West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel plundered five wickets as they scored a stunning victory by bowling out Pakistan for 81 on the final day of the second Test in Barbados on Thursday.
Former England skipper Alastair Cook has finally opened up about his decision to step down as Test skipper, saying he started doubting his leadership skills after the drawn four-match series against Pakistan in 2016.
'It was a good performance,' M S Dhoni said after the match. It was a little bit more than that, in that it came just when the team needed to reverse trends, to find self-belief, to be able to look ahead rather than behind.'
Rediff.com brings a lighter veined pictorial representation of the various captains' state of mind on V-Day!
Like, in Sunday's match at the Adelaide Oval, a lot of reasons will be apparent for Pakistan's loss, all that in hindsight, of course. So, after watching the match, that India won by 75 runs, former Pakistan captain Imran Khan analysed Pakistan's performance and drew up reasons for their loss.
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor scored centuries as New Zealand completed their World Cup preparations with a crushing 119-run win over Pakistan in Napier on Tuesday. It was their eighth win in their last 10 completed matches.
Kane Williamson, leading New Zealand in a Test for the first time at home, scored his 24th half century to guide the hosts to an eight-wicket victory in the first test against Pakistan in Christchurch on Sunday. Chasing a target of 105 for the win, Williamson was dismissed on 61 with the hosts just a run shy of victory. Jeet Raval (36 not out) hit a four to push New Zealand over the line on 108 for two shortly after lunch on the fourth day. New Zealand had bowled the visitors out in their second innings for 171 about an hour into the day's play at Hagley Oval.
A PCB official said the suspended off-spinner has been named in the preliminary squad as he was in the process of correcting his action and would soon appear for an ICC biomechanics test.
Pakistan's national Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez has been dropped from the 12-member squad named for the two-Test series against South Africa to be held in UAE later this month.
Pakistan paceman Mohammad Amir broke down during the national conditioning camp and offered to leave the game before being accepted by protesting players, who had reservations training with him.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has dismissed reports that it was ready to revive bilateral series against India on Indian soil and made it clear that the first series when it happens will be played in UAE as per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with BCCI.
Sri Lanka has emerged as the likely venue for the much-awaited Indo-Pak bilateral cricket series and an official announcement may be made on November 27.
Australia vice-captain David Warner found it "bizarre" that pundits and fans continue to criticise the team despite winning their last two Test matches after a run of five losses.
Pakistan becomes only the fifth team after Australia, England, India and South Africa to top the ICC Test rankings since these were introduced in 2003.
Photos from Day 3 of the first Test played at The Gabba on Saturday
Former Pakistan skipper Javed Miandad has refused to attend meetings of the fact-finding committee of the Cricket Board to probe into the national team's poor performance in the Asia Cup and World T20. "Every time we do badly in a big tournament, the board carries out this charade of appointing a probe committee," Miandad told PTI. "Why should I go running to attend their meetings on a call from a secretary. I have already said what I had to say in the media. First and foremost the top people in the board should step down," he added. Miandad, who has been extremely critical of the state of affairs in Pakistan cricket and the team's dismal show, said nothing comes out of such inquiries.
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt has set off another controversy by claiming that the national team's head coach Waqar Younis had resigned before the 2015 World Cup after being insulted by Ahmed Shehzad.
Moeen Ali made a superb century to lift England to 328 all out after Pakistan had taken four early wickets on the first day of the final Test at The Oval on Thursday.
Superb pace bowling, immaculate catching and astute captaincy combined to forge a thrilling final-day victory for England, who dismissed Pakistan for 201 to win the third test by 141 runs and go 2-1 up in the series. England refused to be cowed by a 103-run first-innings deficit, building a 343-run lead when they batted again and then destroying the tourists with an immaculate performance in the field that saw six wickets tumble between lunch and tea.
Cheteshwar Pujara gained a spot to be the highest-ranked Indian batsman at seventh even as R Ashwin remained steady eighth in the bowlers' list of the latest ICC Test rankings released on Sunday.
Talking to the media in Lahore on Tuesday, Shaharyar Khan adopted damage control mode, insisting that if India did not play the planned series with Pakistan in December he alone cannot decide the next course of action.
The Mauka man is back to his roots again after briefly switching sides to India.
World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev feels that India's top-order batsmen need to take more responsibility against South Africa.
Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed match figures of 11 for 118 as Zimbabwe collapsed to 120 all out before lunch on the final day of the first Test in Harare on Saturday to lose by 221 runs.
Amid tensions over incidents along the LoC, the BCCI has told to its Pakistani counterpart that unless the Indian government gives a green signal, it cannot clear Faisalabad Wolves' participation in the Champions League Twenty20 to be held next month.
Pakistan cricketers, who are currently touring New Zealand, have refused to sign the three-month extended contract that is given to them by the national cricket board (PCB).
Pakistan's suspended off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is of the view that his country will not make the semi-finals in the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Speaking on Geo Super channel, the seasoned campaigner tipped Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and India to be in the semi-finals.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram said he is in favour of resuming bilateral cricket ties with India which he believes will help improve relations between the two nations.
Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed his third five-wicket haul of the series but Sri Lanka took the upper hand on day two of the third and final Test by restricting the visitors to 209 for nine at Pallekele on Saturday.
A fit-again Muhammad Irfan returned to the Pakistan cricket squad announced on Friday.
The newly elected ICC president, Zaheer Abbas has said that despite being elevated to a ceremonial post he will do his best to revive India and Pakistan bilateral cricket series.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan in Sydney, on Friday.
With uncertainty hanging over the resumption of Indo-Pak bilateral cricket ties later this year, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said that they have an alternate plan in hand if the proposed series against the neighbours in the United Arab Emirates does not materialise.
Ahmed Shehzad struck his third Test century as Pakistan completely dominated the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi to reach 269 for one and stay on course for a mammoth first-innings total on Sunday.
Former chief coach, Waqar Younis has urged the cricket authorities to drop Umar Akmal from the Pakistan team and blamed Shahid Afridi for the side's run of T20 defeats against England, New Zealand and in the Asia Cup and World T20.
His cricketing brain, always sharp, was blessed with exceptional speed of information absorption and processing. He could quickly zero in on what needed to be done and use the element of surprise to overpower the opposition, observes Shreekant Sambrani.
Former Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has claimed that his relationship with former skipper Shahid Afridi has been spoiled after his scathing report on the country's dismal performance in the recently-concluded World T20 was leaked. "I have been very clear that report was not for the media, but for the cricket board. Unfortunately, the report was leaked and my relationship with Afridi has been spoilt," Younis was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. Waqar and Afridi's decision to step down from their respective position came days after their side's early exit from the T20 format's pinnacle event. Pakistan were crashed out of the prestigious tournament after suffering three successive defeats against arch-rivals India, New Zealand and Australia in the group stages. Talking about Afridi's drawbacks, the 44-year-old said that the main problem with the all-rounder was his inability to concentrate on a particular thing for long span of time. "Afridi's drawbacks as a captain are for everyone to see. He has got a temperament issue. He cannot sit for too long to highlight things, or absorb things and then go and implement them. I've said this in my report," said Younis.
India will launch their World Cup title defence against traditional rivals Pakistan in Adelaide on February 15 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his side is capable of adapting and performing in any condition.
Former skipper Imran Khan has joined the chorus of angry fans and ex-cricketers over the national team's ODI whitewash in Bangladesh, terming the 0-3 loss as a "low point in Pakistan cricket history".
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.
