Team Director Mickey Arthur accepted that Pakistan's batters lacked aggression against India during their first defeat in three matches at the ICC World Cup.
Taking a potshot at Shahid Afridi for tampering with the ball during the fifth ODI here, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said the Pakistani all-rounder's action ended up costing his side a rare victory on what has been a nightmarish tour for the visitors.
Pakistan's former captain and flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi feels the team is capable of handing out a 3-0 whitewash to World No 1 England given the way it dominated the first two Tests.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan led the chorus of appreciation for the Pakistan team after its stunning one-wicket win over India in the Asia Cup, showering special praise on senior all-rounder Shahid Afridi for his electrifying cameo.
Saim Ayub and Khurram Shahzad received their debut call-ups to Pakistan's squad for the three-match Test series against Australia.
Flamboyant allrounder and former captain, Shahid Afridi believes that Pakistan cricket think-tank has erred by having too many expectations from out of favor batsmen, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. "I don't know but it was wrong to expect them to be like Virat Kohli or Ab de Villiers and perform like them," Afridi said on Geo News channel on Monday. Shehzad and Umar considered to be two of the country's best young batting talent have been axed for the tour to England on disciplinary grounds and were not called for the training and skills camps set up by the cricket board. PCB Chairman, Shaharyar Khan made it clear that it was the decision of the new selection committee to sideline the two youngsters. Afridi said there was no doubt that Shehzad and Umar needed to work hard on their cricket and approach. "I also agree there should be no compromise on discipline. But I think it is best if we stop expecting too much from them and just let them be and let them play the way they do. With more experience I am sure they will be much better," he added.
Newly appointed Pakistan Test captain Shahid Afridi wants former skipper Younis Khan as his deputy during the upcoming Asia Cup and the 'home' Test series in England.
'Today, I, Shahid Afridi, seek forgiveness from the people of Pakistan for not living upto the expectations.'
Shahid Afridi achieved the feat of scoring 50 sixes against India. Take a look at more statistical highlights from the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan.
India would want the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer to get into ODI mode as soon as possible.
The Pakistan all-rounder was banned for one Test and two ODIs after admitting he damaged the pitch with his boots day two of the second Test against England.
A thumping seven-wicket win over Bangladesh has certainly uplifted the mood in Pakistan's camp.
Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi does not seem to be in favour of tainted cricketer Salman Butt making a comeback to the national team. A source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told PTI that Butt, who completed a five-year ban for spot-fixing last September, was in contention for an immediate comeback to international cricket but Afridi showed his reluctance. "Butt met with chief selector Haroon Rasheed last night in Lahore. The situation is that members of the Pakistan team have also indicated they have no problems with Butt joining the team but Afridi is not in favour of his inclusion," the source said. The source also said that the selectors were considering opener Butt for the World T20 after the team's dismal batting performance in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. "The selectors are desperate to find a solution to the opening problem in the Pakistan team and will also certainly recall experienced opener Ahmed Shehzad. Salman Butt is also under consideration," the source said.
Most of the Pakistani players, who were down with viral fever, after their arrival in Bengaluru have recovered though some are still under medical observation.
It was always going to be a toss-up between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Shahid Afridi. Dilshan's duck, and another brilliant all-round performance by Afridi, tilted the scales in favour of the phenomenally talented player from Pakistan.
All-rounder Shahid Afridi will captain Pakistan at this year's Twenty20 World Cup in West Indies, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Tuesday.
Grant Elliot's all-round performance eclipsed Shahid Afridi's 29-ball blitz to secure New Zealand a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first One Day International in Wellington on Saturday.
IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match played between Australia and Pakistan in Bengaluru, on Friday.
Pakistan's cricket coach has described former captain Shahid Afridi as "immature" and a bad influence on the dressing room.
Taking on Star Sports show "Follow The Blues", former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar provided insights on Rohit facing left-arm pace in the nets while preparing for the key battle against Shaheen Afridi on September 2, 2023.
