Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed denied reports that Indian bookmakers approached his players in Colombo and rubbished speculation that match-fixing could be behind the team's Test and one-day debacle in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan's flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi has signed a contract with Hampshire to play in the 2010 English T20 championship. He said he signed the deal with for a year because of the big Pakistani community in the United Kingdom.
Younis Khan's return to the Pakistan team got prolonged after chief selector Iqbal Qasim made it clear that the former captain will not be send for the final Test against Australia starting January 14 instead he will be considered for the forthcoming ODI series Down Under.
Eight Pakistan players, including maverick former captain Shahid Afridi, have been fined for breaching a team curfew ahead of their crucial World Cup game against India, sources told AFP.
Having recovered from a finger injury, leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is taking heart from his happy memories attached to the Sydney ground where he is all set for a come back to the Pakistan team for the second Test against Australia commencing from Sunday.
Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will miss the Test series against Sri Lanka next month because of a knee injury. Pakistan team coach Intikhab Alam said Shoaib would need at least three weeks to recover from the surgery, ruling the 33-year-old out of the two home Tests being played between February 23 and March 6.
Pakistan becomes only the fifth team after Australia, England, India and South Africa to top the ICC Test rankings since these were introduced in 2003.
Pakistan Cricket Board is confident that tainted left-arm pacer Mohammad Aamir will soon be issued a visa to play in the series against England in the United Kingdom this summer.
The fitness of Ben Stokes remains an issue. The all-rounder did not bowl in the first Test due to a back problem and could play again as a specialist batsman ahead of Vince.
Pending Indian visa forces PCB to push back date for Hafeez's testing
Pakistan's head coach Waqar Younis said he was focussing on preparations for the Asia Cup and World T20 events and not thinking about an extension of his coaching contract that expires in May. "I have still three to four months of my contract left and right now I haven't given a thought to the future," he told reporters here yesterday. Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan has said that the board had decided to extend the contract of Waqar for the tour to England which lasts from July to September. "Coaching of any team is always a tough job. It doesn't matter whether you do well or disappoint. It is a tough job and I knew about this when I accepted this challenge. I enjoy taking up tough challenges," Waqar said. The former Pakistan captain said at present, he was only focusing on preparations for the Asia Cup and World T20 events and not thinking about his contract. He said when the time came, he will think about it.
The Pakistan team management is seriously considering playing dope-tainted pacer Mohammad Asif in the crucial Champions Trophy tie against India on Saturday in Centurion, South Africa.
Pakistan suffered another setback in their ongoing 'home' Test series against New Zealand in the UAE with in-form opener Ahmed Shehzad being ruled out of the remaining two matches due to a cheek bone fracture.
At present, if an umpire has given 'not out' generally the system is too complicated for the decision of the field umpire to be overturned
The Pakistan team is eyeing a series-levelling victory against New Zealand after setting a target of 405 runs and again having the New Zealand team on the back foot at 70 for three at stumps on day three of the second Test being played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
The Pakistan Cricket Board says its government will decide over the national team's participation in next month's World T20, to be held in India, 'within this week'.
Pakistan opener Salman Butt has said that his side has the ability to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title starting on April 30 in the West Indies.
The "home" of cricket at Lord's, Edgbaston and Headingley could be possible venues for Australia's future Test series against Pakistan after the British government offered to act as a temporary host to the Pakistan team. Britain's sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe made the offer to Pakistani officials on Tuesday after attacks on the visiting Sri Lankan team in Lahore effectively ended their chances of hosting matches in the foreseeable future.
The Pakistan Cricket Board lifted bans on batsman Mohammad Yousuf and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq on Friday following their resignations from the unauthorized Indian Cricket League. 'Their resignations have been accepted by the ICL and both players will now be available for Pakistan team selection,' the PCB said.
'At the end of the day, an India-Pakistan game has got more to do with pressure than anything else. The team that handles the 'P-factor' better on the day is more likely to win' 'Shoaib Malik is the danger man in the Pak squad'
Shahid Afridi's dream of leading the Pakistan team came true as the flamboyant all-rounder was on Wednesday appointed captain for the one-off Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka next month.
Disgraced pace bowler Mohammed Asif on Tuesday, completed a 12-month ban, which was imposed on him for failing a dope-test during inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL), but Pakistan team management is yet to decide about playing him in the Champions Trophy.
Left dismayed by the terror strike in Peshawar which left 132 children dead, Pakistan's cricket team is planning to visit the attacked Army school and pay its tributes.
Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has been accused of fraud and misuse of facilities by the administration of the University of Agriculture in his hometown Faisalabad. The administration has ordered him to immediately vacate the land given to him to establish his cricket academy. The varsity administration claimed on Saturday that Ajmal had charged admission fees from one student to join the academy and over 350 students became members.
Ending days of speculation on whether the Lahore Lions would play in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 in India, the Pakistan Cricket Board said the team has been issued visa and clearance for the tournament.
Pakistan fast bowler Sohail Tanvir was disappointed after his much touted deal with the English county side Surrey failed to materialise apparently due to visa problems.
Pakistan's cricket legend, Imran Khan has said that he would like to see Pakistan and India resume bilateral series after the warm welcome given to the national team in India during the ICC World T20.
Pakistan's ex-cricket captain Shoaib Malik says he is proud his Indian wife Sania Mirza has become the world's top-ranked doubles tennis player, adding it is honour for both countries.
Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal has had to apologise to the national team's coach Dav Whatmore over seemingly innocuous remarks the player made in a television interview about having a foreign-born coach.
The International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit on Monday said tainted Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir's video in which he admitted his guilt and also described the after-effect of his wrongdoing is being used to educate cricketers about the consequences of indulging in corrupt practices like spot-fixing and match-fixing.
Former batting great Inzamam-ul-Haq says if Pakistani cricketers have to learn performing under pressure, they must play arch-rivals India on regular basis.
Former Pakistan captain and fast bowling great, Wasim Akram slammed the formation of an inquiry committee by the cricket board to probe into the team's poor show in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. "I don't understand the purpose of announcing a probe committee when the national team is due to leave for India for the World T20," Akram told a news conference on Saturday. Akram, who was Director of the Islamabad United franchise which recently won the Pakistan Super League in Dubai, said that it was lamentable that instead of supporting the team the players were being put under pressure. "I don't agree with this thinking. This decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board to evaluate the team's performance in the Asia Cup at this time," he added. "It does not make sense as the World T20 is just a few days away."
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan, in Brisbane, on Thursday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board named former Test pacer Saleem Jaffer chairman of selectors, while Yawar Saeed was named manager of the Pakistan team, and Sultan Rana will accompany the team as manager to the Hong Kong Super Sixes tournament.
The Pakistan Hockey team will not participate in the 17th All India Baba Faridkot Gold Hockey tournament starting on Friday after they were denied visa by the India High Commission in Islamabad. The team was denied visa by the India High Commission at the last moment in view of last Saturday's serial blasts in New Delhi.
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday sacked former Test player Saleem Altaf as Director, Special Projects, on charges of leaking confidential information of the Board. According to sources, the decision came after an exchange of words between Altaf and PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf.
Crediting India's emphatic win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the World Cup to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's mature captaincy, Kapil Dev has said the Indian skipper used his experience really well and was spot on with field placements.
Pakistan were once again annihilated by arch-rivals India in a World Cup encounter and captain Misbah-ul-Haq credited the rivals for the clinical win.
Pakistan said it has set up a committee to look into a religious spat between their opener Ahmed Shahzad and Sri Lankan counterpart Tillakaratne Dilshan last month.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
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