The national selection committee ignored senior Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal for the coming one-day series in Sri Lanka.
Australia will have to win both Tests in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to go one point clear of South Africa, who displaced them at the top in July, but there is still little clarity about the side who would walk out for the first match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The dry and flat surface could increase the chances of the defending World champions in the second semi-final against India.
Pakistan made a winning return on Saturday to the venue where they defeated New Zealand in their 1992 cricket World Cup semi-final.
"The players and officials could face an angry reception on their return home to Lahore and Karachi but I think they should be prepared for this."
Rajneesh Gupta presents the numbers from the Indore Test.
Pakistan's most capped player Inzamam-ul-Haq wants to see the national team create history in the forthcoming Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by defeating arch-rivals India in the opening match in Adelaide.
The trouble-prone Pakistan cricket team dressing room was once again witness to some drama and it took PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan's intervention to diffuse the controversy generated by Misbah-ul-Haq's decision to rest from the third ODI against Australia.
He became the second-fastest cricketer in the world to reach 200 Test wickets but Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin says the thought of creating records never crossed his mind since he is 'happy competing with himself'.
Australia enter their World Cup quarter-final as runaway favourites against Pakistan in Adelaide on Friday, but will be wary of an enigmatic team that have proved a major thorn in their side at past tournaments.
Former Pakistan players are throwing their weight behind senior batsman Younis Khan in the World Cup quarter-final against Australia in Adelaide on Friday.
The best they can do, in the event they defeat Australia and line up for the semi-final in Sydney, is summon spinner Saeed Ajmal.
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.
Following badminton World No 1 Lee Chong Wei's provisional ban, Rediff.com brings you ten top sports persons who gave in to drugs - one of the mighty perils that has affected modern sporting culture.
Sachin Tendulkar has tipped defending champions India to make it to the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup which begins in Australia and New Zealand on Saturday.
Pakistan can break World Cup jinx against underperforming India, believes former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas.
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has warned his team to beware a backlash from a wounded Australia in the second and final Test in Abu Dhabi starting on Thursday.
Organisers are confident West Indies will take part at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand early next year despite the crisis caused by their withdrawal from the tour of India earlier this month.
Imran Khan will always be first and foremost the enigmatic 'Kaptaan', who pulled off the impossible -- transform an immensely talented but fractious bunch of cricketers into world beaters.
Although the PCB is leaving no stone unturned to allow suspended off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal a chance to make a comeback to international cricket, the national selectors and head coach, Waqar Younis are already planning for the World Cup without the services of the suspended spinner.
India have won all their six games against Pakistan in the World Cup.
'When you looked at him even at that age, you could make out he was special.'
England's James Anderson is the first fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets.
In Martin Crowe's death, cricket has lost one of its most iconic figures in recent memory, says Shakya Mitra.
For a team that started off disastrously, entering the quarter-finals of the World Cup is quite an achievement. Rediff.com analyses what could have been the case.
Pakistan look to get their so far lacklustre World Cup campaign going with a win over Zimbabwe.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
Former PCB chairman and Pakistan's nominee for the post of International Cricket Council (ICC) President, Najam Sethi has disclosed how he had to take a firm stand to prevent Misbah-ul-Haq from being removed as captain this year.
The World Cup quarter-final at the Adelaide Oval looked set for a tame ending after Australia shot out Pakistan for a meagre 213. Paceman Wahab, however, sparked the match into life with two wickets and an enthralling duel with Shane Watson.
Factbox on the third World Cup quarter-final between Australia and Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.
'It is easy to criticise the fast bowlers, but do they have the support they need to grow as bowlers? No!'
With barely four months to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Australian continent, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly feels Virat Kohli's batting success will decide India's success at the sporting extravaganza.
The International Cricket Council might have confirmed that the tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir can return to cricket after the expire of their bans, but a divided house seems to have emerged in Pakistani cricket.
Banned Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal vowed to correct his illegal bowling action and return to cricket before next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged his 18th five-wicket haul as India dominated the first day of the second test against West Indies in Jamaica on Saturday.
'Six of us were not talking during the World T20 in 2009 but we still managed to win the title.'
Former India captain Kapil Dev says the iconic Sachin Tendulkar "did not know how to make double hundreds, triple hundreds and 400 though he had the ability" to scale such peaks and was "stuck in the Mumbai school of cricket".
Former chief coach, Waqar Younis has urged the cricket authorities to drop Umar Akmal from the Pakistan team and blamed Shahid Afridi for the side's run of T20 defeats against England, New Zealand and in the Asia Cup and World T20.
'When I entered the Indian team's dressing room, I discovered that there was a divide in the team, like a wall in between two groups of players, there were two teams within one.' 'It was all about individual glory and if the team won in the process great!' 'My entire Test career was about me wishing that my Indian team was more like the Pakistan team.'
'I became aggressive as a captain because I realised the players needed that backing...' 'We in India are brought up to be docile, goody-goody, but that needed to change on the field,' Sourav Ganguly tells Udit Misra.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances