Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of Asia Cup 2025.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between Pakistan and New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday.
White-ball specialist Rauf will return to Pakistan colours after incurring the wrath of the nation's cricket board for opting out of the ongoing three-Test series against Australia.
In a nail-biting finish at the MCG, Australia clinched a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first ODI on Monday night.
An injury-hit Pakistan will have the tough task of taming a high-spirited Sri Lanka when they lock horns in a virtual semi-final match in the Asia Cup 2023 match on Thursday.
Rizwan's unbeaten half-century not only helped Pakistan chase down a modest target of 107 but also saw him equal Rohit Sharma's record for most fifties by a T20I opener
Hafeez said the board would factor in a players' workload ahead of next year's T20 World Cup before giving him a 'No Objection Certificate'(NOC) to take part in one of the growing number of lucrative franchise leagues around the world.
Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed has expressed his confidence in the pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, saying they will deliver something special in the must-win Champions Trophy clash against India. Despite the absence of Fakhar Zaman, who was ruled out due to an injury, Javed believes the team is well-equipped to handle the pressure and has the potential to overcome the challenge.
Images from the T20 World Cup Group A match between India and Pakistan in New York on Sunday.
'As players, you need to stay calm, try and block that noise out, and just play with the same intensity as you would play Australia or any other team.'
Pak pace trio a far more potent attack on flat wickets: Dinesh Karthik
Pakistan's bowlers had gone for plenty against India and they will look to comeback strongly in what is a virtual semi-final against Sri Lanka.
'The way Abhishek and Shubman bat, it is like fire and ice.'
Matthew Hayden wants India skipper Rohit Sharma to negotiate Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi's first three overs with "caution".
Pakistan are already depleted in attack, with injured quick Naseem Shah sidelined and Haris Rauf having opted out of the series to play in Australia's T20 Big Bash League.
Team India opener Abhishek Sharma has maintained his second spot in the latest ICC Men's T20 batting rankings.
Images from the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Canada, in New York, on Tuesday.
A disappointed Pakistan captain Babar Azam refused to blame the umpires despite being on the wrong side of a DRS review which proved decisive in his team's narrow one-wicket loss to South Africa.
Mohammed Rizwan said that the win is a special moment for him and lauded his bowlers for their performances.
Winning the Asia Cup was the "best reply" to an aggressive opposition, middle-order batter Tilak Varma said.
Fans from both countries came out in their numbers and even two short spells of rain couldn't dampen their spirit as they cheered for their teams on a day that saw Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya score quick wickets while Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf took a bulk of the Indian wickets...
Former captain Shahid Afridi is confident that Pakistan will again reach the final of the T20 World Cup, but expressed apprehension about the batters' sluggish strike rate in the middle overs.
Indian captain Virat Kohli arrived two hours early for practice ahead of the crucial Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan, focusing on his struggles against spin bowling.
Australia's second-string pace attack produced a first-rate display to sink Pakistan with a comprehensive 29-run win in the weather-truncated first T20 International on Thursday.
Pakistan's ODI series victory in Australia showcased the raw pace and skill of their fast bowling attack, spearheaded by Haris Rauf.
According to sources aware of developments in the Board, a few players are contemplating if they should travel to New Zealand.
The two sixes from Kohli has already become part of cricketing forklore and Ponting, too, looked back fondly at those outrageous strokes
Indian batter Abhishek Sharma and bowler Varun Chakaravarthy retained their career-best number two positions in the latest ICC T20I rankings.
Babri has in the past also worked with some players helping them understand how to handle pressure situations and get through bad performances and personal issues.
Australia speedster Spencer Johnson claimed a maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket as the hosts edged out Pakistan by 13 runs in the second Twenty20 International on Saturday
India enjoy a dominant 9-3 win loss record against Pakistan in T20 Internationals, including a 7-1 margin in T20 World Cups.
Pakistan's cricket captain is with his mother in Mecca; Rizwan is with his mother and wife.
India, for all their internal debates and external expectations, look like the one side that has clarity of purpose. And clarity, in high-pressure tournaments, often counts for more than raw talent.
It was also reported that evidence related to statements made by YouTubers and former cricketers is being collected by the Pakistan Cricket Board's legal department.
Leg-spinner Shah's selection was subject to the 35-year-old clearing a fitness test, chief selector Mohammad Wasim said in a statement.
Mohammad Rizwan scored a fluent 88 and Haris Rauf and Mohammed Nawaz took three wickets each as Pakistan edged England by three runs in a rollercoaster finish to the fourth Twenty20 in Karachi.
'Unfortunately, we tend to crack under pressure and lose close matches as we have seen in recent games.'
India will be accorded a tough welcome to Australia as the Optus Stadium pitch for the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been prepared to offer "good bounce and pace"
Former Pakistan players tore into captain Babar Azam and other players for their poor performance in World Cup 2023.
Babar Azam and five other players will prolong their stay in the United States
