Manifesting the mindset of the Pakistan military and its intelligence arm, the Inter Services Intelligence, Retired General Ehsan Ul Haq, erstwhile chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff committee of Pakistan and former ISI director, has said that the Indo-Pakistan composite dialogue, now in limbo was 'a charade'.
General Ehsan Ul Haq, former director of the Inter Services Intelligence, has urged the United States to stop demonising the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and pressuring Pakistan to go after it, saying it's not a priority for the Pakistan army.
Ramiz's sacking comes after Babar Azam's team lost the home series against England 3-0, which hit Pakistan's chances of reaching next year's ICC World Test Championship final.
Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has been elected the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a tenure of three years after winning an unopposed election.
India and Pakistan meet in their opening World Cup match at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Ahead of what promises to be a thrilling contest here's a fact-file on the teams.
Electing to bat, Hong Kong folded for a paltry 116 in 37.1 overs, courtesy Usman's 3 for 19 and two-wicket hauls by Shadab Khan (2/31) and Hasan Ali (2/19).
The issue was brought to match referee Roshan Mahanama's attention in writing by Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer.
Opening batsman Khurram Manzoor, who has not played for Pakistan's Test team for three and a half years, is back in the squad for the tour of Zimbabwe that starts this month.
Opener Ahmed Shehzad has been recalled to Pakistan's Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka after being dropped for the April-May series against Bangladesh on disciplinary grounds. Besides Shehzad, the selectors also recalled southpaw Shan Masood, another out-of-favour opener, who was ignored for the last few series and tournaments.
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.
Fast bowler Sohail Khan earned a surprise recall while Pakistan selectors ignored senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal in their final 15-member squad for the World Cup.
With hardly any international flavour in their ranks, their hopes rest on ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, the top-rated spinner in world cricket, and the experienced Misbah, who will look to shoulder the responsibility of amassing the runs.
PCB CEO Wasim Khan told the media that he and Chairman Ehsan Mani would be meeting with Misbah very soon to discuss his performance.
The shift comes as the gap between the international benchmark Brent and the Middle East price marker narrows
Sacked Sarfaraz Ahmed had the chance to make a graceful exit as PCB had advised him to step down as captain in all three formats but the wicketkeeper-batsman turned down the suggestion.
Officials from India's biggest private refiner recently visited Iran to chalk out the details for resumption of trade ties with Tehran.
Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq scored a majestic 91 not out to lead Pakistan to a thrilling four-wicket victory over England in their final World Cup warmup at Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
Since the 76-run defeat to India at the World Cup gloom has descended on the Pakistanis. It seemed as if the team had left the Inter-Continental hotel in Adelaide after the match.
Left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz has withdrawn himself from Pakistan's two-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka owing to a hand injury.
Wasim at one stage asked Babar and Misbah whether the players felt the tour should be called off in the given conditions.
The 27-page code was approved at the last meeting of the PCB's Board of Governors and aims to cover every individual working with the Board and the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The West Indies Cricket Board has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India to work for a "mutually agreeable solution" over its demand for 26.2 million pounds as compensation for the former's decision to abandon its tour to India.
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.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is still hopeful of hosting Sri Lanka for a limited-overs tour this month despite alleged terrorist threats.
Misbah said with time he understood that it would be possible to give his best only to one role.
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had made it clear to their Bangladesh counterparts that it will not host them on a neutral venue during the upcoming home series in January-February.
The primary aim for the Rohit Sharma-led India against minnows Hong Kong would be to get their combination right before the big game against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Mani said the selectors and management had solid reasons for resting six regular players against Australia.
PCB Cricket Committee to take decisions on splitting captaincy, inviting applications for new coach
Australia enter their World Cup quarter-final as runaway favourites against Pakistan in Adelaide on Friday, but will be wary of an enigmatic team that have proved a major thorn in their side at past tournaments.
A PCB official said the suspended off-spinner has been named in the preliminary squad as he was in the process of correcting his action and would soon appear for an ICC biomechanics test.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh can beat each other on their day
As a mark of respect to the CRPF jawans who lost their lives in the Pulawama terrorist attack last month, Indian cricketers sported the Army cap and also donated their match fee for the welfare of the families of the martyrs.
Pakistan's Faisalabad Wolves received visas to participate in the Champions League T20 in India and team manager Haroon Rasheed expressed confidence about his squad's safety in the country.
Grant Elliot's all-round performance eclipsed Shahid Afridi's 29-ball blitz to secure New Zealand a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first One Day International in Wellington on Saturday.
Pakistan selectors will have no surprises in store when they announce the Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka on the next 48 hours apart from recalling talented opener Ahmed Shehzad.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq tells Chandresh Narayanan that his team will break the jinx that has haunted them in five of the last six editions when they take on India in their World Cup opener on February 15.
A fit-again Muhammad Irfan returned to the Pakistan cricket squad announced on Friday.
Pakistan hosts its first Tests on home soil since the 2009 militant attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore.
Opener Tom Latham struck his second consecutive hundred to keep New Zealand on course for a big first-innings total on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan on Monday. Opting to bat first after winning the toss at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the visitors, trailing 1-0 in the three-Test series, reached 243 for three wickets at the close.
