Pakistan senior batsman Azhar Ali, on Thursday stepped down as the One-day International captain after a meeting Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan in Dubai.
Amid a cloud of uncertainty over resumption of Indo-Pak cricketing ties, Pakistan's coach Waqar Younis has said he is optimistic about a bilateral series in December and firmly believes regular cricket can help reduce tensions between the two countries.
Misbah also felt that the top order of both teams would play a decisive role in the series as bowling of both teams was top class.
'I am happy that we are not favourites'
Batsman Fawad Alam, who was also named in the 20-member squad along with two specialist spinners could make a comeback to Pakistan's Test team after 11 years.
After escaping a 39-run victory over Pakistan in the Gabba Test, Australian skipper Steve Smith on Monday said the "game was a bit close for his liking". The hosts struck Pakistan's last two wickets quickly to clinch win before tea on day five of the opening day and night Test of the three-match. "I've lost all my fingernails, I think," Smith was quoted as saying by news.com.au. "It was a bit too close for my liking. Some game of cricket wasn't it?"
Pakistan side put its World Cup campaign back on track with an upset 29-run win via Duckworth/Lewis method over South Africa
Mickey Arthur feels his reputation took a big hit when he was sacked as head coach of Australia three years ago but the Pakistan mentor says he is not on a "revenge mission" as he prepares to take on his former charges.
Australia have named the unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test of the three-match series against Pakistan beginning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day. The Steve Smith-led side are going with the same side that clinched a nail-biting 39-run win after Pakistan's epic run chase in the opening day and night Test at the Gabba, cricket.com.au reported.
The Pakistani Taliban has reportedly issued a challenge to the country's media to stop the praise of retired Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and instead get behind Pakistani captain Misbah-ul Haq, whom they branded as ''sub-standard'' and a ''low-level player''.
Having conceded a 121-run lead in the first innings, the Caribbean side began their charge in the final session on Day 4.
Opener Ahmed Shehzad missed out on a deserved century but Pakistan cruised past United Arab Emirates by 129 runs in their ICC World Cup Pool B clash.
Wasim at one stage asked Babar and Misbah whether the players felt the tour should be called off in the given conditions.
Faisalabad Wolves rode on skipper Misbah-ul-Haq's unbeaten 93 to beat Kandurata Maroons by 10 runs and post a consolation win in an inconsequential qualifying match of the Champions League Twenty20 in Mohali, on Friday.
The recall of Steve O'Keefe for a twin-spin attack and inclusion of debutant batting all-rounder Hilton Cartwright gives Australia the look of a team getting an early start on preparations for a tour of the sub-continent.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews was vindicated for surprisingly deciding to field after winning the toss when his fast bowlers skittled Pakistan for 165 in the first innings of the second Test in Dubai on Wednesday. Sri Lanka then lost opener Dimuth Karunaratne (32) before reaching 57 for 1 when bad light brought an end to the day's play.
Propelled by the embarrassing loss to minnows Zimbabwe, Pakistan fell two rungs down the list to sixth in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Saturday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is planning to hold the remaining matches of PSL-5 in November provided the situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic improves in the next few months, PCB CEO Wasim Khan said. The PSL was suspended last Tuesday after the PCB revealed that a foreign player showed symptoms of the coronavirus, but Khan said the remaining matches may be held during the 10-day window available in November.
Joginder Sharma bowled a memorable final over to help India edge Pakistan by five runs in a thrilling final and win the inaugural T20 World Cup in Johannesburg in 2007.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)has sought the permission of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to play their proposed bilateral series with India on a mutually agreed neutral venue.
Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh will be among a host of former stars in the India Maharaja team which will take part in the inaugural edition of the Legends League Cricket (LLC), starting on January 20 in Oman.
Former players are of the opinion that if Amir is available and fit, then he should also be considered for the Test series against England.
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.
Pakistan's interim head coach Saqlain Mushtaq on Wednesday said he will take full responsibility of the team's performance after the sudden resignations of Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis just weeks before the World T20 Cup in UAE.
The touring Pakistan squad has returned negative in a fifth round of COVID-19 tests and will now be able to leave their managed isolation on Tuesday, subject to clearance from the health ministry, New Zealand Cricket said on Monday.
India are all set to drop a rung to sixth in the ICC Test rankings, replaced by arch-rivals Pakistan in the fifth position.
Batting at No. 9, Wahab Riaz struck a quickfire half-century before he returned to claim four wickets with the ball to lift Pakistan to a narrow 20-run victory.
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.
Pakistan's most capped player Inzamam-ul-Haq wants to see the national team create history in the forthcoming Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by defeating arch-rivals India in the opening match in Adelaide.
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.
Slow bowlers Imran Tahir and JP Duminy spun South Africa to a series-levelling innings and 92-run victory over Pakistan on day four of the second Test in Dubai on Saturday.
Australia's batsmen made mincemeat of a listless Indian bowling attack at Jaipur in the second ODI to post a massive 359 for 5, and also set a new world record in the process with their top five compiling individual half centuries.
Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman had a spell to forget in the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh on Tuesday. The left-armer sent down a three consecutive illegal full tosses and finished with bizarre bowling figures of 0-0-8-0.
Sarfaraz didn't deserve to be booted out.
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.
Shane Watson has roared back to his classy best.
Sarfaraz Ahmed said that the PCB left it to the players to make the final call on travelling to England for the Test and T20 series.
Australia romped into the semi-finals of the cricket World Cup, trouncing Pakistan by six wickets in the third quarter-final at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. They will meet defending champions India, who beat Bangladesh, in the second semi-final slated for March 26.
Kane Williamson's assured unbeaten 70 guided New Zealand to a comfortable four-wicket win over Pakistan in the second One-Day International in Sharjah on Friday to level the series at 1-1.
England beat Pakistan by 330 runs to win the 2nd Test at Old Trafford to level the four-match series 1-1 on Monday.
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