Afghanistan's performances at the 50-overs and Twenty20 World Cups mean there is no chance of Australia taking them lightly in Friday's Champions Trophy match.
Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi appeared in the Lahore high court for protective bail.
Chasing 326 for victory, England were bundled out for 317 with Afghanistan batter Ibrahim Zadran smashing a superb 177 and pacer Azmatullah Omarzai grabbing a five-wicket haul.
Pakistan now face a must-win encounter against India to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Saud Shakeel's crafty 134 fetched Pakistan a handy first-innings lead before their spinners blew away England's top order to boost their hopes of a memorable series victory on day two of the deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday.
'And obviously two losses and being out of the tournament and a bit of hangover of the few tournaments before I think it probably reached the end of the road foe me and my captaincy, is a shame, I'm sad about that.'
Pakistan suffered an 85 per cent loss after spending Rs 869 crore for hosting the Champions Trophy 2025.
Rachin Ravindra sat out the Black Caps' opener against Pakistan while recovering from a blow to the head and does not want to miss another match at the ICC tournament.
Pakistan succumbed to their first ever Test defeat against Bangladesh on Sunday after fielding an attack, which did not contain a single frontline spinner.
Speculation swirls in Pakistan regarding potential changes in the political landscape, fueled by rumors of the army chief's possible presidential aspirations and discussions between top civilian and military leaders.
Michael Bracewell, who was one of the main performers for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, will lead the side in the absence of Mitchell Santner.
Khan said the events of May 9, 2023, in which military installations were targeted, were in fact a part of the "London Plan"- the sole purpose of which was to "eliminate Pakistan's largest political force, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf".
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has picked India as the favourites in Sunday's Champions Trophy summit clash against New Zealand, but hastened to add that the advantage will be miniscule, given that the Black Caps are a formidable side.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner showered praise on Michael Bracewell for adjusting to flat tracks after the spinner bagged four wickets in their comprehensive Champions Trophy win over Bangladesh on Monday.
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell retired from ODIs to focus on next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
'Trump has personally weighed in to overcome doubts and reservations about Pakistan among his top advisors.'
'There's now a huge opportunity for everyone in the dressing room and those outside to put their hand up and say they want to be part of these white-ball teams.'
More than twice as much global glacier mass will remain if countries restrict temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to the warming level of 2.7 degrees Celsius resulting from the current policies, says a new study released.
Steyn feels playing four-day first-class cricket could teach the Afghanistan players how to build their innings, which will also help them improve their game in the 50-over format.
Pakistan have been eliminated from the home Champions Trophy after failing to win a single game.
Bleeding runs in the death overs and failing to offer adequate support to Joe Root cost England dearly, captain Jos Buttler said after their elimination from the Champions Trophy following an eight-run loss to Afghanistan on Wednesday.
'I want to be wearing this England shirt for as long as I can.'
England captain Jos Buttler says he and his team-mates are saddened by the plight of women in Afghanistan.
With his century in Rawalpindi on Monday, Rachin Ravindra became the first player to score a century on debut in both the ICC World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy.
The third Test at Lord's could well be the series' turning point. This isn't just about team combinations or tactical tweaks anymore. The pitch has emerged as a defining factor -- one that could tilt the balance of power in a contest hanging delicately at 1-1.
As Group B toppers, South Africa had to take the flight back to Pakistan to play their semi-final as the last-four clash involving India was to be staged in Dubai.
South Africa join Australia, India and New Zealand in the semi-finals but who their opponents will be, and where they will play next, will be answered on Sunday when the latter two clash in Dubai.
'Under the circumstances, this announcement may remain limited to bravado and little else, adding momentum to Imran's narrative of victimhood,' points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
South Africa should have no ill effects from their whistlestop and, in the end, pointless 18-hour trip to Dubai as they prepare to face New Zealand in Lahore in Wednesday's second semi-final, said Heinrich Klaasen.
The United States has temporarily suspended foreign assistance to Pakistan for re-evaluation following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, according to a media report on Tuesday.
Alex Carey reckons Australia might need to put at least 400 runs on the board if they bat first against South Africa
Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam was conspicuous by his absence from the team's training and there was no clarity on his availability for the Champions Trophy clash against India in Dubai on Sunday, even as the country's cricket board chief Mohsin Naqvi urged the side to win "at any cost".
Rachin Ravindra's blistering century against South Africa in the Champions Trophy semi-final, his fifth in just 13 ICC ODI innings, places him among cricket's elite.
The announcement on expansion of CPEC was made following a meeting among Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing, according to a Pakistani readout.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slapped 11 new conditions on Pakistan for the release of the next tranche of its bailout programme and warned that tensions with India could heighten risks to the scheme's fiscal, external, and reform goals, according to a media report on Sunday.
Unfazed by New Zealand's group stage defeat to India, opener Will Young is focused on exploiting Rohit Sharma's side's weaknesses in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday.
'We'll be putting our thinking caps on how to nullify that threat while still scoring runs against him.'
New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra believes adapting to the conditions will be key to success in the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai.
'Munir is clearly insecure and hence he needs the prop of a field marshal.'
The ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan has seen a decline in attendance following the early exit of the Pakistani cricket team and the start of Ramadan.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances