'The matches between India and Pakistan are the biggest in the world.'
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said the hosts would field their strongest side against Pakistan, which means a welcome return for spinner Nathan Lyon, who will chase his 500th Test wicket after injury ruled him out of the last three matches of the Ashes.
PCB newly selected Chief Selector Inzamam Ul Haq announced squads for the upcoming ACC Men's Asia Cup and the three-match One-Day International series against Afghanistan.
Four other players -- Kashif Bhatti, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali and Imran Khan -- tested positive for the second time earlier this week.
A confident and well-adjusted India would look to capitalise on an unpredictable Pakistan during Sunday's T20 World Cup match.
Stokes brought his first half-century in T20I cricket with a four in 47 balls while levelling the scores. He (unbeaten at 52* off 49 balls) then brought up the winning runs, with Liam Livingstone at 1* and England finished the innings at 138/5 in 19 overs.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the Asia Cup Super 4s match against Pakistan?
Images from the Asia Cup final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai on Sunday.
IMAGES from the Asia Cup Super 4s match played between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Pakistan, at the same MCG 30 years ago, had beaten England in the final of the 50-overs world Cup under Khan's inspiring leadership.
But just like everyone wants a slice of '92 from Babar's team, the core of this current English team also has a date with history
Who do you think should be part of India's playing for the World Cup match against New Zealand?
Pakistan might have heaved a sigh of relief to see that Shaheen Shah Afridi did not show any signs of a draining fever that had gripped the team upon its arrival in Bengaluru.
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.
England will hope that the likes of Joe Root, Harry brook and skipper Jos Buttler also get some runs and end their a disastrous World Cup campaign on a high.
New Zealand are better organised and clinical in terms of execution and hence could start as the favourites in the first semi-final against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Pakistan are traditionally good against spinners but Babar Azam and Co. would take the likes of promising Dunith Wellalage and company lightly at their peril.
It was Rizwan's 120-run stand with Saud Shakeel that allowed Pakistan to recover from a shaky start and post 286.
Fast bowler Mohammad Wasim also returned to the World Cup squad after recovering fully from a side strain he suffered during the Asia Cup.
PCB supremo Zaka Ashraf in his desperate bid to do damage control after indirectly terming India "enemy nation", hailed the warm reception that was accorded to the Pakistani team.
IMAGES from the Asia Cup opener between Pakistan and Nepal played in Multan on Wednesday
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Dubai, on Friday.
The Pakistan cricket squad was allowed to leave their managed isolation facility in Christchurch after getting clearance from New Zealand's Health Ministry on Tuesday.
If rain leads to a shortened game, Babar and his boys are ready.
'I was offered the role to begin with...what is important is that I have the opportunity to work with some of the best cricketers in the world and that excites me.'
Conway century lifted New Zealand to 309-6 against Pakistan
Hasaranga claimed three wickets in one over and Pramod Madushan claimed a career-best 4-34 to bowl out Pakistan for 147 in exactly 20 overs.
Pace legend Waqar Younis is backing Pakistan to win the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia later this year, saying the pitches Down Under could favour their potent bowling attack.
Thousands of fans from both countries have crisscrossed the globe to watch their team in action and trust rival captains Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam to tell you this is another 'match' for them, but all the 22 players and reserves know that this is 'The Match'.
The source also said that the board felt Babar would be better off just captaining the white-ball squads and that the Test captaincy should be given to someone else, preferably Shan Masood or Mohammad Rizwan.
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup Final played between Pakistan and England in Melbourne on Sunday.
'That was proper (batting) from those two, it set the tone for how we want to play our cricket, take the game on.'
Suryakumar reached a career-best-equalling second position in the ICC men's T20I Player rankings
The winning runs were eventually scored by Mohammad Nawaz (25 from 21) as he hooked Williams to the mid-wicket boundary for six off the penultimate ball of the match to complete a memorable series win.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12 match between Pakistan and Netherlands, in Perth, on Sunday
A slew of records were broken as Pakistan recorded a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka after chasing down a mammoth 345 in their ICC World Cup match in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
India would want the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer to get into ODI mode as soon as possible.
The endless chain of fast bowlers that Pakistan has produced over the years has been the envy point of other cricketing nations. Zaman Khan is the latest to join that illustrious line.
Meanwhile, the sports ministry has asked the PCB not to offer a long-term contract to its incumbent director of cricket Mohammad Hafeez yet, who came into the role after the 50-overs World Cup last year.
Chasing a target of 135 runs, Haider Ali's 65* off 43 including three sixes and skipper Azam's 51 from 28 balls put their side over the line with 29 balls to spare.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances