New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat in the Twenty20 World Cup first semi-final in Cape Town, South Africa 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.
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
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.
Arthur described coaching the Pakistan team as a fulfilling period of his career.
Mohammad Hafeez scored an undefeated 57 to give Pakistan a lead of 174 runs at close of play on the third day of the final Test against the West Indies.
The pay hike announced by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the central contracts and match fees has not been received well by many of the leading national team players.
Pakistan players have been refused permission to play in the lucrative Bangladesh Twenty20 league by their cricket board in order to concentrate on next month's Test series against England in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Experienced Pakistan players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami received surprise call-ups to the national side for the two T20 matches against the touring Zimbabwe team after spending close to three years in the wilderness.
The 28-year-old left-arm pacer made the surprise announcement in a video interview released by Pakistani website Khel-Shel.
Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has heaped praise on Boxing Day Test centurion Azhar Ali, saying the opener is `one of the greatest batsmen` the country has ever produced. Azhar (unbeaten at 139) struck his 12th Test century and first Down Under besides sharing an unbeaten 115-run stand with Asad Shafiq (50) to guide Pakistan to 310-6 at the end of the rain-curtailed second day's play of the second match against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Tuesday.
Azhar's obdurate 193-ball stay at the crease helped his side plod slowly towards the hosts' first-innings total of 312 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown to stand 140 runs behind with seven wickets in hand at the close.
New Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has promised to do everything in his power to help disgraced paceman Mohammad Amir realise his full potential after the bowler was granted a visa for the team's upcoming tour of England. Amir will return to England six years after a spot-fixing scandal in a Lord's test resulted in bans and jail sentences for the then teenage bowler and his former team mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif. "He served his time, he's done it," Arthur, who coached Amir at Karachi Kings in Pakistan Super League (PSL), said in his first news conference since succeeding Waqar Younis in the post.
The bans imposed on three players for spot-fixing will not distract the Pakistan team during their World Cup campaign, coach Waqar Younis asserted on Monday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to take disciplinary action against the players, including indefinite ban on former captains Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, after confirming reports off internal strife in the team and after getting clearance from the Presidency, sources said on Wednesday.
Opener Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara batted superbly to make centuries on Day 2 of the 2nd Test in Nagpur on Saturday. Here are the statistical highlights from the day's play.
The infected players will go into self-isolation.
'I am happy that we are not favourites'
Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq continues to rue the fact that he hasn't been able to captain his side in a Test in Pakistan.
Controversial pacer Mohammad Asif's impressive comeback against Australia has left the Pakistan team management in a fix over the playing eleven for their semi-final clash against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy on Saturday.
In order to seal the place in the squad, the duo will have to cancel their league tours in South Africa and Bangladesh.
Pakistan's interim selection committee on Wednesday snubbed controversial speedster Shoaib Akhtar and recalled disgraced pacer Mohammad Asif to the preliminary 30-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, in South Africa later this year.
Virtually ruling out Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan's return to the side for the series against England, PCB chairman Ejaz has said that Pakistan will continue to test youngsters in future matches to build a strong team for next year's World Cup.
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.
Khurram Manzoor and Younus Khan scored half centuries as Pakistan made a strong reply to Zimbabwe's first innings total of 294 on the second day of the second Test at the Harare Sports Club, on Wednesday. At the close, Pakistan were 163 for 3, with Younus unbeaten on 52 and captain Misbah-ul-Haq on 27.
Ahmed Shehzad hit a career-best 176 while Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq struck unbeaten centuries before Pakistan declared their first innings on 566 for 3 wickets in the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has advised Shahid Afridi not to retire from Test cricket and continue to lead the side in England.
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.
Pakistan's new head coach Waqar Younis on Wednesday said that the cricket board must have valid reasons to hand indefinite ban on senior players Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan but they should be made public.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat against India in their Asia Cup ODI.
Pakistan batsmen Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad scored fluent half centuries as the first Test against Sri Lanka ended in a tame draw on the fifth day in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Pakistan named four pace bowlers in their line-up for the first Test against Sri Lanka and three youngsters who have yet to make their Test debut. Pakistan captain Younis Khan said the 12 players selected for the match, which begins on Saturday, includes opener Khurrum Manzoor and pace bowlers Sohail Khan and Mohammad Talha, untried at Test level. Manzoor and Khan have played ODIs but Talha is yet to play at any level for Pakistan.
Pakistan pace bowling legend Waqar Younis on Thursday condoled the demise of veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, saying that an era has ended with his demise. Kapoor, who had been unwell after being diagnosed with cancer and was admitted to the H N Reliance hospital, passed away on Thursday morning.
Shehzad-Ali add 120 runs for second wicket as Pakistan trail by six runs with eight wickets in hand
Pakistan crushed Bangladesh by 328 runs on Saturday to win their final Test with a day to spare.
Inzamam said it would put tremendous pressure on the remaining players who would have to make extra efforts.
Pakistan's World Cup winning captain Imran Khan took to a social networking site to console the crestfallen Pakistanis after Sunday's defeat to India in Adelaide.
Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has dismissed reports about a move by some senior players to oust him from the skipper's job.
One-Day International career statistics of Pakistan's squad for the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq fell just short of his sixth Test century but his team clung on to their slim hopes of salvaging the second Test against Sri Lanka after a stirring rearguard action in Dubai on Saturday.
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