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.
Poor finishing and scrappy defending put paid to India's quest for an eighth South Asian Football Federation Cup title as it suffered a 1-2 defeat against Maldives in the summit clash, in Dhaka, on Saturday.
It is unlikely Brigadier Raja Rizwan was working for RA&W, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
"You can change friends but not neighbours," Atal Bihari Vajpayee famously said this 15 years ago.
China's Su Bingtian held off his opponents with a late burst of speed to win the event in 9.92 seconds.
Rajneesh Gupta presents us all the numbers that matter in T20 World Cup 2021.
The 'surgical strikes' by India have made the army in Pakistan look unprepared. To prove itself the army will need to hit back: It could be in Kashmir or outside
Israel has broken its tourism record of Indian arrivals for the second consecutive year!
Eager to keep their semi-final hopes alive, a desperate Bangladesh will have their work cut out when they take on a spirited Afghanistan in a do-or-die World Cup encounter in Southampton on Monday. England's defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka on Friday breathed air into Bangladesh's hopes of securing a semi-final berth and the 'Tigers' will be keen on making the most of the situation starting with a win over the bottom-placed Afghanistan.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday called on Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discussed key bilateral issues.
Six men, including two Malaysian Air Force personnel and an Indonesian arms expert, were on Thursday charged with conspiring to plot Islamic State-led terror attacks in the Muslim-majority country.
Two delectable strikes from magical Manvir Singh and an opportunistic header from substitute Sumeet Passi helped defending champions India breeze past Pakistan 3-1 to romp into the final of the SAFF Suzuki Cup.
Hundreds of people in Swat, the picturesque home district of Malala Yousafzai, on Wednesday lauded the teenage global icon and peace activist for jointly winning the Nobel Peace Prize this year.
Afghanistan has shown great promise in taking its game to the next level, as its journey from the lower divisions to competing on cricket's biggest stages testifies. Since the ICC World Cup 2015, Afghanistan has won 25 of 44 games across formats. That includes 11 Twenty20 Internationals wins in 13 matches. Those statistics, and the fact that it has never lost a T20I to Scotland, will give Afghanistan a mental boost when the two sides lock horns in Tuesday's (March 8)second Group B match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Afghanistan certainly has all the ingredients to beat Scotland and this contest should be a keenly fought one.
Young Pakistan left-arm spinner Raza Hasan faces a possible two-year ban from all forms of cricket after testing positive for cocaine following a dope test carried out at the WADA-accredited laboratory in India.
Incumbent Hassan Rouhani faces stiff competition from hardline cleric Raisi.
Our income tax department should bring out monthly bulletin as well as annual reports providing insights into the nature of our direct tax segments, points out R Vaidyanathan.
The meeting of the foreign ministers of the P5+1 nations aimed to smoothen out major bumps in reaching a nuclear deal with Iran has ended with a positive note.
Dreaded Islamic State militant group has appointed a breakaway Taliban commander as its chief in Khurasan, a historic name used by militants for an area covering Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India.
The Chabahar port, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar, 'can be the first significant footfall in an Indian variant of the 'Belt and Road' initiative.'
'He will be constrained if and when he tries to set the foreign policy agenda that is not to the liking of the army.'
A court in Rampur granted bail to the Std XII student who was arrested for allegedly posting on Facebook 'objectionable' comment against senior Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan.
Journalists working in the Kashmir valley sometimes face the worst attacks from protesters, mourners and many a time from the security forces, says Photographer Umar Ganie.
Theatre director Saif Hyder Hassan talks about his new play Ek Mulaqat.
India captain Virat Kohli reclaimed the top batting spot, while Australia's pace ace Josh Hazlewood has achieved the number-one position in the bowlers' rankings for the first time in his career in the latest MRF Tyres ICC ODI Player Rankings.
The movie was banned on a plea filed by Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed alleging that the film contains "filthy propaganda" against him and his outfit.
Images from the Under-19 World Cup final between India and Bangladesh, at Potchefstroom, on Sunday
Awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri, Pandit Jasraj also popularised semi-classical music like 'haveli sangeet' and reached out to devotees with his 'bhajans', a particular favourite for his fans being "Om Namo Bhagavate" in praise of Lord Krishna.
Iran's decision to keep India out and welcome China to the scene is a huge strategic setback for India, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
These videos are like butterflies in a case, says Sreehari Nair. They have neither aged badly nor grown over-familiar.
Afghanistan's controversial campaign, marred by poor on and off-field decisions, has gone from bad to worse. They now face the onerous task of squaring off against a galaxy of world class players, whose performance graph is on the upswing.
'Tehran senses that the Modi government is inexorably gravitating toward the US-Israeli-Saudi axis, jettisoning India's traditional independent Gulf policies,' notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Invoking India's "civilisational ties" with Iran, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew in to Tehran on Sunday on a two-day visit, saying his talks with the Iranian leadership would provide him an opportunity to advance the "strategic partnership" between the two countries.
The Congress's share has almost halved, down from 12 in 2014 to six now.
Here's a list of the most famous royals families from around the world.
Their campaign back on track after a stunning victory over South Africa, a resurgent England will be looking to plug their bowling loopholes when they take on an ever-improving Afghanistan in a Super 10 Group 1 match of the ICC World Twenty20, in New Delhi, on Wednesday.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh on Monday night said he was asked by the government to represent it at the Pakistan National Day reception at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.
In a statement, Zurich-based FIFA said the candidates proposed are: Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Musa Hassan Bility, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino, Michel Platini, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and Tokyo Sexwale.
'Why has the rhetoric gone down on the Indian side, Durrani wondered aloud.' 'I said because almost total normalcy and peace had returned on the ground in Kashmir,' recalls Shekhar Gupta. 'The general gave me that career spook's laser look. And he said: "That situation on the ground can change in no time".' 'This was precisely when the Pakistanis began their first incursions into Kargil.' 'Durrani had been retired for five years.' 'But once the ISI boss, you are always in the know.'