Factbox on the fastest half centuries in Test cricket after Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq reached the mark in 21 balls against Australia in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Butt said he was close to being selected for the World T20 in India after he had resumed playing domestic cricket following the completion of his ban in 2015 but Afridi resisted his selection.
Yusuf Pathan has become the first Indian male cricketer to sign for an overseas franchise-based T20 league.
Pakistan have included uncapped opener Sharjeel Khan in their squad for this month's Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, but senior players Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq were left out.
They could be breathing down each others' necks in their marquee World T20 clash on Saturday, but a few of Indian and Pakistani cricketers, on Thursday, showed great camaraderie.
En route to a record sixth Asia Cup title, Team India and Captain Dhoni set an array of records.
Call it pressure or whatever, the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa almost saw Harbhajan Singh and Mohammed Yousuf ready to tear into each other with forks in their hands.
Pakistan's chief selector Haroon Rasheed has had a pep talk with the national team members and is confident that they can still qualify for the final in the ongoing Asia Cup.
Despite losing their first Asia Cup encounter against arch-rivals India, Pakistan's former T20 captain Misbah-ul-Haq feels Shahid Afridi's boys look in good shape for the crucial World T20 to be held in India in March. "Pakistan's bowlers made 83 look difficult against a strong batting team like India. It is something that will encourage them in the next games. They shouldn't lose hope because of the defeat against India," said Misbah in his blog for cricket.com.au. "After this bowling performance I think the pressure on our batsmen will be less. The batsmen need to understand that the pitches in the Asia Cup are different from the Pakistan Super League and even if they score 130 or 140 their bowlers can defend it," the skipper of Pakistan's Test side added. Misbah also hailed India's performance against Pakistan on Saturday and called them one of the favourites to lift the World T20 title.
Dropped from a difficult chance by Yasir Shah off Shahid Afridi on seven and again by wicketkeeper Umar Akmal on 76, Kohli otherwise played within himself and gave few chances in his 126-ball innings.
Himachal Pradesh's Ex-servicemen League has strongly opposed the hosting of Twenty20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan at Dharamsala on March 19 and asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India to reconsider its decision, keeping in view the sentiments of families of the martyrs.
Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi will be replaced as Pakistan's T20 captain after the World T20 in India, PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan announced on Monday, while hinting his days as a player were also numbered. PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan told reporters in Lahore on his return from Kolkata on Monday that the board and Afridi had a understanding that he would retire after the World Cup. "He is captain till the World Cup under this understanding and he has said he will retire after the event. Even if he changes his mind and wants to carry on we will have to see whether he can be picked as a player or not," Khan said.
The Indian cricket team will start its their Asia Cup campaign against Bangladesh on February 24 before taking on arch-rivals Pakistan in what promises to be a high-voltage encounter on February 27.
Pakistan's long serving captain Misbah-ul-Haq confirmed that he would be retiring from One-day Internationals and T20 cricket after the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Batting at No. 9, Wahab Riaz struck a quickfire half-century before he returned to claim four wickets with the ball to lift Pakistan to a narrow 20-run victory.
10 all-rounders who may leave a mark on the World T20.
The 28-year-old left-arm pacer made the surprise announcement in a video interview released by Pakistani website Khel-Shel.
New Zealand survived Shahid Afridi's late onslaught to beat Pakistan by 17 runs in the second and final Twenty20 match to level the series 1-1.
Images from the Asia Cup T20 cricket match between India and Pakistan on Saturday.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar proposed a made-for-television three-match ODI series against arch-rivals India to raise funds for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in both the countries. In these extraordinary times, Akhtar believes both countries should help each other.
Umar Akmal has been dropped from the Pakistan Twenty20 squad to face England as he is under investigation for bringing the sport into disrepute in an off-field incident, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reported on Thursday.
Sachin Tendulkar led the cricketing fraternity in lauding the fighting spirit of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq continues to rue the fact that he hasn't been able to captain his side in a Test in Pakistan.
Bhajji, Afridi among 8 ambassadors for ICC Champions Trophy
Pakistan ended their tour of Sri Lanka with a dramatic one-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 on Saturday to complete a 2-0 series win, having also triumphed in the Test and ODI encounters.
Pakistan continued their impressive tour of Sri Lanka by comprehensively beating the hosts by 29 runs in the first Twenty20 International of the two-match series on Thursday.
Pakistan team's tour of Zimbabwe next month and a planned tri-series ODI tournament there have been called off after mutual understanding between the two countries.
International Cricket Council President Zaheer Abbas has said that he would ask the BCCI top brass to consider having Pakistani players back in the Indian Premier League when he comes to India to watch the summit clash of the lucrative league in Bangalore on Sunday.
Skipper Kane Williamson's brilliant 97 and Matt Henry's maiden five-wicket haul gave New Zealand a comprehensive 68-run victory over Pakistan in the final one-dayer in Abu Dhabi on Friday. New Zealand won the series 3-2.
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has come under fire from the team management for allegedly requesting former captain Imran Khan to put in a word to the team management about pushing him up in the batting slot.
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 High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, on Friday, expressed his disappointment after five of his colleagues were denied travel permission by New Delhi for Saturday's World Twenty20 match between the arch-rivals, in Kolkata.
'Shocked and hurt' by Shahid Afridi's comments that Pakistan's cricketers are loved more by Indians than the fans in their own country, former captain Javed Miandad said players making such statements should be 'ashamed' of themselves.
Sandeep Lamichhane continued his rapid rise in international cricket as he was named in the ICC World XI squad to take on the West Indies in a charity T20 International on May 31.
Saqlain Mushtaq says the cricket authorities must seek help of former greats to find solutions for the batting woes, afflicting the national team.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has included opener Sharjeel Khan and fast bowler Muhammad Sami in the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and World T20 tournaments after injuries to Babar Azam and Ruman Raees.
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series in Pallekele.
Talented wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal notched up a breezy century under pressure before the bowlers came to the party and guided Pakistan to a bonus-point 72-run victory over Afghanistan in the Asia Cup.
The match is being organised to raise funds for stadia in the Caribbean, which were damaged due to hurricanes last year.
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