Azhar was named Test captain this month in place of Sarfaraz Ahmed whose spot as wicketkeeper has been taken by Mohammad Rizwan.
It could be part of a deliberate strategy to heal divisions within and restore the Pakistan army's image, explains Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Pakistan's World Twenty20 loss to India could spell the end of Shahid Afridi's rein as captain with the country's Cricket Board planning to sack him irrespective of the team's performance in the remainder of the tournament. "There is clear discontent in the Board about Afridi and his performances and captaincy and even if he decides against retiring after the World T20, the board will not retain him as captain any longer and even his days as a player are ending now," a Pakistan Cricket Board source said. "The Board is also privately not happy with the media statements of Afridi and believe it is time to move on," he said. Sources told PTI that PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has indicated even the current selection committee could be disbanded after the World T20. "No matter whether Pakistan reaches the semi-finals or even wins the title the selection committee headed by Haroon Rasheed is on its way out," one source confided. He said the inquiry committee formed by the board to probe into the performance of the team in the Asia Cup had already held three meetings and expressed discontent with the performance of the selectors and management.
Despite the government's hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan, the joint Opposition succeeded in its month-long efforts to oust Khan from the prime minister's office as 174 members of the 342-member National Assembly voted against him in the wee hours of Sunday after a day of high drama.
Despite persisting questions among peer officers in the army about his professional competence and ethics, after his recent 'triumphal' Kabul sojourn, Faiz Hameed remains the hot favourite of both General Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran Khan, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing.
A cricket museum based in India has bought a bat auctioned by Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali to raise funds for the needy during the coronavirus pandemic. He confirmed that Blades of Glory Cricket Museum based in Pune bought the bat by making a winning offer of Rs. 1 million for the bat.
The review petition, filed through Dr Babar Awan and Azhar Siddique, named the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Supreme Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association and the Sindh Bar Council as respondents.
Seven people were arrested in the cow slaughter case, officials said, adding that three of them -- Azhar Khan, Nadeem Khan, Mehboob Ali -- were charged under the NSA.
Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide US$ 4.2 billion worth of assistance to cash-strapped Pakistan to support its economy, it emerged on Wednesday after Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks with Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Riyadh this week.
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.
Leg-spinner Shah's selection was subject to the 35-year-old clearing a fitness test, chief selector Mohammad Wasim said in a statement.
Pakistan left England with their heads held high after their last two tours, drawing both, most recently under Misbah in 2018.
The selectors also retained former captain and wicketkeeper, Sarfaraz Ahmed in the squad as a standby to vice-captain, Mohammad Rizwan.
In a volte-face, Pakistan's cabinet on Thursday rejected the proposal of a high-powered committee to import cotton and sugar from India, with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi asserting that there can be no normalisation of ties until New Delhi reverses its decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Management Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board appointed former wicketkeeper Moin Khan as head coach of the national team for the upcoming Asia Cup and World T20 Cup tournaments in Bangladesh, ignoring former Test captain Waqar Younis for the top job.
ZEE5 has launched a short film festival. Joginder Tuteja tells you what's on offer.
Kumar also said in the last three years, the Jaish-e-Mohammed has been "wiped out" in the Kashmir Valley. Only seven to eight terrorists are active now, he said.
Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin's son Asaduddin took his first major steps in his cricketing career when he was on Friday named in the Uttar Pradesh One Day squad for the forthcoming Vijay Hazare trophy.
Australia declared their first innings on 556 for nine and then skittled out Pakistan for 148 to seize control of the second Test in Karachi on Monday.
Sajjad Ahmed Khan, 27, a resident of Pulwama is also suspected to be involved in the conspiracy of Pulwama attacks.
Since Balakot strike, India is trying to build maximum pressure on Pakistan on the issue of terrorism, sources said.
The agency claimed that these accused were trying to "advance the cause of ISIS and establish Caliphate in India".
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.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's on Day 2
Seen as two of the fastest bowlers in Pakistan's domestic circuit, 19-year-old Musa was included in both squads on Monday, while 16-year-old Naseem has been named in the test attack featuring a third teenager in Shaheen Afridi.
The brutal killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan's Udaipur was a "terrorist incident", he said, alleging that Riyaz Attari, one of the main accused, was a BJP member since 2019.
So far, almost every positive development in terms of the bilateral ties has been overtaken by innate hostility that is often driven by popular sentiments.
The former Pakistan captain said he was not worried about his future and is taking it one series at a time.
The hijackers of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999 -- Abdul Rauf Asghar, Ibrahim Athar and Yusuf Azhar -- have also been named in the list, prepared under provisions of the amended Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Australia broke Pakistan's dangerous third-wicket partnership to reduce the tourists to 177 for three, still 361 runs in arrears, at tea on a rain-disrupted third day of the third and final Test on Thursday. - Scorecard: Opener Azhar Ali was the batsman to fall for 71, leaving elder statesmen Younus Khan, who is inching towards his 34th Test century on 84 not out, and Misbah-ul-Haq, who has made 18, to resume for the extended final session.
UP Power Minister Shrikant Sharma stirred up a hornet's nest with his tweet terming the Congress president a 'coward and impotent'.
The attack targeted a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpost on the Mastung road in Quetta, the provincial capital, Deputy Inspector General of Quetta police Azhar Akram said.
The onus will be on Pakistan's top batsmen to post competitive totals against England but batting coach Younis Khan said the team will need "a fighting tail" to win the series. Given the team is prone to inexplicable batting collapses, Pakistan roped in former captain Younis to help their batsmen for the three-Test series beginning in Manchester on Wednesday.
As Sonam, Ranveer gear up for cricket movies we take a look at other hit cricket movies.
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.
West Indies were 14 for no wicket at stumps in reply after Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell negotiated 11 overs in the deciding Test of the series, which is tied at 1-1.
Azhar's obdurate 193-ball stay at the crease helped his side plod slowly towards the hosts' first-innings total of 312 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown to stand 140 runs behind with seven wickets in hand at the close.
Misbah said with time he understood that it would be possible to give his best only to one role.
The security agencies in Pakistan are clueless about the whereabouts of these 19 most wanted terrorists. Some of them have been hiding in Pakistan and others are believed to have fled the country.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances