Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik grabbed two wickets each to lead Pakistan to a comfortable 50-run win over Bangladesh in a low-scoring one-off Twenty20 international on Tuesday.
Kamran Akmal, the leading run scorer in the Pakistan Super League, is left out of the 15-strong squad after scoring just 68 runs in three ODIs against the West Indies earlier this month.
The Pakistan cricket Board had to step in to avoid a big confusion over the selection of former captain Shoaib Malik in the Pakistan squad for the One-day series against England after captain Misbah-ul-Haq insisted on wanting Malik in the side.
India are eyeing a place in the final after three wins in as many matches, while Pakistan will look to step up their game in the Super Four match, after a scare against Afghanistan.
Chasing a competitive 258 for victory, Pakistan overhauled the target with just three balls to spare with former captain Shoaib Malik (51 off 43 balls) getting the winning runs.
Umar Akmal has been dropped from the Pakistan Twenty20 squad to face England as he is under investigation for bringing the sport into disrepute in an off-field incident, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reported on Thursday.
Mushfiqur Rahim stroked a brilliant 99, while Mustafizur Rahman picked up four wickets as Bangladesh outclassed Pakistan by 37 runs to qualify for the final, in the Asia Cup in Dubai, on Wednesday.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag feels cricket needs to played in more countries if the game has to make its way into the Olympics.
Former captains Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik have been warned by the Pakistan Cricket Board to stop giving statements against each other in the media.
The talented but unpredictable side are not favourites.
Australia opener David Warner became the fifth batsman at the World Cup to get an unexpected reprieve after he dragged a ball on to his stump but the impact failed to dislodge the zing bails in Sunday's match against India.
Banned former captain Shoaib Malik was seen as a "negative character and a bad influence" on the Pakistan cricket team by senior players like Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf, the leaked video of a PCB inquiry committee's proceedings has revealed.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) put an end to the international careers of former captains Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan besides imposing a one-year ban on Shoaib Malik in the wake of the team's disastrous tour of Australia.
Babar Azam scored an impressive hundred while Shoaib Malik smashed a quickfire half century to help Pakistan thump Sri Lanka by 83 runs in the first one-day international in Dubai on Friday.
The bond between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Karachi-born Mohammad Bashir aka 'Chacha Chicago' blossomed during the 2011 World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan and has only grown stronger since then. Such is the attachment that Bashir has flown to Manchester from Chicago (approximately 6000 kms) for Sunday's high-octane Indo-Pak contest without a match ticket.
Disappointed at being ignored from the list of probables for the Asia Cup and the subsequent tour of England, out-of-favour Pakistan all-rounder Rana Naved has questioned the selectors decision to include other banned players Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik in the 35-man chart.
Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, who recently married Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, has filed his appeal against a 12-month ban and a Rs two million fine imposed on him by the PCB for indiscipline.
Pakistan all rounders Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik underwent regular dope tests in Johannesburg.
India launched their campaign in the Champions Trophy with a resounding 124-run victory over Pakistan, in Birmingham on Sunday, extending their dominance over the arch-rivals in major International Cricket Council tournaments.
The infected players will go into self-isolation.
Pakistan selectors recalled senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf on Monday for the Test tour of Sri Lanka but ignored fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. Yousuf, 33, was named in a 15-member squad after the prolific batsman, who shocked Pakistan cricket circles by joining the Indian Cricket League last year, quit the unofficial competition to take advantage of a player amnesty scheme.
Controversial Pakistani pace duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif will be under the spotlight in the Asia Cup starting Tuesday in Sri Lanka after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has decided to conduct random dope tests during the four-nation tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board will announce the squads for next month's Asia Cup and the tour of England on May 22 and opener Salman Butt is likely to get the Test captaincy.
India skipper Virat Kohli should avoid making any changes to the team for the Champions Trophy summit clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, believes former captain Rahul Dravid.
His 126-ball 128 set the stage for Pakistan's comprehensive victory over India in the Champions Trophy match on Saturday, but Shoaib Malik feels the scenario could have been different had Mahendra Singh Dhoni introduced Harbhajan Singh early into the attack.
Shoaib Malik smashed a scintillating century to set up Pakistan's 55-run victory against India in the Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy, in Centurion, on Saturday. After a slow start, Malik changed gears in style, smashing 128, hitting a total of 16 boundaries in his 126-ball knock.
Pakistan's stand-in captain Mohammad Hafeez hit a fighting fifty to set up a comprehensive six-wicket victory against Australia in the second one-day international on Sunday that levelled the five-match series.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat against India in their Asia Cup ODI.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's out-of-the-box thinking has earned him another admirer in banned batsman Mohammad Yousuf who feels Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik lacks the leadership qualities of the Indian skipper.
The Pakistan Cricket Board named former Test pacer Saleem Jaffer chairman of selectors, while Yawar Saeed was named manager of the Pakistan team, and Sultan Rana will accompany the team as manager to the Hong Kong Super Sixes tournament.
KL Rahul leads a pack of India players who have shot up the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings after the visitors stormed to a 5-0 series win in New Zealand. Rahul's series topping aggregate of 224 runs has lifted him four places to a career best-equaling second place.
A look at the 10 cricketers who were punished for drug related offences.
Discarded Pakistan left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir says he regrets not getting the opportunity to play in the Indian Premier League after its opening season, as it is 'realistically the top T20 league in the world'.
Pakistani batsman Shoaib Malik has attributed his match-winning innings against India in Centurion to the fact that he always tries to give his best against arch-rival India.
The charge of graft was brought up against Sayeed, by a sitting legislator, Shoaib Lone, on Friday last on the floor of the assembly, presently in session in winter capital Jammu.
Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf believes Shoaib Malik does not deserve to be the national captain and said his appointment was an injustice.
The PCB banned Shehzad for violating anti-doping regulations after he tested positive for a prohibited substance in May and his suspension was scheduled to end on November 10.
Pakistan bowling came to the fore after Mohammad Hafeez's unbeaten fifty as they defeated World T20 defending champions Sri Lanka by 15 runs in their warmup match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday. Hafeez struck an unbeaten 70 from 49 balls to help Pakistan post 157/5 before they restricted Sri Lanka for 142/9 in front of a cheering crowd of more than 10,000. Sri Lanka were wayward with their bowling especially in the death overs and bowled eight wide balls, including five from Dushmantha Chamara, further helping Pakistan's cause.
Vanquished Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist on Thursday night criticised the Delhi Daredevils for their pacer Mohammad Asif's off-and-on presence on the field during the IPL match even though his opposite number Virender Sehwag pooh-poohed the allegation. Gilchrist said it baffled him to see Asif bowling two overs and then going out before returning again to bowl his final two overs.
Images from Wednesday's World Cup mach between Australia and Pakistan, at The County Ground, in Taunton.
