Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt described national team coach Geoff Lawson as "useless" on Monday but said the Australian would see out his two-year contract. Lawson, who joined the Pakistan team in July 2007 after the untimely death of Bob Woolmer during the World Cup in Jamaica, has had a troubled relationship with the Pakistani media and some board officials.
A miffed Pakistan Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi abandoned a press conference midway in Lahore on Wednesday after he had a verbal spat with a reporter leading to a partial protest by the media demanding an apology from the flamboyant all-rounder.
Controversial umpire Darrell Hair will officiate in the second Test between England and New Zealand on Friday with a new philosophy: 'Good umpires do let players know the reasons for a particular decision.'
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has said it will take up the issue of behaviour of tournament director at the recent Champions Trophy in India with the International Hockey Federation.
Waqar Younis and his deputy Mushtaq Ahmed have had a heart-to-heart to talk with the players.
Jolted by the shock loss to New Zealand in the opening game, India will be fighting a survival battle quite early in the tournament when they take on arch foes Pakistan in what is being seen as the marquee clash of the ICC World Twenty20 in Kolkata on Saturday. The hosts, who started clear title-favourites, were in for a blow in the first match itself when New Zealand's spinners bamboozled their famed batting line-up on a turning Nagpur track. As a result, the world No.1 side is staring at an early elimination should it lose to Pakistan in the high-voltage game at the Eden Gardens. As is the case with most India-Pakistan contests, this game too has been preceded by its share of drama. The match was originally scheduled to be held in Dharamsala but was shifted here after the Himachal Pradesh government expressed inability to provide security to the Pakistan team owing to protests by ex-servicemen and their families.
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.
Waqar's attitude resulted in disharmony in team, says Razzaq.
The Pakistan opener said he did so because he has to play somewhere to earn a living.
Shoaib Akhtar, who was running high temperature, was diagnosed with chest infection, team media manager Ehsan Malik said on Tuesday evening.
India brought in Murali Kartik in place of Virender Sehwag while left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman replaced Rao Ifthikar Anjum in the Pakistan team.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Pakistan have long been regarded as a talented yet inconsistent side, but through a combination of sheer hard work, application and a little help from some inclement Caribbean weather, the South Asian side sit atop the test rankings for a first time.
Tainted former Pakistan captain Salman Butt does not believe cricket can ever be completely free of corruption but has praised the mechanism put into place by the ICC and member boards to safeguard players from corrupt elements in the game.
With the five-member Joint Investigation Team from Pakistan having reached Pathankot to begin probe into the terror attack on the Indian Air Force Base, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday slammed the centre for 'welcoming' the team which also has a member from the Inter-Services Intelligence, saying that Lashkar-e-Tayiba chief Hafiz Saeed could also be a part of the team and no one would know.
Mohammad Yousuf will meet PCB chief Naseem Ashraf on September 26 and will make a decision on whether to join the Indian Cricket League or make himself available for Pakistan.
Pakistan team's media manager Ehsan Malik said there is no truth in reports that the middle order batsman refused to lead the team for the Bangalore Test, beginning Saturday.
Sources in the Pakistan team in Bangalore told PTI on Thursday night that efforts were being made by the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the team management to convince Younis to change his mind.
Scathing in its criticism after Pakistan's loss to India in a World Twenty20 match, the media here came down heavily on national coach Waqar Younis and skipper Shahid Afridi for their "faulty gameplan" and team selection. In a low-scoring rain-curtailed 18-over-a-side showdown t the hallowed Eden Gardens last night, India first restricted Pakistan to 118 for five and then overhauled the target in 15.5 overs on a turning track. With a moisture-laden pitch on offer following rains, Pakistan went by their strength and included four seamers in the playing eleven, leaving out left-arm spinner Imad Wasim. But the plan backfired as, to the surprise of all and sundry, the wicket turned from the first over itself. In a sarcastic article, the 'Express Tribune' newspaper criticised the Pakistan team's tactics and questioned the logic behind including four seamers on a turning wicket.
'I was merely trying to give a positive message to the rest of the world that we enjoy a lot when we play in India.'
The appointment of Younis in place of opener Salman Butt will be seen by many as the first step towards his eventual appointment as captain, at least for the Test side.
The World Cup bound Pakistan team has been told to strictly avoid any discussion on religion, politics or India-Pakistan relations not only during their opening match against India, but also other games of the quadrennial mega-event.
Pakistan on Thursday termed the slapping of sedition charges on nearly 60 Kashmiri students in Uttar Pradesh for cheering the Pakistani cricket team as "very unfortunate" and said its "heart" and educational institutions are always open if they wanted to pursue their studies in Islamabad.
The Pakistan Cricket Board and coach Waqar Younis indicated that disgraced left-arm pacer Muhammad Aamir would soon be given a chance to play for the national team again. PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan told the media in Lahore that the Board was considering giving a comeback chance to Aamir, who served a five-year ban for spot-fixing which expired last September.
Shoaib Akhtar blamed Shahid Afridi for the brawl with Mohammad Asif.
Tanvir, who took four for 47 in a one-day game against the touring Australian 'A' side in Sheikhupura, will fly to South Africa as soon as possible.
Winning the eighth Junior Men's Asia Cup hockey tournament is just the beginning for the Indian colts; they need to frequently face "sterner tests" to become world beaters, feels coach Harendra Singh.
After Abdul Qadir and Zaheer Abbas, another former great Javed Miandad also announced his intention to contest for the post of chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board in the forthcoming elections.
But the former Pakistan captain added that the young visiting team was not a pushover.
The Pakistan team management decided to rest pacer Umar Gul, who suffered a back injury, as a "precautionary measure" after he underwent a scan during the day.
Shahid Afridi has announced his retirement from One-day Internationals after next year's World Cup.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said there have been incidents in India in recent months which pointed to Pakistan-specific threats one of them was the ICC's decision to pull out Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar midway during South Africa's tour of India last year and also the cancellations between PCB and BCCI officials in Mumbai.
Board chairman Nasim Ashraf told a news conference that Lawson had been preferred over two other short-listed candidates, Dav Whatmore and Richard Done.
The former Sri Lanka captain is believed to have cautioned the PCB against appointing Dave Whatmore as the team's new coach.
All eyes will be on the retiring Inzamam-ul-Haq when Pakistan take on South Africa in the second Test.
Experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal's scathing attack on the Pakistan team management could hurt his chances of making a comeback to international cricket.
The touring Pakistan team in the West Indies is furious after a report in a British tabloid once again raised suspicions about their recent ODI series win over the West Indies.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation said it has resumed talks with the Indian hockey authorities to have a bilateral series as soon as possible.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances