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.
Pakistan's Yasir Shah claimed five wickets to put the breaks on England's scoring on Day 2 of the 1st Test at Lord's in London on Friday.
Pakistan's Mohammad Amir got a muted reception at Lord's on the second day of the first Test on Friday as he bowled for the first time in a test since being banned for spot-fixing.
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.
Sri Lanka off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal scythed through Pakistan's batting order to pick up his first five-wicket haul as the visitors were bundled out for 138 on the opening day of the second test on Thursday.
'Zimbabwe has given us a lot of support by undertaking this tour despite pressure on them so we also urge the public to cheer team along with our team as well'
Waqar's attitude resulted in disharmony in team, says Razzaq.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan in Sydney, on Friday.
Scathing in its criticism after Pakistan's loss to India in a World Twenty20 match, the media here came down heavily on national coach Waqar Younis and skipper Shahid Afridi for their "faulty gameplan" and team selection. In a low-scoring rain-curtailed 18-over-a-side showdown t the hallowed Eden Gardens last night, India first restricted Pakistan to 118 for five and then overhauled the target in 15.5 overs on a turning track. With a moisture-laden pitch on offer following rains, Pakistan went by their strength and included four seamers in the playing eleven, leaving out left-arm spinner Imad Wasim. But the plan backfired as, to the surprise of all and sundry, the wicket turned from the first over itself. In a sarcastic article, the 'Express Tribune' newspaper criticised the Pakistan team's tactics and questioned the logic behind including four seamers on a turning wicket.
A 27-member Pakistan cricket contingent left for India to take part in the Twenty20 World Cup, finally ending days of uncertainty over their participation in the mega event. The team will be reaching Kolkata via Abu Dhabi. The Pakistan squad including 15 players, 12 officials and support staff reached the Allama Iqbal international airport amidst tight security and boarded a flight hours after the Pakistan government finally gave the PCB the green signal to fly to India to take part in the ICC event. Due to a long stay in Abu Dhabi the squad will reach Kolkata later this evening. Head coach Waqar Younis, before departing for India, left a message on his Twitter account calling for unity in the team. "Come on together we can do it," he tweeted a message aimed at motivating the players. He told the media that though the departure of the team for India had been hit by uncertainty and security issues, the focus of the players now would only be on cricket and doing well in the world event.
PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has slammed the team's performance at the Asia Cup but admitted it was too late to make sweeping changes ahead of the World Twenty20 this month.
Pakistan's head coach Waqar Younis is confident that his new-look team would be able to break the jinx of not winning against India in major ICC events when they lock horns in the upcoming World T20, which begins right after the Asia Cup T20.
Opening the bowling for Pakistan in a World Cup match with India is enough to get any paceman excited. For Sohail Khan, playing his first international since September 2011, that excitement briefly got the better of him on Sunday.
Pakistan's chief selector Moin Khan believes the national team's much-awaited World Cup game against India will be the best opportunity for them to break their win-less jinx against the arch-rivals in the tournament history.
South Africa's pursuit of a series-levelling victory against Pakistan was marred on the third day of the second Test in Dubai when they were penalised five runs for ball tampering on Friday.
Pakistan's most accomplished batsman Younus Khan completed an unbeaten double century on Friday to turn the course of the first Test against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. At the close Zimbabwe, set 342 for victory when Pakistan declared their second innings closed at 419 for nine, were 13 for one after Tino Mawoyo was dismissed lbw for two by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.
Paceman Trent Boult took four wickets as New Zealand beat Pakistan by an innings and 80 runs to win the third and final Test within four days and level the series 1-1.
The leaden-footed Australians found themselves bamboozled by Pakistan's wily spinners and their trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand can expect similar treatment from Misbah-ul-Haq and his men in a three-Test series starting in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Pakistan spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah took nine wickets in the second innings as the hosts beat Australia by 221 runs in the first Test on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
A responsible half-century from captain Angelo Mathews and some big hitting by Thisara Perera set up a comprehensive 77-run win for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in the second ODI on Tuesday and helped the hosts level the series at 1-1.
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt has said that the present PCB set-up should stop wasting its time trying to organise a series against India as "it would never happen".
Three rained out games and more feared. The ongoing World Cup does seem a bit under the weather, but the International Cricket Council says there's hardly anything it can do to deal with the "extremely unseasonable" cloud cover in the United Kingdom right now.
Sri Lanka needed a little over 26 overs to chase down a 153-run victory target for a series-levelling seven-wicket victory in the second Test against Pakistan on Monday.
Australia broke Pakistan's dangerous third-wicket partnership to reduce the tourists to 177 for three, still 361 runs in arrears, at tea on a rain-disrupted third day of the third and final Test on Thursday. - Scorecard: Opener Azhar Ali was the batsman to fall for 71, leaving elder statesmen Younus Khan, who is inching towards his 34th Test century on 84 not out, and Misbah-ul-Haq, who has made 18, to resume for the extended final session.
Pakistan reached 142 for four wickets before play was abandoned due to rain after tea on day one of the second Test against Australia in Melbourne on Monday.
A relieved Australia captured Pakistan's last two wickets to win a captivating first day-night Test in Brisbane by 39 runs on Monday but the touring side won huge admiration for their dogged fourth innings resistance.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan, in Brisbane, on Thursday.
Pakistan fought back from a precarious position to beat Afghanistan by 72 runs, and also claim a bonus point, in the Asia Cup match in Fatullah on Thursday. Thanks to wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal, who scored an unbeaten 102 off 89 balls, they were able to recover from 117 for six inside 30 overs and put up a solid 248 for 8. In reply, minnows Afghanistan were dismissed for 176 in 47.2 overs. A look at the statistical highlights from the match.
Brendon McCullum blasted the fastest Test century to rescue New Zealand before Australia were reduced to 57 for one by the close of day one of the second Test on Saturday.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq chose to impress upon his players to take a lesson from rivals -- India.
West Indies skipper Jason Holder is expecting plenty of entertainment against Pakistan when the two most mercurial sides in international cricket face off in the World Cup in Christchurch.
Pakistan's wily spinners gave a masterclass in slow bowling to bamboozle South Africa's batting line-up and lead their side to a 66-run victory in the second one-day international in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.
Cheteshwar Pujara was the highest-ranked Indian batsman despite dropping a rung to eighth while R Ashwin held on to his eighth position in the bowlers' chart of the ICC Test rankings.
Statistical highlights of the cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan.
A defiant fifth-wicket stand of 74 between Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq ensured Pakistan secured a draw in the second Test against New Zealand on Friday to maintain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Joe Root made a half-century as England rallied to 130 for three at the close of the fourth day of the second Test, in Dubai, on Sunday, 360 runs behind Pakistan after the hosts' Younis Khan had made a swaggering 31st Test century.
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.
Younus Khan led Pakistan's fightback with a dogged century after the hosts made a terrible start to the first Test against Australia in Dubai on Wednesday. After opting to bat first, Pakistan put up 219 for four wickets at stumps on the first day, with captain Misbah-ul-haq (34) and Asad Shafiq (9) at the crease.
The chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Shaharyar Khan has said that the PCB would no longer ask India to play the bilateral series planned in the UAE in December.
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.
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