The Pakistan cricket team, sans captain Shahid Afridi, returned to a hostile reception in Lahore and Karachi after their disastrous World Twenty20 campaign which also included a loss to arch-foes India. The team returned home in batches in Lahore and Karachi on Saturday night. Afridi, on the other hand, has decided to stay back in Dubai for a few days. The flamboyant all-rounder is expected to take a call on his future in the next few days after drawing massive criticism for his poor form in the tournament and the comment that he and his team get more love in India than Pakistan. A group of players including manager Intikhab Alam, Muhammad Hafeez, Muhammad Irfan, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Ahmed Shehzad and others had to face chants of "shame shame" when they landed at the Allama Iqbal international airport in Lahore.
India have won all their six games against Pakistan in the World Cup.
Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi produced a brilliant performance with both bat and ball to lead his team to a thumping 126-run victory over West Indies in their first One-day International on Sunday.
Riding high on Lasith Malinga's five-wicket haul and opener Lahiru Thrimanne's fluent century, Sri Lanka regained the Asia Cup trophy with a comfortable five-wicket victory over defending champions Pakistan in Mirpur on Saturday.
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat in the Twenty20 World Cup first semi-final in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday.
One-Day International career statistics of Pakistan's squad for the Champions Trophy.
Finch and Khawaja put on 209, a record opening stand for Australia while chasing in ODIs, bettering Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist's 206 against West Indies in 2001.
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.
Pakistan will be desperately looking to ensure the painful defeat to India becomes a distant past when they run into an in-form New Zealand in Mohali on Tuesday with an aim to bounce back into the World Twenty20 and pacify their bitter fans back home. Pakistan are coming into the Group 2 Super 10 game having suffered their 11th defeat to the arch-rivals in ICC's world events. The 2009 champions entered the tournament after an early elimination in the Asia Cup. On the other hand, the New Zealanders are on a roll with two massive wins over hosts India and Australia, making them one of the strong contenders to lift the coveted trophy on April 3. Another win and they will be in the knockout stages of the mega-event. New Zealand have emerged as the team to beat after the stunned tournament favourites India first up, before getting the better of traditional rivals Australia in a trans-Tasman battle.
A rejuvenated Pakistan brought their campaign back on track as they rode on Umar Akmal's scintillating 54-ball 94 to register a 16-run victory over tournament favourites Australia in the ICC World T20 in Mirpur on Sunday.
India brought back batsman Virender Sehwag in place of left-arm spinner Murali Kartik.
Discarded wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal could be a surprise inclusion in Pakistan's final World Cup squad.
Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by three wickets (and in the final ball) in the final of the inaugural Indian Premier League at the D Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
After being beaten by Lahore Lions in their first Champions League T20 qualifier, Mumbai Indians head coach John Wright said the defending champions lost because of a poor start with the bat in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been ruled out due to injury.
Pakistan have axed senior batsman Younis Khan for next month's One-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates as they announced their ODI and Twenty20 squads on Wednesday.
Pakistan were 108 for 1 at close of play on the fourth day of the second Test, chasing a victory target of 457.
Pakistan were 140 for 4 in reply to South Africa's 357 in the first innings at close of play on day two of the second Test.
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.
Chennai Super Kings fell short by ten runs against Rajasthan Royals in Saturday's IPL match.
The dashing all-rounder smashed 73 off 34 balls as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first of three ODIs in Abu Dhabi.
Vice captain Younis Khan and all rounder Shahid Afridi have been promoted to the top category.
West Indies, put in to bat, struggled throughout their innings as 18-year-old Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan took three wickets for seven runs off his four overs to land the man of the match award on his international debut.
Pakistan retained under-fire skipper Misbah-ul Haq and out-of-form Muhammad Hafeez, but dropped tall left-arm pacer Muhammad Irfan from the 28-man probables' list for the two-Test series against South Africa.
Pakistan's chief selector Haroon Rasheed has had a pep talk with the national team members and is confident that they can still qualify for the final in the ongoing Asia Cup.
England fast bowler Steve Harmision was ruled out of the game due to a sore throat with Kabir Ali replacing him.
Pakistan have included the all-rounder in a 16-man squad for their final three ODIs against England.
Mohammad Hafeez missed out on his maiden hundred by eight runs and Kamran Akmal scored a blistering 56 to guide Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over West Indies.
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 fast bowler Mohammad Irfan has been rested from the team's short limited-overs tour to South Africa this month to prevent the risk of aggravating a hip injury, the country's cricket board said on Saturday.
Pacer Mohammad Amir claimed a wicket on his return to international cricket following a five-year ban as Pakistan registered a 16-run victory over New Zealand in the first Twenty20 International in Auckland on Friday.
The former Pakistani leg-spinner said the absence of a second spinner snatched victory from the home side in the Mohali Test.
Pakistan were 242 for five when bad light ended play six overs early on day 1 of the first Test.
Dropped from a difficult chance by Yasir Shah off Shahid Afridi on seven and again by wicketkeeper Umar Akmal on 76, Kohli otherwise played within himself and gave few chances in his 126-ball innings.
"We still have an opportunity to win this series," all-rounder Paul Collingwood said.
Bell and Collingwood steered England to 121 for two at the end of day four.
The home side was 446 for 5 in their first innings, a lead of 158, after day 3 in the third Test against England.
