A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
India have won all their six games against Pakistan in the World Cup.
Zimbabwe completed only their 11th Test victory with a dramatic 24-run win over Pakistan at Harare Sports club on Saturday to draw the series 1-1.
England all-rounder Ben Stokesfeels the isolating measure at least lets him play the sport he loves while the world battles a raging pandemic
Factbox on the fastest half centuries in Test cricket after Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq reached the mark in 21 balls against Australia in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
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.
Former Pakistan players reacted strongly to the national team's 'great escape' in the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi with many saying that the batsmen's surrender in the second innings was appalling.
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan has been rested from the team's short limited-overs tour to South Africa this month to prevent the risk of aggravating a hip injury, the country's cricket board said on Saturday.
Vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq believes his team might not be able to pose any challenge at all in the home series against arch rivals India early next year because of the lack of international cricket.
Azhar was named Test captain this month in place of Sarfaraz Ahmed whose spot as wicketkeeper has been taken by Mohammad Rizwan.
Zimbabwe captured nine Pakistan wickets for 249 runs on the opening day of the first Test in Harare on Tuesday after a frustrating ninth-wicket partnership between Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not rush into a decision about their upcoming tour of England amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Chief Executive Wasim Khan said. England are scheduled to host the South Asian side for three Tests from July 30, followed by three Twenty20 internationals, but with the UK struggling to contain coronavirus, Wasim said they would wait a few more weeks before confirming a decision.
Misbah-ul-Haq's unbeaten half-century steered Pakistan to a six-wicket victory over West Indies in their rain-affected fourth one day international at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia on Sunday.
Images from Pakistan's 129-run victory over the UAE in Wednesday's World Cup Group B match in Napier.
Sri Lanka require 153 runs for a series-levelling victory after Pakistan rode Azhar Ali's obdurate century before being all out for 329 on day four of the second Test on Sunday.
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.
Praising the batting duo of Misbah-ul Haq and Mohammad Sami after they rescued the team on Day One of the opening Test against India in Delhi, Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson said the fightback has given his team a good chance.
Younis, who became the first Pakistan player to complete 10,000 Test runs, made 58 while Azam stroked 72 in dominating a 131-run third-wicket partnership which gave the tourists an upper hand into the final session of the day.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took six second-innings wickets in Pakistan's crushing 133-run second Test win over West Indies in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday as they took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. - Scorecard: The wily spinner finished with 6-124 to secure his second ten-wicket haul in Test cricket after claiming four wickets in the first innings as West Indies were bowled out for 322 before tea on a weary fifth and final day pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
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.
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.
Pakistan have recalled all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez for their upcoming five match one day series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.
Mohammad Hafeez struck his maiden Test double hundred as Pakistan feasted on Bangladesh's limited bowling resources to post a commanding 537 for five wickets on day three and take charge of the opening match at Khulna on Thursday.
Azhar Ali struck his maiden Test double hundred and Asad Shafiq registered his sixth century as Pakistan took firm control of the second and final Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur, Dhaka , on Thursday.
Pakistan lost a few early wickets before completing a convincing seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the first Test, in Abu Dhabi, on Thursday.
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 achieved the No. 1 Test ranking for the first time since the current rankings system was introduced in 2003 after it drew the series against England 2-2.
England beat Pakistan by 330 runs to win the 2nd Test at Old Trafford to level the four-match series 1-1 on Monday.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq chose to impress upon his players to take a lesson from rivals -- India.
Pakistan look to get their so far lacklustre World Cup campaign going with a win over Zimbabwe.
Virat Kohli scored an imperious century to steer India to a thumping 76 runs victory over Pakistan in their opening World Cup match at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. After putting up an imposing 300 for seven, they shot out their arch-rivals for only 224 to begin the defence of their crown on a rousing note.
Pakistan's batting great Javed Miandad is not happy with the present ranking system of the International Cricket Council even though the team has just become the number one ranked side. Miandad said while he was happy that Pakistan, despite the many problems it was facing as a cricket nation, had topped the test ranking table, the ICC needed to come out with a better system. "The present system is not satisfactory as there is not a proper system to rank a team on the matches it plays on home and away basis," he told PTI.
"He (Sarfaraz) has shown himself to be a fine captain and yes he was struggling a bit for form but when a senior player is under pressure you have to encourage and back him, not dump him like this".
Veteran Pakistan batsman Younis Khan is likely to announce his retirement from the One-day format after the World Cup, sources claimed.
Pakistan's jinx against India in World Cup continues
Fast bowler Sohail Khan earned a surprise recall while Pakistan selectors ignored senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal in their final 15-member squad for the World Cup.
Grant Elliot's all-round performance eclipsed Shahid Afridi's 29-ball blitz to secure New Zealand a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first One Day International in Wellington on Saturday.
Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis on Tuesday said he has moved on from the hurt caused by Mohammad Amir's Test retirement last year and considers the left-arm pacer a crucial part of the national team's plans going forward.
Pakistan's centrally-contracted players are mentally prepared for pay cuts if the health crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic persisted for a few months, Test captain Azhar Ali said on Saturday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is still hopeful of hosting Sri Lanka for a limited-overs tour this month despite alleged terrorist threats.
