Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq are poised to end their storied careers on a winning note after Pakistan played their way into a strong position on day four of the third Test against West Indies on Saturday.
The tourists were left on 20-2 after seven overs going into the second day.
Pakistan spin great Saqlain Mushtaq fails to understand how a proven performer like Ravichandran Ashwin has been kept out of India's limited-overs set-up, saying a successful Test bowler is bound to succeed in the shorter formats. Ashwin, a regular in the IPL, has been kept out of the shorter formats since July 2017. Same was the case with Ravindra Jadeja but he is back playing all three formats, largely because of his all-round abilities.
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.
'Countering Yasir is Australia's number one priority'
Indian cricket team stands a chance of making big gains in terms of International Cricket Council (ICC) Test ranking if they manage to register a 3-1 victory over Australia in their ongoing four-match series.
Alastair Cook and Joe Root made centuries to lift England to a commanding 314 for four at the close on the first day of the second test against Pakistan on Friday.
Pakistan's Rahat Ali removed England's top three batsmen as the first Test at Lord's hurtled towards an exciting climax on Sunday's fourth day. At lunch, England were 90 for three in their second innings, needing a further 193 runs to reach their victory target of 283. James Vince was a Test-best 41 not out and the recalled Gary Ballance 15 not out after Rahat had taken three wickets for 36 runs in eight overs. England captain Alastair Cook launched the chase with a four off the very first ball of the innings when he cut a loose Mohammad Amir delivery to the boundary.
Crowd trouble tarnished Pakistan's victory over Sri Lanka as missiles were thrown onto the pitch in the third ODI in Colombo.
Senior Pakistan batsman and the toast of the cricket community, Younis Khan, has said that he always took criticism constructively.
Younis Khan scored an epic unbeaten 171 to guide Pakistan to their highest successful run chase and a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third Test in Pallekele on Tuesday. It enabled the tourists clinch the three-match series by a 2-1 margin.
Shehzad-Ali add 120 runs for second wicket as Pakistan trail by six runs with eight wickets in hand
Pakistan's spinner Yasir Shah had Ian Bell (40) stumped in the third session as England ended the day at 222 for 4 on Day 2 of the 3rd Test in Sharjah on Monday.
Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed feels the categorisation of Test and limited overs spinners is the need of the hour. According to Mushtaq, skill-wise, Lyon and Ashwin are on par with greats like Saqlain Mushtaq and Muttiah Muralitharan but not best suited for the one-day game.
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.
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.
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.
Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera picked five wickets as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 68 runs in the second Test in Dubai on Tuesday and won the series 2-0. Perera had figures of 5-98 as Pakistan, chasing 317 for victory, were bowled out for 248 in the second hour of fifth and final day at Dubai stadium.
West Indies reached 114-5 against Pakistan with inspirational opener Kraigg Brathwaite still at the crease after a tense fourth day ended early due to bad light as they chased a victory target of 153 in the third test in Sharjah on Wednesday. Brathwaite was defiantly standing on 44 with Shane Dowrich on 36 leaving West Indies needing 39 runs to break a 14-match losing streak stretching back to last May last year. Pakistan began the day on 87-4 before a battling 91 by opener Azhar Ali and 42 for Safraz Ahmed looked to have steadied the ship.
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.
Sarfraz Ahmed celebrated his promotion with a breezy 77 and leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed a career-best 4-29 to help Pakistan crush Sri Lanka by 135 runs in the second one-day international and go 2-1 up in the five-match series.
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.
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.
A brilliant century by Jos Buttler and a more routine one from Jason Roy fired England to an 84-run win over Pakistan in a high-scoring final one-day international in Dubai on Friday and a 3-1 victory in the series.
Australia were two wickets from victory at the end of day four of the first day-night test against Pakistan on Sunday, but the tourists were buoyed by a feisty fourth innings chase and a brilliant unbeaten century from Asad Shafiq.
Pakistan's former head coach Waqar Younis regrets about resigning as the national team coach with "unfinished business" and misses coaching the national team.
Pakistan clinched their first ever series win in the Caribbean when they beat West Indies in a thrilling finish to the third Test in Dominica on Sunday, giving Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq a perfect retirement present.
Opener Chamu Chibhabha hit 90 as Zimbabwe, aided by bad light, held off a spirited revival from Pakistan to level the One-Day International series with a five-run victory in the second match at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
"He (Sarfaraz) has shown himself to be a fine captain and yes he was struggling a bit for form but when a senior player is under pressure you have to encourage and back him, not dump him like this".
Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews led by example, hitting an unbeaten 77 to help his team overcome a top order wobble and take a 291-run lead against Pakistan at the end of the third day's play in the third and final Test at Pallekele on Sunday.
A fit-again Muhammad Irfan returned to the Pakistan cricket squad announced on Friday.
Moeen Ali made a superb century to lift England to 328 all out after Pakistan had taken four early wickets on the first day of the final Test at The Oval on Thursday.
'The trick is that in England you've to get people on the front foot, because the wicket's slightly slow, so as soon as you're slightly short, you get murdered around the ground. Why Yasir did really well for Pakistan is that he bowled quick leg spin...didn't allow batsmen to go on the backfoot'
Australia vice-captain David Warner found it "bizarre" that pundits and fans continue to criticise the team despite winning their last two Test matches after a run of five losses.
Photos from Day 3 of the first Test played at The Gabba on Saturday
Misbah had the dubious honour of becoming the first player from his country to finish on 99 not out during their first innings of last week's seven-wicket first test victory in Jamaica.
Uncapped left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar has joined the test squad from the Pakistan A team currently in Hamilton.
Former Pakistan Test cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq has called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to appoint a full-time spin bowling coach before expressing his desire to fill in the position. The Pakistan off-spinner is currently assisting the England team on a brief consultancy basis, having joined the squad after the two Tests in Bangladesh.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq found fault with every department of his team's performance in their 150-run loss to West Indies.
Penpix of the Pakistan squad for the 2015 cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
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