A hostile trio of Pakistan left-arm fast bowlers took full advantage of a pitch freshened by rain to hand pre-tournament favourites South Africa their second defeat in the ICC World Cup.
Pakistan's chief selector Moin Khan returned home from Australia on Thursday and escaped an embarrassing situation at the airport, where a small group of protesters gathered to vent their anger with eggs and banners.
Australia's hopes of winning back respect and moving on from a ball-tampering scandal that plunged the team into disgrace face their first test on Sunday when Tim Paine's rebuilding side meet Pakistan in the series-opener in Dubai.
The New Zealand team struggled to cope with the death of Australia's Phillip Hughes and discussed calling the match off before playing the delayed second day of the third Test against Pakistan, said coach Mike Hesson.
Australia head home from Abu Dhabi this week with plenty to ponder after a humiliating rout by Pakistan brought a shuddering halt to their upward trajectory in Test cricket.
Joe Root went serenely past 150 as England moved on to 427 for five at lunch on the second day of the second Test against Pakistan in Manchester on Saturday.
Sarfraz Ahmed's belligerent century powered Pakistan to a strong 454 in their first innings on the second day of the first Test against Australia on Thursday.
Australia will have to win both Tests in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to go one point clear of South Africa, who displaced them at the top in July, but there is still little clarity about the side who would walk out for the first match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan have axed senior batsman Younis Khan for next month's One-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates as they announced their ODI and Twenty20 squads on Wednesday.
Pakistani cricket fans and former players have reacted with disappointment and anger to the national team's defeat against arch-rivals India in their Asia Cup Twenty20 match.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum broke the world record for the fastest Test century held jointly by his idol Viv Richards on Saturday without ever being aware he was about to make cricket history.
Sreesanth is open to playing in overseas leagues and coaching roles
It was Pakistan's last roll of the dice that saw them throw Sarfraz Ahmed into the role of opener at the World Cup and the gamble looks to be paying off.
Former Pakistan leg-spin legend Abdul Qadir says he would have also liked to see leg-spinners like Amit Mishra and Piyush Chawla in the team since India does not have intimidating pace bowlers.
Alastair Cook completed the third-longest innings in Test history and the longest by an Englishman as his side ended on 569-8 on the fourth day of the first Test on Friday, 46 runs ahead of Pakistan.
With two days remaining and 17 wickets still potentially to fall, a draw looks the probable outcome, although Wahab Riaz's removal of Bell (63) and Mark Wood (4) in successive overs near the close again put the hosts in the ascendancy.
Younis Khan became Pakistan's all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket and Shoaib Malik scored his first century in almost six years, as the home side posted 286-4 at the end of the opening day of the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi.
The national selection committee ignored senior Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal for the coming one-day series in Sri Lanka.
Asad Shafiq's seventh hundred and a belligerent 96 from Sarfraz Ahmed helped give Pakistan a sizeable lead against Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the opening Test at Galle on Saturday.
Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes produced a record 273-run partnership in an unbroken opening stand to help Bangladesh whittle down Pakistan's huge lead to 23 runs at the close of the penultimate day of the opening Test at Khulna on Friday.
We take a look at Team India's dominating performance against Pakistan in the World Cup
Pakistan grabbed a World Cup quarter-final berth on Sunday following their seven-wicket victory against Ireland that also cleared West Indies' last eight passage from Pool B.
Bowlers are suffering as pitches have gone very flat around the world. Bowlers just have an opportunity in first six to seven overs than it is a batsmen's game. We are seeing that in this World Cup
Pakistan made a winning return on Saturday to the venue where they defeated New Zealand in their 1992 cricket World Cup semi-final.
Speculation is rife that Younis Khan will quit One-day cricket after the World Cup and chances are it would be far from a fairytale farewell for one of Pakistan's modern batting greats.
Following reports of three senior Pakistan players misbehaving with fielding coach Grant Luden, it is learned that opener Ahmed Shehzad may be sent home from the World Cup.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid believes that India's batting is heavily reliant on Virat Kohli in the middle overs.
Amir said he faced mental torture after reading statements from Misbah and Waqar
Did Virat Kohli deserve to be replaced as India's ODI captain? Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers.
Part-time off-spinner Glenn Maxwell took two wickets without conceding a run in the last over as Australia edged Pakistan in a low-scoring thriller to win the third and final one-day international by one run in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Steve Smith cracked his maiden 50-over century as Australia routed Pakistan in 36.3 overs to secure a comprehensive 93-run victory in the first One-day International on Tuesday.
Sohaib Maqsood and Fawad Alam struck quick-fire fifties and combined in a record 147-run sixth wicket stand as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets with one ball remaining in the first one-day international at Hambantota on Saturday.
Pakistan's experienced batsman Younis Khan dug deep for his 24th Test century and his seventh against Sri Lanka to rescue his struggling side who closed on 261-4 on the opening day of the first Test on Wednesday.
Misbah-ul-Haq noted that in Pakistani culture socialising was done differently but in western countries people were used to going out.
Pakistan fast bowlers Junaid Khan and Bilawal Bhatti scythed through Sri Lanka's batting during an exciting afternoon session to restrict their opponents to 204 on the first day of the opening Test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six straight Tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia.
A rampaging David Warner smashed a run-a-ball century to fire Australia to 278 for two and wrest back the momentum from Pakistan after Azhar Ali's unbeaten double-century buoyed the touring side on day three of the second Test on Wednesday.
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 prolific Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson all enhanced their burgeoning reputations in 2016 but, aided by the screams of commentator Ian Bishop to "remember the name", the year will forever belong to Carlos Brathwaite.
Coach Misbah-ul-Haq and his fellow selectors have been criticised by Pakistan media for placing too much expectation on such young shoulders, particularly against an ascendant team that thrives on home pitches.
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