Images from Day 4 of the second Test between England and Pakistan at the Rose Bowl, in Southampton, on Sunday.
Pakistan have recalled all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez for their upcoming five match one day series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.
Misbah also felt that the top order of both teams would play a decisive role in the series as bowling of both teams was top class.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq fell just short of his sixth Test century but his team clung on to their slim hopes of salvaging the second Test against Sri Lanka after a stirring rearguard action in Dubai on Saturday.
Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera picked five wickets as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 68 runs in the second Test in Dubai on Tuesday and won the series 2-0. Perera had figures of 5-98 as Pakistan, chasing 317 for victory, were bowled out for 248 in the second hour of fifth and final day at Dubai stadium.
The selectors have also put Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz on standby to cover for any player who fails pre-tour COVID-19 Testing scheduled later this month.
Brian Vitori grabbed five wickets and opener Tino Mawoyo scored a half-century as Zimbabwe took control of the second Test against Pakistan with a 185-run lead on Thursday.
England beat Pakistan by 330 runs to win the 2nd Test at Old Trafford to level the four-match series 1-1 on Monday.
Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas claimed three quick wickets as Australia hobbled their way to 136-3 on Wednesday, chasing a mammoth target of 462 in the first Test in Dubai.
Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has heaped praise on Boxing Day Test centurion Azhar Ali, saying the opener is `one of the greatest batsmen` the country has ever produced. Azhar (unbeaten at 139) struck his 12th Test century and first Down Under besides sharing an unbeaten 115-run stand with Asad Shafiq (50) to guide Pakistan to 310-6 at the end of the rain-curtailed second day's play of the second match against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Tuesday.
West Indies face a fight for survival against Pakistan's spinners on the final day of the second Test after reaching 171 for four in their second innings in Abu Dhabi, still 285 runs short of an improbable victory.
Debutant Pakistan off-spinner Bilal Asif ripped through the Australian middle-order with six wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 202 on the third day of the first Test, in Dubai, on Tuesday.
Azhar was named Test captain this month in place of Sarfaraz Ahmed whose spot as wicketkeeper has been taken by Mohammad Rizwan.
Six of the 10 Pakistan cricketers bound for England who tested positive for COVID-19 have now registered negative results on re-testing, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday. Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz, however, must return a second negative result before they can join the main squad of 20 players who will leave for England on Sunday.
Debutant spinner Ajaz Patel claimed five wickets in the second innings as New Zealand beat Pakistan by four runs on a dramatic fourth day of the opening Test in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Match-fixing has become a major concern for the ICC in recent years.
Ireland lost their maiden Test match to Pakistan by five wickets on Tuesday, but went down fighting at Malahide in Dublin. Starting the day on 319 for seven with Kevin O'Brien resuming on 118, Ireland were only able to add 20 runs to their overnight total to set Pakistan a target of 160.
Mitchell Starc shone with bat and ball as Australia dismissed Pakistan for 163 to secure an innings and 18 run victory in the second Test on Friday, the win giving the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali shared an unbroken partnership of 132 to lift England to 414 for five and a lead of 311 runs over Pakistan on the fourth day of the third test at Edgbaston on Saturday. Bairstow was unbeaten on 82 and Moeen 60 not out at the close with England in a good position to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series if they can bowl out the touring side on the final day.
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.
India captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma maintained their supremacy at the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen, occupying the first and second spots respectively in the latest list released on Wednesday.
In the bowling department, pacer Mohammad Abbas (13th) and experienced leg-spinner Yasir Shah (24th), who have in the past, been ranked third and first, respectively, and left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi (32nd) are other Pakistan players to watch.
Batsman Fawad Alam, who was also named in the 20-member squad along with two specialist spinners could make a comeback to Pakistan's Test team after 11 years.
Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail scored half-centuries as Pakistan overcame a shaky start to reach 207-4 against New Zealand on day one of the second Test in Dubai on Saturday.
Pakistani head coach Dav Whatmore and Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul Haq were reportedly engaged in a fierce argument with team manager Moin Khan over the selection of the playing squad for the ODI series against South Africa.
Pakistan's national Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez has been dropped from the 12-member squad named for the two-Test series against South Africa to be held in UAE later this month.
Veteran Pakistan batsman Younis Khan is likely to announce his retirement from the One-day format after the World Cup, sources claimed.
Having dismissed Australia for a paltry 145 in their first innings, Pakistan stretched their lead to a daunting 281 by stumps on day two with Zaman's 66 and an unbeaten 54 by Ali taking them to 144-2.
Spinner Yasir Shah has scaled the number spot in the International Cricket Council Test rankings, becoming the first Pakistani bowler to do so since Mushtaq Ahmed achieved the feat in December 1996.
Zimbabwe captured nine Pakistan wickets for 249 runs on the opening day of the first Test in Harare on Tuesday after a frustrating ninth-wicket partnership between Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan.
'He is a really exciting talent and probably the guy I am looking forward to seeing the most this summer. I have seen the Aussies a lot and I have seen a lot of the Kiwis, but I am really excited to see him'
Kraigg Brathwaite made a patient unbeaten 95 to lead West Indies to 244 for six at the close on the second day of the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah on Monday.
Veteran Younus Khan's majestic century helped Pakistan dominate the opening day of the second Test against West Indies on Friday, the hosts reaching on 304-4 on a punishing day for the bowlers in Abu Dhabi.
South Africa will have to dig deep if they are to avoid defeat in the first Test after being reduced to 72 for four wickets in their second innings, still trailing Pakistan by 121 runs, in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Younis Khan and Azhar Ali featured in a century-plus stand to prop up Pakistan but New Zealand claimed three wickets in the final session to stay ahead in the second Test in Dubai on Wednesday.
Fast bowler Mohammad Amir was named in the Pakistan squads on Friday for the limited over New Zealand tour, marking a return to the national team after serving a five-year ban for spot-fixing.
Pakistan finished the third day of the first Test in a strong position after Yasir Shah took six wickets as England were dismissed for 272 then the visitors reached 214 for eight in their second innings for a lead of 281.
Pakistan have dropped out-of-sorts pace bowler Mohammad Amir from their 17-man squad for next month's two-Test series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates, with left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz earning a recall.
Paceman Trent Boult took four wickets as New Zealand beat Pakistan by an innings and 80 runs to win the third and final Test within four days and level the series 1-1.
Pakistan dominated the first day of the opening Test after bowling out England for 184 and battling to 50 for one in overcast conditions at Lord's in London on Thursday.
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