Pakistan's veteran all-rounder Shahid Afridi has admitted that he would like to eclipse the record set by the swashbuckling South African skipper AB de Villiers, who hit the fastest One-Day International century.
Shahid Afridi believes Pakistan can go to India and play a series but only after the country's Cricket Board (PCB) gets written guarantees from its Indian conterpart (BCCI).
The all rounder was recalled to the squad for the triangular series in the Netherlands and the ICC Champions Trophy.
Shahid Afridi was sacked as One-Day International (ODI) skipper because he repeatedly revealed the team's "internal matters" to the media, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials have said.
Skipper Inzamam-ul Haq said Shahid Afridi and Yasir Hameed would contest for a spot in the top order.
Pakistan's flamboyant former captain and Twenty20 hot property Shahid Afridi has shunned the dollars for national duty by opting out of the Bangladesh Premier League where he was the costliest player after fetching a price tag of USD 700,000 in the auction.
'I was offered the role to begin with...what is important is that I have the opportunity to work with some of the best cricketers in the world and that excites me.'
Bowling has traditionally been Pakistan's strong suit but since that is unlikely to be the case in World Cup 2023.
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.
Vanquished captain Shahid Afridi expects a mature reaction from fans in Pakistan when their team returns after going down to arch-rivals India in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
The chairman of the PCB, Ijaz Butt has made it clear that the former Pakistan One-day skipper Shahid Afridi is no longer a captaincy material for the PCB.
The selectors on Wednesday recalled Shahid Afridi in the Pakistan squad for the One-day series against Sri Lanka, hours after the former captain had a meeting with the new PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf.
Australia's cricketing DNA is constructed by meticulousness and Pakistan's by explosiveness.
Former Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has claimed that his relationship with former skipper Shahid Afridi has been spoiled after his scathing report on the country's dismal performance in the recently-concluded World T20 was leaked. "I have been very clear that report was not for the media, but for the cricket board. Unfortunately, the report was leaked and my relationship with Afridi has been spoilt," Younis was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. Waqar and Afridi's decision to step down from their respective position came days after their side's early exit from the T20 format's pinnacle event. Pakistan were crashed out of the prestigious tournament after suffering three successive defeats against arch-rivals India, New Zealand and Australia in the group stages. Talking about Afridi's drawbacks, the 44-year-old said that the main problem with the all-rounder was his inability to concentrate on a particular thing for long span of time. "Afridi's drawbacks as a captain are for everyone to see. He has got a temperament issue. He cannot sit for too long to highlight things, or absorb things and then go and implement them. I've said this in my report," said Younis.
Shahid Afridi's scintillating all-round display secured Pakistan a series-clinching 26-run victory against Sri Lanka in a low-scoring fourth One-day International on Sunday.
After creating a furore by stating that Indians are not "large-hearted", Pakistan's ODI cricket captain Shahid Afridi did a volte-face, claiming that he was misunderstood and quoted out of context.
Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has stirred controversy again by saying that he did not find any of the Indian cricketers having large or clean hearts.
Pakistan's World Twenty20 loss to India could spell the end of Shahid Afridi's rein as captain with the country's Cricket Board planning to sack him irrespective of the team's performance in the remainder of the tournament. "There is clear discontent in the Board about Afridi and his performances and captaincy and even if he decides against retiring after the World T20, the board will not retain him as captain any longer and even his days as a player are ending now," a Pakistan Cricket Board source said. "The Board is also privately not happy with the media statements of Afridi and believe it is time to move on," he said. Sources told PTI that PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has indicated even the current selection committee could be disbanded after the World T20. "No matter whether Pakistan reaches the semi-finals or even wins the title the selection committee headed by Haroon Rasheed is on its way out," one source confided. He said the inquiry committee formed by the board to probe into the performance of the team in the Asia Cup had already held three meetings and expressed discontent with the performance of the selectors and management.
Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Thursday announced that he will retire from international cricket after the World T20 to be held in India next year.
The selectors have brought in leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, pacer Mohammad Sami and batsman Faisal Iqbal for the three-Test series against India starting on November 22.
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