'The Indian top order should observe Babar and Kane to understand how to handle pacers when the ball is moving around. Both of them possess exceptional skills in playing late.'
Faheem Ashraf saved Pakistan the blushes, smashing a blistering 29 from 11 balls, as they registered a tense three-wicket victory against the Netherlands in the opening match of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Babar Azam has led Pakistan team well in the ongoing T20 World Cup and doesn't need to do anything differently in the semi-final against Australia on Thursday, PCB chairman and former skipper Ramiz Raja said on the eve of the game.
India captain Rohit Sharma has climbed to second place in the ICC men's ODI batting rankings, closing in on top-ranked Shubman Gill.
Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign ended in disappointment despite a win against Sri Lanka, with captain Salman Agha citing batting failures and dew as contributing factors. Sahibzada Farhan's century was not enough to secure a semifinal spot as New Zealand qualified on net run rate.
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup match played between Pakistan and Ireland in Lauderhill, USA on Sunday.
Pakistan batsman Babar Azam's sparkling form has earned him comparisons with Virat Kohli but the elegant right-hander says he has a long way to go before he can be considered the Indian skipper's equal. Both top-order batsmen score freely and play the cover drive particularly well. Babar averages above 45 in Tests and 50-plus in both One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, putting him in the top five of all three formats.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has delayed the announcement of its World Cup squad until late May due to fitness and performance issues with some players.
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has criticized Babar Azam for focusing on personal milestones over team success, expressing concerns about Pakistan's preparations ahead of their crucial Champions Trophy clash against India. He believes Pakistan's recent struggles, including a disappointing Tri-Nation Series campaign and a 1-1 draw against the West Indies in a home Test series, point to a lack of readiness for the India encounter.
Shinwari rattled the top order as he scalped three of the opening five wickets.
Babar capitalised on an early reprieve to score a career-best 143 not out when bad light forced early stumps with Pakistan 109 ahead with seven wickets remaining.
Babar Azam said that the partnership between Mohammed Rizwan and Mohammad Nawaz was the turning point of the match
Pakistan to field unchanged XI against India in Asia Cup
Babar also made it clear he had no issues with the interim chief selector Shahid Afridi on selection of players and said he and the head coach were giving their input and outlining their plans to the selectors regularly and in meetings.
Babar Azam announced that he will be stepping down as the white-ball captain of the Pakistan cricket team, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is likely to take his place
Pakistan's T20 captain, Salman Ali Agha, remains optimistic despite his team's 1-4 series loss to New Zealand, believing the new faces tried out in the matches will eventually come through.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said the massive 238-run win over Nepal in the Asia Cup opener will give his side confidence.
Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan's captaincy in the 50-overs format could be on the line when a joint meeting of the national selection committee and advisory board of the Pakistan Cricket Board is held on Monday in Lahore.
Young India opener Abhishek Sharma and spinner Varun Chakravarthy continued to occupy the top spots among batters and bowlers in the latest ICC Men's T20 Players' Rankings issued on Wednesday.
South Africa romped to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan on the fourth day of the second Test on Thursday, claiming victory before lunch to level the two-match series.
Nasser Hussain hailed Pakistan's debutant batter Kamran Ghulam for his century during the second Test against Three Lions at Multa
Saim Ayub and Khurram Shahzad received their debut call-ups to Pakistan's squad for the three-match Test series against Australia.
Pakistan mentor Matthew Hayden is backing struggling captain Babar Azam to produce something special in the knockout stages of the Twenty20 World Cup, starting in Wednesday's semi-final against New Zealand.
India great Virat Kohli continued his push to regain his place as the best ODI batter while moving up to the second spot in the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday.
Pakistan moved themselves into a strong position, needing eight wickets to win while South Africa are chasing an imposing target as the first Test headed for an exciting conclusion.
K L Rahul blazed his way to a century against Gujarat Titans in Delhi on Sunday, etching his name in the record books despite his team's 10-wicket defeat.
Under the shimmering floodlights and in front of a roaring partisan crowd, Virat Kohli unleashed his latest masterclass, blasting a 42-ball 70 to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a sensational 11-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Babar Azam acknowledged that Sri Lanka outperformed his team
South Africa fought a rearguard action to turn the second Test against Pakistan on its head and take the upper hand after an enthralling third day's play on Wednesday.
Former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair also lashed out, alleging Naqvi dropped Pakistan's top players, leading to team's three consecutive defeats at the hands of arch-rivals India.
'He is very special. I believe he is going to be one of the best that Pakistan have ever produced'
Former cricketer Basit Ali disclosed that Gary Kirsten was displeased with Mohammad Rizwan's appointment as Pakistan's white-ball captain
Babar Azam's glorious unbeaten 102 kept Pakistan alive but Australia remained on course for victory in the second Test in Karachi on Tuesday.
'Agar chache ke puttar ne keh diya hai ki t-shirt chahiye Kohli ki, then do it after the game in the dressing room.'
The Pakistan Cricket Board in a bid to attract more crowds to the Test match have for the first time announced free entry for several enclosures.
The 53-year-old said he had immense respect for some of the Indian players of his generation but never showed it on the field.
2009 champions Pakistan were stunned by debutants USA in the Super Over.
'I have also previously topped the T20I rankings, but the ultimate ambition and goal is to lead the Test rankings, which are the real testament and reward to a batsman's calibre, reputation and skills. I understand to achieve this objective, I will not only have to perform consistently, but more importantly, against the top sides.'
Pakistan's Shan Masood is likely to be retained captain for the upcoming home Test series against England, while Babar Azam is also assured of keeping his white-ball captaincy when the team flies to Australia and South Africa later this year.
Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said Pakistan Babar Azam, who is a big fan of Virat Kohli, should learn to play like his "idol" and convert good starts into big knocks by adapting to match situations the way the Indian captain does.
