Suspended from international cricket for an illegal bowling action, Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal on Friday returned to the national side.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has taken over as patron-in-chief of the country's Cricket Board, has asked its Chairman Najam Sethi to focus on reviving bilateral series with India.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Monday, disbanded its national selection committee in the wake of the national team's debacle in the Asia Cup and the just-concluded World T20 cricket tournament.
Despite the International Cricket Council's (ICC) clause nullifying the ball-tampering allegation against Virat Kohli, former Pakistan cricketers have demanded the world's cricketing governing body to penalise the Indian Test skipper in the incident which relates to the drawn Rajkot Test against England. After the 'mintgate' row involving South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis in which he was found guilty of ball-tempering, a British tabloid had on Tuesday accused that some footages of the Rajkot Test indicated that Kohli appeared to shine the ball using residue from a sweet.
The acting Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Najam Sethi has informed the members of the interim management committee (IMC) that a new coach would only be appointed on a short-term basis after the conclusion of the series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.
Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi does not seem to be in favour of tainted cricketer Salman Butt making a comeback to the national team. A source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told PTI that Butt, who completed a five-year ban for spot-fixing last September, was in contention for an immediate comeback to international cricket but Afridi showed his reluctance. "Butt met with chief selector Haroon Rasheed last night in Lahore. The situation is that members of the Pakistan team have also indicated they have no problems with Butt joining the team but Afridi is not in favour of his inclusion," the source said. The source also said that the selectors were considering opener Butt for the World T20 after the team's dismal batting performance in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. "The selectors are desperate to find a solution to the opening problem in the Pakistan team and will also certainly recall experienced opener Ahmed Shehzad. Salman Butt is also under consideration," the source said.
Tainted fast bowler Mohammad Amir was named in Pakistan's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup even as seasoned opener Ahmed Shehzad and veteran bowler Umar Gul were shown the door.
The national selection committee ignored senior Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal for the coming one-day series in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan selectors will have no surprises in store when they announce the Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka on the next 48 hours apart from recalling talented opener Ahmed Shehzad.
Suryakumar Yadav has been reported for a suspect illegal bowling action, becoming the fifth bowler to be called in the just concluded Champions League Twenty20 tournament.
Newly-appointed Pakistan Cricket Board chief selector Inzamam-ul Haq made it clear that he does not possess a magic wand to immediately effect a course correction in the fortunes of the national cricket team.
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Shaharyar Khan has said that the decision to call back Moin Khan from the World Cup and later sack him as chief selector was taken to keep his prestige and reputation intact after the Casino incident.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has been accused of being non-serious throughout the Asia Cup and World Twenty20 in a report filed by under-fire coach Waqar Younis, who is furious about it being leaked to the media.
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