz hit out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for reintegrating players such as Mohammad Amir, who has served prison time and a long ban from the game for involvement in spot-fixing, into the national team setup. The former opener felt allowing tainted players back into the sport has damaged Pakistan cricket.
All sports activities in the city of Sukkur in Pakistan's Sindh province have been suspended for three days after a promising young cricketer, Zulfiqar Bhatti died here after being hit on the chest by a rising ball.
Former Pakistan batsman Nasir Jamshed has been sentenced to 17 months in prison for his role in a fixing scandal, Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said. The former Test opener was banned for 10 years by an anti-corruption tribunal in 2018 for his part in the spot-fixing scandal that engulfed the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2017.
England face unbeaten New Zealand in the first semi-final of 2016 World T20 at New Delhi's Ferozshah Kotla Stadium on March 30. While England have been champions in 2010, New Zealand will be eyeing their first World T20 title. Following is a factbox of the two teams:
Australia knocked Pakistan out of the ICC World Twenty20 with a convincing 21-run victory, setting up a virtual quarter-final against hosts India to be played in Mohali on Sunday.
Australia captain Steve Smith led by example, smashing an unbeaten 108 against a sloppy Pakistan to secure his team's seven-wicket victory with five overs to spare in the third one-day international in Perth on Thursday.
It is no secret that in 2016, head coach Waqar Younis wanted Butt in the team but the then captain of white ball cricket formats, Shahid Afridi opposed having him in the team.
Yasir Shah promoted, Shoaib Malik retained in top category
Their path to the semi-finals looking relatively easier in comparison, Australia will fancy their chances when they lock horns with a struggling Pakistan side whose hopes hangs by a thread in the ICC World Twenty20, in Mohali, on Friday.
Pakistan will be desperately looking to ensure the painful defeat to India becomes a distant past when they run into an in-form New Zealand in Mohali on Tuesday with an aim to bounce back into the World Twenty20 and pacify their bitter fans back home. Pakistan are coming into the Group 2 Super 10 game having suffered their 11th defeat to the arch-rivals in ICC's world events. The 2009 champions entered the tournament after an early elimination in the Asia Cup. On the other hand, the New Zealanders are on a roll with two massive wins over hosts India and Australia, making them one of the strong contenders to lift the coveted trophy on April 3. Another win and they will be in the knockout stages of the mega-event. New Zealand have emerged as the team to beat after the stunned tournament favourites India first up, before getting the better of traditional rivals Australia in a trans-Tasman battle.
Australia's Matthew Wade struck his maiden one-day century to help secure a comprehensive 92-run victory over a disjointed Pakistan in the first one-day international in Brisbane on Friday.
A PCB official said the suspended off-spinner has been named in the preliminary squad as he was in the process of correcting his action and would soon appear for an ICC biomechanics test.
Sri Lanka retained their status as the world's top Twenty20 team by beating Pakistan by 24 runs in a thrilling finish in the second game in Dubai on Friday.
Pacer Muhammad Irfan was, on Tuesday, suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board for being in touch with a suspected bookmaker, making him the third player to be charged in the ongoing probe of alleged corruption in the Pakistan Super League.
Jamshed, who has played 48 one-day internationals for Pakistan, was suspended from all forms of cricket in February for violating the PCB's anti-corruption code.
The report said the use of debit cards would allow the ICC Anti-Corruption sleuths to keep trackof all financial transactions during the tournament by players, team and match officials.
Virat Kohli helped India survive a top-order collapse and beat Pakistan by six wickets in a tight game on Saturday to revive their World Twenty20 campaign and maintain their impeccable World Cup record against the arch-rivals.
Pakistan's stand-in captain Mohammad Hafeez hit a fighting fifty to set up a comprehensive six-wicket victory against Australia in the second one-day international on Sunday that levelled the five-match series.
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan has been suspended for a year and fined 1 million rupees ($9,500,00) after failing to disclose two approaches made by bookmakers during this year's Pakistan Super League (PSL), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday.
Riding high on Lasith Malinga's five-wicket haul and opener Lahiru Thrimanne's fluent century, Sri Lanka regained the Asia Cup trophy with a comfortable five-wicket victory over defending champions Pakistan in Mirpur on Saturday.
