Sri Lanka require 153 runs for a series-levelling victory after Pakistan rode Azhar Ali's obdurate century before being all out for 329 on day four of the second Test on Sunday.
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.
Shoaib Malik hit his first century in six years to help Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in the first One-dayer by 41 runs in Lahore on Tuesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Experienced Pakistan players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami received surprise call-ups to the national side for the two T20 matches against the touring Zimbabwe team after spending close to three years in the wilderness.
Opening batsman Khurram Manzoor, who has not played for Pakistan's Test team for three and a half years, is back in the squad for the tour of Zimbabwe that starts this month.
Former opener Gautam Gambhir rated Virat Kohli's stroke-filled 183 against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup as one of the greatest innings from the Indian captain in international cricket. Chasing a big target of 330 in Dhaka, Kohli smashed 183 off just 148 balls, with 22 fours and one six, to guide India to a six-wicket win with 13 balls to spare in the fifth match of the Asia Cup in Dhaka, on March 18, 2012.
Drafted into the team for the first time in the ongoing cricket World Cup, Pakistan wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed made an instant impact with a record-equalling six catches and 49 runs in the team's upset win over South Africa in Auckland.
West Indies, put in to bat, struggled throughout their innings as 18-year-old Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan took three wickets for seven runs off his four overs to land the man of the match award on his international debut.
Photos of the World Cup Pool B game between Pakistan and Ireland being played in Adelaide
Sarfraz and his men must heed the advice from someone who famously galvanised a traditionally fractious side to World Cup glory in 1992.
Fast bowler Sohail Khan earned a surprise recall while Pakistan selectors ignored senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal in their final 15-member squad for the World Cup.
Seven more Pakistan players tested positive for COVID-19 throwing into doubt their tour of England starting next month. Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and Imran Khan are the players from the England-bound squad who tested positive, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Tuesday.
Pakistan will be without leading paceman, Junaid Khan for the series against New Zealand after he was advised to undergo another six weeks of rehabilitation following his knee injury.
Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests and as many T20Is in a bio-secure environment in England amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their arrival itself was mired in drama and a mercurial Pakistan would look to bring the focus back on their cricket when they take on an enigmatic Bangladesh.
The T20 World Cup 2020 scheduled to be held in Australia later this year must not be postponed in haste since the mega-event is the best product to highlight cricket once activities resume in the post-coronavirus world, Pakistan head coach and chief selector, Misbah-ul-Haq said. Misbah said though logistics is a huge challenge due to the prevailing circumstances, the authorities must deliberate enough before arriving at a decision over the T20 World Cup to be held in October-November this year.
James Taylor made a calm unbeaten 67 to lead England to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Pakistan in Sharjah on Tuesday and a 2-1 lead in the four-match one-day international series.
Yasir Shah promoted, Shoaib Malik retained in top category
Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is adamant that his side will pick up next week where they brilliantly left off before heavy rain held up their charge.
VVS Laxman believes that Team India can beat hosts Australia in the semi-final of the World Cup on Thursday if their bowlers continue their impressive form.
Factbox on the third World Cup quarter-final between Australia and Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.
The road to the knockout stage for Sarfaraz Ahmed and his men is just an improbable mathematical calculation and that too provided Pakistan win the toss and bat first.
Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said Pakistan Babar Azam, who is a big fan of Virat Kohli, should learn to play like his "idol" and convert good starts into big knocks by adapting to match situations the way the Indian captain does.
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.
Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar has come to the defence of Sania Mirza, saying the Indian tennis star is unlucky to find herself in the firing line of fans every time arch-rivals India and Pakistan play an international match. Sania is married to former skipper Shoaib Malik, who is currently a part of Pakistan's cricket team competing in the ongoing World Cup in England.
Mohammad Hafeez was all smiles as the world number one side suffered a 14-run ICC Men's Cricket World Cup defeat, ending Pakistan's 11 match winless streak.
Moeen Ali revealed that Jofra Archer is the fastest bowler he has ever faced after watching the England newcomer rip South Africa apart at The Oval.
Kraigg Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich struck unbeaten half-centuries to guide West Indies to a first Test victory in 14 matches as the Caribbean side beat Pakistan by five wickets on the final morning of the third Test in Sharjah on Thursday.
Pakistan go into the World Cup having suffered 10 successive ODI defeats and were also beaten by Afghanistan in the warm-up match of the World Cup.
Rodrigues, Kaur, Mandhana and Sharma were also a part of the now-defunct Kia Super League (KSL) in 2019, the ECB's domestic T20 tournament that made way for the Women's Hundred.
Choosing between a third spinner and an extra batsman will be the topic of discussion when the three-member national selection panel decides on the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, starting June 1 in England.
Convicted spot-fixer Muhammad Aamir was selected in the Pakistan cricket team that will tour England for a four-Test series for the first time since the spot-fixing scandal broke in 2010. However the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is still awaiting for Aamir's visa approval from the UK High Commission. 24-year-old Aamir has made an impressive comeback in shorter formats and ironically his probable return to Test cricket will happen in the same country where he was arrested for indulging in spot-fixing along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif. Chairman of selectors Inzamam ul Haq said that the board had given clearance to pick Aamir in the side as they had been told his visa would arrive on Monday.
Opener Ahmed Shehzad has been recalled to Pakistan's Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka after being dropped for the April-May series against Bangladesh on disciplinary grounds. Besides Shehzad, the selectors also recalled southpaw Shan Masood, another out-of-favour opener, who was ignored for the last few series and tournaments.
A century opening stand between Abid Ali and Fakhar Zaman guided Pakistan to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final One-Day International in Karachi on Wednesday. The victory enabled the hosts clinch the series 2-0.
Pakistan have made a number of changes in their ODI squad for the short home series against Zimbabwe, recalling seniors such as Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Sami in the 16-member side.
'It's Test cricket and (Shannon) is an emotional guy trying to do everything he can to win a Test match. Sometimes people say things on the field that they might regret'
Australian captain Michael Clarke has said his players will have to bat much better against the defending champions India.
Paceman Dale Steyn returned from a brief vacation to inspire South Africa and spinner Imran Tahir took four wickets as they throttled Pakistan's batsmen to win the third one-day international in Abu Dhabi by 68 runs on Wednesday.
Ross Taylor ended a poor run of form to score his 16th test century and bat New Zealand into a potentially series-winning position at the end of the fourth day of the second Test against Pakistan at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Monday. Already 1-0 up in the two-match series courtesy of an eight-wicket win in Christchurch, New Zealand declared their second innings at 313 for five, just after Taylor reached the milestone, and set Pakistan a victory target of 369.
Kraigg Brathwaite made a patient unbeaten 95 to lead West Indies to 244 for six at the close on the second day of the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah on Monday.
