The trouble-prone Pakistan cricket team dressing room was once again witness to some drama and it took PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan's intervention to diffuse the controversy generated by Misbah-ul-Haq's decision to rest from the third ODI against Australia.
West Indies batting legend Vivian Richards has lauded swashbuckling New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum for posting the fastest ton in Test cricket off just 54 balls, bidding adieu to the game on an incredible high. Richards, who held the record for the quickest hundred in Tests off 56 balls jointly with Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq till McCullum broke it yesterday, was all praise for the Kiwi skipper for his record-breaking feat. "Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Brendon...(I've) been a great fan of yours for many years. Well done on your achievement," said Richards in the video on Twitter, posted by Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Quetta Gladiators. "And if there was going to be an individual who you would've liked to have surpassed whatever you would've achieved in life, certainly it would be you. You're one of those individuals who help to put bums on seats. Long may that continue. Well done, man," he added.
Pakistan lost the T20 series before the 101-run defeat in the first Test.
BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of an Indo-Pak bilateral series stating that no such series is scheduled in Futures Tours & Programme (FTP) calender. "In the FTP, we had a series planned in 2015 but there is no series planned in 2016 against Pakistan. India will be playing against them in Asia Cup and the World T20 since they are multinational tournaments. And India has been playing them for many years," Thakur told the media.
Citing the incident of Shiv Sena activists storming the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai protesting against the resumption of bilateral cricket series between the arch-rivals, the ICC President Zaheer Abbas said he feared for Pakistan players' security during the World T20 in India next year.
Wahab Riaz has conveyed to the head coach Misbah ul haq that he is ready to make a return to Test cricket if his services are required
Pakistan jumped three places to third in the ICC Test Championship table following the seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final Test in Pallekele on Tuesday.
Pakistan pulled off a thrilling three-wicket victory over hosts Bangladesh to storm into the finals of the Asia Cup cricket tournament, knocking India out of the title race.
Brian Vitori grabbed five wickets and opener Tino Mawoyo scored a half-century as Zimbabwe took control of the second Test against Pakistan with a 185-run lead on Thursday.
A ruling party lawmaker on Wednesday criticised Pakistan cricketers for promoting a negative image of the country by celebrating with push-ups on the field after winning a match, prompting the Pakistan Cricket Board to discontinue the practice.
Cricketer-turned-cop, Joginder Sharma is on the frontline in the battle against the highly contagious disease, as India is under a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Sarfaraz says Pak ready for World Test Championship challenge
Pakistan smashed their third highest One-day total of 364 in a crushing 147-run win over New Zealand to move 2-1 up in the five-match series on Sunday.
Former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was named interim head coach following the resignation of Misbah ul-Haq.
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has insisted that veteran cricketers Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan have earned the right to decide when they want to draw curtains on their international careers. Both the batsmen, who underwent a stern examination by Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird, were dismissed in the space of five overs on a rain-shortened opening day of the Boxing Day Test against Australia, leaving visitors on 142-4 when play was finally called off before Tea.
Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi was, on Tuesday, named Pakistan's new Twenty20 captain until the 2016 World T20, and Misbah ul Haq retained Test and ODI skipper until the 2015 50-over World Cup.
Six of the 10 Pakistan cricketers bound for England who tested positive for COVID-19 have now registered negative results on re-testing, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday. Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz, however, must return a second negative result before they can join the main squad of 20 players who will leave for England on Sunday.
England beat Pakistan by 330 runs to win the 2nd Test at Old Trafford to level the four-match series 1-1 on Monday.
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''.
Former batting great Sunil Gavaskar believes India and Pakistan must start a dialogue to pave the way for the revival of regular matches between India and Pakistan.
Former captain Javed Miandad has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board not to send a team in next year's World T20 in India if the BCCI does not agree to the proposed bilateral series in December.
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had made it clear to their Bangladesh counterparts that it will not host them on a neutral venue during the upcoming home series in January-February.
Misbah said with time he understood that it would be possible to give his best only to one role.
Former Pakistan pace spearhead Wasim Akram has called on his compatriots to win their next World Cup game or get ready to go back home early.
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.
Pakistan crushed Bangladesh by 328 runs on Saturday to win their final Test with a day to spare.
Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq will be paid a whopping Rupees One million per month for helping the suspended Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal to undergo correctove measures in his illegal bowling action.
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.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
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.
Pakistan team's Test captaincy became vacant after the retirement of the long-serving Misbah-ul-Haq at the end of the West Indies tour in May.
An outdated batting approach, dismal performance of the spinners, lack of back-up options and selection blunders have led to another early World Cup exit for the forever unpredictable Pakistan unit.
Pakistan named Babar Azam as their new captain in one-day internationals, putting the elegant batsman in charge of both their limited-overs teams after a stellar year with the bat. The top order batsman, who took over Twenty20 captaincy earlier this year, succeeds Sarfaraz Ahmed as Pakistan's white-ball leader while Azhar Ali also got an extension as skipper of the Test side for the 2020-21 season.
India can rely on their spinners to reclaim the World Twenty20 title, says Joginder Sharma, the hero of country's win against Pakistan in the inaugural edition's final.
West Indies were 14 for no wicket at stumps in reply after Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell negotiated 11 overs in the deciding Test of the series, which is tied at 1-1.
Opener Azhar Ali was unbeaten on 85 as Pakistan crawled to 169 for two on a rain-affected first day of the series-deciding third Test against West Indies in Dominica on Wednesday.
Azhar's obdurate 193-ball stay at the crease helped his side plod slowly towards the hosts' first-innings total of 312 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown to stand 140 runs behind with seven wickets in hand at the close.
Ramiz hit out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for reintegrating players such as Mohammad Amir, who has served prison time and a long ban from the game for involvement in spot-fixing, into the national team setup. The former opener felt allowing tainted players back into the sport has damaged Pakistan cricket.
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.
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.
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