With the 2026 T20 World Cup fast approaching, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opted for a bold shake-up, dropping marquee players such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi from the T20I squad for the Sri Lanka series.
'Talat has done very well in domestic cricket. I know him for several years. He has been working really hard with his game, so I'm really happy for him.'
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
Playing in just his second BBL match, Jerrssis Wadia made an instant impact in the Australian Big Bash League, delivering a thrilling cameo for the Adelaide Strikers.
Afridi's remarks came as organisers confirmed the Indian pullout followed public backlash after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22- an episode that has now cast a shadow over the tournament.
On the field too, the depth and talent is unmatched. Mushtaq acknowledged the gulf between India and the Rest.
Jasprit Bumrah is also only the second Indian to reach the landmark of 100 wickets in T20Is.
Jasprit Bumrah's landmark 100th T20I wicket arrived under a cloud of controversy after replays suggested he may have overstepped during Dewald Brevis' dismissal in the first T20I in Cuttack on Monday night.
Afridi's selection means that the team management has opted to play two left-arm spinners in the second Test as he will pair with Noman Ali, who is already established and also picked up a 10-wicket haul in Pakistan's 94-run win in the first game in Lahore.
Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah will stay with the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi despite an attack on his residence in Lower Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistan's cybercrime agency launches probe against Rashid Latif
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan slammed ex-Pakistan spinner Shahid Afridi for his controversial comments on the Pahalgam terror attack.
Accepted captaincy after Rizwan said he would step doIn an interesting revelation, Pakistan's ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has claimed that he only accepted the captaincy after his predecessor Mohammad Rizwan said he would step down.wn: Shaheen
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Rizwan has declined to sign the new central contracts offered to the national players after being placed in category B.
Pakistan batting star Babar Azam was fined 10 per cent of his match fee and handed a demerit point for hitting the stumps with his bat after being dismissed in the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan secured a 93-run victory over South Africa on the fourth day of the first Test, taking the eight wickets needed on Wednesday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series in Lahore.
Pakistan secured a 93-run victory over South Africa on the fourth day of the first Test, taking the eight wickets needed on Wednesday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series in Lahore.
Shaheen Shah Afridi steered clear of giving a direct response to Suryakumar Yadav's view that Indo-Pak games should not be considered a rivalry.
Salman Ali Agha top scored for Pakistan as they snatched a last-over victory over South Africa on Tuesday in an exciting finish to the first of three One Day Internationals at Faisalabad.
Former captain Babar Azam and pacer Naseem Shah have been recalled to Pakistan's T20 squad for the upcoming home assignment against South Africa and a tri-Series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe next month.
Such is the race for breaking news that if an Indian player sneezes, a report may immediately go out stating he may have caught the flu bug and could be a doubtful starter!
Pakistan beat Bangladesh, set up first ever Asia Cup final date against India
Having pulled off a thrilling win over Bangladesh, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha said such victories make him believe it is a "special team" and added his side has the quality to beat anyone, including India, in the Asia Cup final.
'How can our cricket progress when there is a sword hanging constantly over the captain and coaches' heads.'
Pakistan made short work of an inexperienced UAE batting unit by winning their last group league game by 41 runs in Dubai on Wednesday.
Pakistan survived a wonderful spell from an enraged spinner Wanindu Hasaranga to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in an intense Super 4 match to stay alive in the Asia Cup, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
South Africa fought a rearguard action to turn the second Test against Pakistan on its head and take the upper hand after an enthralling third day's play on Wednesday.
Suryakumar Yadav's appalling dry spell with the bat since taking over India's T20I captaincy mantle continued in the Asia Cup final on Dubai's slow-paced track against Pakistan on Sunday.
Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan's captaincy in the 50-overs format could be on the line when a joint meeting of the national selection committee and advisory board of the Pakistan Cricket Board is held on Monday in Lahore.
Noman collected a 10-wicket haul during Pakistan's 93-run triumph over South Africa in Lahore recently and moved up four places.
Abhishek Sharma got into a war of words with Haris Rauf with Shubman Gill also stepping in to protect his younger team-mate.
'The India-Pakistan clash is not about match-winners alone; it's about playing in the moment, adapting to the situation, and not letting expectations overwhelm you.'
'It was just bad decisions. All of the teams have that at some point. It was us today. We didn't make the best shot selections.'
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started working on an alternate plan as serious doubts have arisen over Afghanistan's participation in an upcoming T20 Tri-Series amid military conflict between the two countries.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
The local administration denied the rumours about aerial strikes by the Pakistani fighter jets on the compound, saying the explosives used in bomb making exploded, causing the death of 24 people, including 14 militants.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of Asia Cup 2025.
Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf sparked controversy by using a derogatory term to insult India captain Suryakumar Yadav during a live TV discussion.
This year's roster sees ten players each placed in Categories B, C, and D. Notably, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle, the PCB said in a statement.
Almost all the Indian batters ended their batting sessions with lofted shots. Every few minutes, screams of 'Watch out!' filled the air -- not from the players, but from scribes trying to protect their laptops, cameras, and skulls.
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