Pakistan fast bowlers Junaid Khan and Bilawal Bhatti scythed through Sri Lanka's batting during an exciting afternoon session to restrict their opponents to 204 on the first day of the opening Test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
India launched their campaign in the Champions Trophy with a resounding 124-run victory over Pakistan, in Birmingham on Sunday, extending their dominance over the arch-rivals in major International Cricket Council tournaments.
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.
Their path to the semi-finals looking relatively easier in comparison, Australia will fancy their chances when they lock horns with a struggling Pakistan side whose hopes hangs by a thread in the ICC World Twenty20, in Mohali, on Friday.
A look at the 10 cricketers who were punished for drug related offences.
Skipper Gautam Gambhir led from the front with a confident half-century after Sunil Narine stifled Lahore Lions with his magical spin bowling as Kolkata Knight Riders eked out a four-wicket win in a Champions League Twenty20 Group A match in Hyderabad.
Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi was saved of much embarrassment when a fan stepped in to pay for his meal at a fast food joint in Auckland, after the flamboyant cricketer realised that he was not carrying local currency.
Pakistani selectors have named experienced opener Taufeeq Umar and senior batsman Younis Khan in a 19-member squad for the two-Test series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates, starting next week.
Younis, who was recently appointed as batting coach for Pakistan's tour of England, has amassed 10,099 runs in 118 Tests for Pakistan at an average of 52.05.
Ahmed Shehzad hit a career-best 176 while Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq struck unbeaten centuries before Pakistan declared their first innings on 566 for 3 wickets in the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Tainted fast bowler Mohammad Amir was named in Pakistan's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup even as seasoned opener Ahmed Shehzad and veteran bowler Umar Gul were shown the door.
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.
Opener Azhar Ali was unbeaten on 85 as Pakistan crawled to 169 for two on a rain-affected first day of the series-deciding third Test against West Indies in Dominica on Wednesday.
hree run outs cost Zimbabwe dear as they slumped to a 108-run loss and a 2-1 series defeat to Pakistan in the third one-day international at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Babar Azam scored an impressive hundred while Shoaib Malik smashed a quickfire half century to help Pakistan thump Sri Lanka by 83 runs in the first one-day international in Dubai on Friday.
Zimbabwe recorded their first win over Pakistan for 15 years as they cruised to a seven-wicket victory in the opening one-day international at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
New Zealand pacemen Trent Boult and Grant Elliott shared seven wickets as the hosts bundled out Pakistan for 210 to win the first one-day international at the pacy Basin Reserve by 70 runs on Monday.
It was Pakistan's last roll of the dice that saw them throw Sarfraz Ahmed into the role of opener at the World Cup and the gamble looks to be paying off.
South Africa claimed six wickets for 17 runs in a dramatic finish to snatch an unlikely one-run victory over Pakistan in their first one-day international at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
New Zealand survived Shahid Afridi's late onslaught to beat Pakistan by 17 runs in the second and final Twenty20 match to level the series 1-1.
Azhar Ali's hit a belligerent century on the final day as Pakistan pulled off a dramatic five-wicket victory in the final Test against Sri Lanka to level the three-match series 1-1 on Monday.
Pakistan edged Zimbabwe by two wickets in the second and final Twenty20 International on Sunday to clinch the series 2-0 at a boisterous Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
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.
Pakistan middle-order batsman Umar Akmal has launched a stinging attack against his country's media for constantly highlighting negative stories about him and spoiling his name in every little situation. The swashbuckling batsman made a promising debut in 2009, when he absolutely thrashed bowlers in the domestic circuit. Akmal also smashed blistering 102 runs in the third ODI of his debut series against Sri Lanka before introducing himself in the Test arena in a similar manner, scoring a brilliant 129 and 75 against New Zealand at Dunedin in November 2009. The 26-year-old, however, has been stuttering with form in the recent times, with possibilities of scoring big runs have now become a rare occurrence. Blaming the media for his inconsistent performance, Akmal believes he would be able to perform better if journalist stop turning every little issue into a big deal, the Dawn reported.
Pakistan's newly-appointed head coach Mickey Arthur has issued a warning to his side, saying he will not compromise on discipline and will also be tough on fielding and fitness in order to bring the team back on track.
They could be breathing down each others' necks in their marquee World T20 clash on Saturday, but a few of Indian and Pakistani cricketers, on Thursday, showed great camaraderie.
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir chose not to be harsh on his fielders, who missed chances galore in Sunday's Champions League Twenty20 contest against Lahore Lions, saying the team has worked hard in its impressive 11-match winning streak.
The 16-man squad includes batsmen Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan and fast bowler Jake Ball, who have 11 Test caps between them, as well as three uncapped players in paceman Craig Overton, spinner Mason Crane and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.
Skipper Kane Williamson's brilliant 97 and Matt Henry's maiden five-wicket haul gave New Zealand a comprehensive 68-run victory over Pakistan in the final one-dayer in Abu Dhabi on Friday. New Zealand won the series 3-2.
Pakistan's head coach Waqar Younis said he was focussing on preparations for the Asia Cup and World T20 events and not thinking about an extension of his coaching contract that expires in May. "I have still three to four months of my contract left and right now I haven't given a thought to the future," he told reporters here yesterday. Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan has said that the board had decided to extend the contract of Waqar for the tour to England which lasts from July to September. "Coaching of any team is always a tough job. It doesn't matter whether you do well or disappoint. It is a tough job and I knew about this when I accepted this challenge. I enjoy taking up tough challenges," Waqar said. The former Pakistan captain said at present, he was only focusing on preparations for the Asia Cup and World T20 events and not thinking about his contract. He said when the time came, he will think about it.
A clinical all-round display by the Northern Districts helped them crush Lahore Lions by a whopping 72 runs to all but ensure their entry into the main round of the Champions League T20 in Raipur.
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.
Pakistan marked international cricket's return to the trouble-torn country with a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first Twenty20 International at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
Eight Pakistan players, including maverick former captain Shahid Afridi, have been fined for breaching a team curfew ahead of their crucial World Cup game against India, sources told AFP.
A fit-again Muhammad Irfan returned to the Pakistan cricket squad announced on Friday.
Sri Lanka's late order batsmen held their nerve to beat Pakistan by two wickets and level the series in a match in which fortunes swung from one side to another in Dubai.
Pakistan has the tag of unpredictably that follows them at the start of every tournament. So when Pakistan faced Australia, many expected the latter to steamroll them considering two facts.
On a pitch that offered the spinners a lot of assistance, Amit Mishra made sure he focussed on bowling in the right areas and reaped rich reward, finishing with excellent figures of one for 22 in four overs, including a maiden.
Virat Kohli helped India survive a top-order collapse and beat Pakistan by six wickets in a tight game on Saturday to revive their World Twenty20 campaign and maintain their impeccable World Cup record against the arch-rivals.
Glenn Maxwell's brisk 76 guided Australia to a comfortable five-wicket win over Pakistan in the second One-day international in Dubai on Friday, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
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