England beat Pakistan by 44 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis scoring method in a rain-affected first One-Day International in Southampton on Wednesday.
An insatiable David Warner blasted a career-best 179 and dominated Australia's highest ever one-day partnership with fellow centurion Travis Head to help secure their 57-run victory in the fifth and final match against Pakistan on Thursday.
Pakistan's batting finally came good as they successfully chased down a competitive total posted by Sri Lanka to win by six wickets in an inconsequential final round robin league encounter of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament in Mirpur on Friday. Batting first, Sri Lanka could manage a decent 150 for four, riding on a century opening stand between TM Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal. In reply, Pakistan produced a collective batting performance to win the match in 19.2 overs. Umar Akmal (48 off 37 balls) and veteran Shoaib Malik (13 not out) added 56 runs in 6.1 overs to take Pakistan home. Akmal's innings had four boundaries and two huge sixes. Mohammed Hafeez (14) hit three boundaries before off-spinner Shehan Jayasuriya dismissed him off a delivery that stopped as the batsman failed to check his shot. Left-hander Sharjeel Khan hit five boundaries and a six, in his 31 off 25 balls as he added 35 quick runs for the second wicket with Sarfraz Ahmed (38).
The 33-year-old, who played five Tests and 61 One Day Internationals but has not played for more than a year
Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi earned Pakistan a three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 international at Dubai stadium on Wednesday.
Waqar Younis has hit out at his batsmen for failing to accelerate.
World cricket's most intriguing rivalry will once again be renewed when India take on an unpredictable Pakistan with rehabilitated pacer Mohammad Aamir being the focus of attention in a round-robin league encounter of the Asia Cup T20 tournament, in Mirpur, on Saturday.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan in Sydney, on Friday.
Rising star Babar Azam hit his third successive hundred to anchor Pakistan's 3-0 clean-sweep of the West Indies with a comfortable 136-run win in the third and final one-dayer on Wednesday. Azam smashed a 106-ball 117 while skipper Azah Ali returned to form with a 109-ball 101 as Pakistan compiled 308-6 before restricting West Indies to 172 in 44 overs on a flat Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch.
Babar Azam hit his maiden century while spinner Mohammad Nawaz grabbed four wickets as Pakistan thrashed the West Indies by 111 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in the first day-night international on Friday. Azam's rapid-fire 139-ball 120 helped Pakistan post a challenging 284-9 in a match reduced to 49 overs a side due to a 70-minute floodlight failure at Sharjah Stadium in the UAE. West Indies -- set 287 to win -- never got close and folded at 175 in 38.4 overs.
Pakistan survived a top-order collapse before completing a seven-wicket win over United Arab Emirates in their second round robin league match of the Asia Cup T20 tournament on Monday.
A 27-member Pakistan cricket contingent left for India to take part in the Twenty20 World Cup, finally ending days of uncertainty over their participation in the mega event. The team will be reaching Kolkata via Abu Dhabi. The Pakistan squad including 15 players, 12 officials and support staff reached the Allama Iqbal international airport amidst tight security and boarded a flight hours after the Pakistan government finally gave the PCB the green signal to fly to India to take part in the ICC event. Due to a long stay in Abu Dhabi the squad will reach Kolkata later this evening. Head coach Waqar Younis, before departing for India, left a message on his Twitter account calling for unity in the team. "Come on together we can do it," he tweeted a message aimed at motivating the players. He told the media that though the departure of the team for India had been hit by uncertainty and security issues, the focus of the players now would only be on cricket and doing well in the world event.
PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has slammed the team's performance at the Asia Cup but admitted it was too late to make sweeping changes ahead of the World Twenty20 this month.
Pakistan's Test stalwart Younis Khan, who led the national team to its only World T20 title in 2009, remained unsold while captain Misbah-ul Haq was snapped up by the Islamabad franchise on the first day of the Players' Draft for the Pakistan Super League, on Monday.
David Warner's 12th one-day international hundred and brisk fifties from Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head set up Australia for an 86-run win over Pakistan in the fourth match on Sunday as the hosts secured an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.
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