Azhar Ali smashed a second century in successive matches on Wednesday to leave the final Test between Pakistan against Sri Lanka poised for an intriguing finish. His 136 enabled Pakistan wriggled out of a tight corner and post 299-8 in their second innings by stumps on the fourth day in Pallekele.
South Africa will have to dig deep if they are to avoid defeat in the first Test after being reduced to 72 for four wickets in their second innings, still trailing Pakistan by 121 runs, in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Conway clobbered 10 fours and three sixes during his 79 minutes of stay in the middle.
Pakistan national selectors have delayed announcement of the national squad for the Asia T20 and World T20 after some sterling performances in the ongoing Pakistan Super League in Dubai. A source told PTI that chief selector Haroon Rasheed had sent a 15-member squad to the chairman of the cricket board for final approval but then asked for some more time to revise the squad. "Haroon has held consultations with head coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi over the selection of the squad and apparently the biggest issues are the selection of Ahmed Shehzad, Khurrum Manzoor, Kamran Akmal, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan, Rumman Raees and uncapped left arm spinners, Muhammad Nawaz and Muhammad Ashgar," a source said.
In a strange move, the Pakistan Cricket Board has allowed nine of it's top players to sign up for the Bangladesh Twenty20 premier league ahead of the all-important series against England in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Out-of-favour Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik minced no words in making it clear that they are not happy with the treatment meted out to them.
Under the new code, the board intends to criminalise match-fixing and spot-fixing and also specify punishments for offenders, including jail time.
Former leg-spin great, Abdul Qadir has advised flamboyant Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi to say goodbye to cricket and slammed Umar Akmal, saying he lost his place in the national team because of his own mistakes. Qadir, known for his candid comments, said at a function in Lahore that Afridi had aged and was no longer fit for top level cricket. "I don't think cricket is any longer the forte of Afridi and he should say goodbye," Qadir said. He also didn't mince any words on the exclusion of batsmen Ahmed Shehzad and his son-in-law Umar Akmal from the list of probables for the tour to England. "To me Shehzad is simply more of an actor than a cricketer while Umar Akmal has lost his place in the team because of his own mistakes," he added. Umar, who is married to Qadir's daughter, has in recent months been at the centre of controversies raising questions over his commitment to the game.
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.
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.
Pakistani head coach Dav Whatmore and Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul Haq were reportedly engaged in a fierce argument with team manager Moin Khan over the selection of the playing squad for the ODI series against South Africa.
Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal were some of the first players to be taken for random dope testing ahead of the World Cup.
The International Cricket Council has reportedly asked Pakistan's suspended Test captain Salman Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to give their mobile phone records for an investigation into possible spot-fixing during the Asia Cup in June.
Mazhar Majeed, the UK based bookie who was at the centre of spot-fixing scandal three month back, claimed that four more Pakistani players were involved in fixing international matches besides the suspended trio of Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir.
Skipper Kane Williamson and fellow opener Martin Guptill forged the highest partnership in Twenty20 Internationals to secure New Zealand a series-levelling 10-wicket victory against Pakistan in the second match in Hamilton on Sunday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has returned the money it had deducted from the funds of four players after they were fined heavily earlier this year for indiscipline during the disastrous tour of Australia.
Shocking instances of bickering and in-fighting surfaced to suggest that Pakistan's rout in New Zealand and Australia were partly because of the enemy within.
The Group B encounter between India and Pakistan at Edgbaston saw quite a few rain breaks, which eventually resulted in the match being a reduced affair.
With 100-plus Tests and 400-plus wickets, most of them not exactly coming on rank turners, Harbhajan's name will always figure among true blue cricketing elites of India.
Experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal's scathing attack on the Pakistan team management could hurt his chances of making a comeback to international cricket.
Images from the second semi-final in the WT20, between Australia and Pakistan, in St Lucia, on Friday.
Following are the statistical highlights of the World Twenty20 match between Pakistan and South Africa played on Monday.
Images from the Group E Super Eight match between England and Pakistan at Bridgetwon, Barbados, on Thursday.
Pakistan survived a late onslaught from Bangladesh to win their opening Twenty20 World Cup Group A match by 21 runs on Saturday in an encouraging start to their title defence.
Pakistan will open their innings in Sunday's World Cup match against India with Younis Khan in an attempt to accommodate leg-spinner Yasir Shah, and also include talented youngsters Umar Akmal and Sohaib Maqsood in the final eleven.
Pakistan's out-of-favour wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal stood by his brother Umar Akmal's side.
Pakistan rode on a sparkling half-century from opener Kamran Akmal to beat Ireland by 39 runs and romp into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 at the Oval on Monday. In winning their must-win last Super Eights match, Pakistan also avenged the humiliating loss to Ireland in the 2007 ODI World Cup in the Caribbeans, and joined South Africa in the last four stage of the tournament.
West Indies number 11 Jason Holder smashed 14 runs off the final over to earn his side a dramatic tie with Pakistan in the third one-day international at Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia on Friday.
Umar was slapped with a three-year ban from all forms of cricket by the PCB. Kamran said he can also benefit from observing the conduct of Tendulkar and Dhoni who have always steered clear of controversy.
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.
Yasir Shah promoted, Shoaib Malik retained in top category
Waqar Younis said that he is worried that players in Pakistan might face mental health issues if cricket continued to be played for more time in the COVID-19 situation.
The sixth wicket partnership of 207 runs between Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal is the joint second highest for any side for this wicket against India. This is also Pakistan's third highest for the sixth wicket against all opponents.
Buoyed by their spectacular win over Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of this season's campaign, Kolkata Knight Riders will take on spirited qualifiers Lahore Lions in their second game of the Champions League Twenty20 in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Pakistan is flying out Sarfraz Ahmed to India as a reinforcement for injured wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
Pakistan's Test stalwart Younis Khan, who led the national team to its only World T20 title in 2009, remained unsold while captain Misbah-ul Haq was snapped up by the Islamabad franchise on the first day of the Players' Draft for the Pakistan Super League, on Monday.
Having started their campaign in the Champions League Twenty20 with a loss, Mumbai Indians captain Kieron Pollard conceded that pressure would be on his side as they will have to win their next two matches to make it to the tournament proper.
Experienced Pakistan players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami received surprise call-ups to the national side for the two T20 matches against the touring Zimbabwe team after spending close to three years in the wilderness.
Eight teams have formed some of the best combinations from a pool of 64 top cricketers in the players' draft for T10League -- the limited ten-over format cricket -- that will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal has alleged that ICC umpire, Steve Davis had victimized Pakistan after he ruled Umar Akmal caught behind on a referral decision during their high-octane World Cup opener against India in Adelaide.
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