Akhtar saw it coming having seen the division in the Indian dressing room during the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan's claim comes in the wake of tense relations between the two countries in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack.
Talking of his role as Australia's interim coach, McDonald said he has yet to hold formal discussions with governing body Cricket Australia about the possibility of taking up the full-time role following the exit of Justin Langer.
Despite persisting questions among peer officers in the army about his professional competence and ethics, after his recent 'triumphal' Kabul sojourn, Faiz Hameed remains the hot favourite of both General Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran Khan, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing.
There were reports of lobbying within the Pakistan army for the ISI DG's post, which falls vacant in June, reveals Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
Quinton de Kock blamed poor shot selection and some anxious cricket in their first innings
Newly-elected Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja on Monday said resumption of bilateral assignments with India is "impossible right now" and he is "not in a hurry" for it either as his focus is solely on his country's domestic circuit at this point.
Pakistan's first home Test in a decade was affected by bad weather on Friday
The South African team is scheduled to play two Tests and three T20 matches in Lahore.
South Africa will be led by captain Quinton de Kock as they come off a 2-0 home series win over Sri Lanka that concluded on Tuesday.
Akhtar then cited how debutantes Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill delivered under pressure.
Pakistan set South Africa a daunting target of 370 to win the second and final Test in Rawalpindi
Pakistan on Sunday ordered a judicial probe into sectarian clashes in Rawalpindi that killed at least 10 people as authorities imposed curfew for the second day, turning the garrison city into a ghost town.
A historic Hindu temple in Pakistan's garrison city of Rawalpindi is facing demolition to make way for barracks for soldiers, outraging the minority community in the country.
Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis have stepped down from their respective roles, the country's cricket board (PCB) said on Monday.
Pakistan completed a crushing innings and 44-run victory over Bangladesh on the fourth morning on Monday
South Africa will tour Pakistan next month for the first time in 13 years to play two Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals.
Pakistan will have Babar back after he missed recent Tests in New Zealand with a fractured thumb.
After a decade spent trying to woo back cricket's international elite, Pakistan is facing the prospect of being declared the game's no-go area again, and the anger is palpable.
New Zealand abandoned their limited-overs series in Pakistan on Friday after receiving a security alert, with the tourists "unilaterally suspending" all their scheduled matches.
Pakistani Taliban has warned that the next few days and weeks would be "disastrous" for the country as the banned outfit vowed to "teach" the government and its security agencies a lesson over the killing of its leader Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike.
Pakistan Peoples Party chief Bhutto, 54, was killed in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi shortly after she had addressed an election rally on December 27, 2007.
At least 10 people, including five soldiers, were killed on Monday in a Taliban suicide attack at a market close to Pakistan's military headquarters in Rawalpindi, a day after one of the deadliest attacks on security forces killed 20 troops.
Shoaib Akhtar also urged everyone to follow the necessary precautions and requested not to share any jokes on coronavirus.
Heavy rain and bad light hit the second day of the historic Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Thursday, Pakistan's first home Test since a deadly attack in 2009.
Pakistan have been let down by the "Western bloc" and the back-to-back pullouts by New Zealand and England could have a "domino effect" for cricket in the South Asian country, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja said.
Prolific Pakistan batsman Babar Azam wants to achieve the "legend" status that Virat Kohli has acquired but concedes that despite the oft-repeated comparisons, he is still some time away from getting anywhere close to the Indian captain. The 24-year-old, who is a self-confessed fan of Kohli, spoke about his aspiration to emulate the World's No.1 Test and ODI batsman.
Rajneesh Gupta highlights important numbers featuring the South African team from the World Cups.
For two decades the US paid in blood and blood money for dependence on Pakistan to carry out one president's boast. Now, having been defeated by its proxies, another president will go into Rawalpindi's embrace to satisfy his constituents, predicts Shekhar Gupta.
'Rawalpindi must downsize its quest for 'strategic depth' in Afghanistan and Kashmir,' suggests Matein Khalid.
Bhutto, the Pakistan Peoples Party chief and a two-time prime minister, was killed along with more than 20 people in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007. She was 54.
Rajput believes that makes now the right time to bring young players into his aging squad.
Imran Nazir was more talented than Virender Sehwag but didn't have his brain and was also let down by the country's cricket administration. Shoaib Akhtar believes Pakistan, in general, did not take good care of the talent it had.
Mobile phone services were suspended in the Pakistani capital and nearby Rawalpindi for the second day on Thursday as part of extraordinary security measures put in place to ensure an incident-free visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
Pakistan players did not find any spot in ICC Team of the Decade across all formats
Cut off from the world and having to contend with an orthodox and repressive Taliban government, Afghans are facing the brunt of Pakistan's decades old policy of nurturing militant groups, note Harsh V Pant and Kriti M Shah four months after the Taliban took Kabul.
Legal experts said fresh proceedings would have to begin in the court in Islamabad and the judge would take some time to acquaint himself with the details of the case.
The Taliban is showing its strong discontent as the high hopes given to it by the Pakistani military have been dashed, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Listing Masood Azhar as a 'global terrorist' was done with Islamabad and Imran Khan's concurrence.' 'It was not prompted by the so-called 'Wuhan spirit'.' 'The relationship between the two 'iron brothers' has not been dented,' points out former RA&W officer and China expert Jayadeva Ranade.
'The ISI wanted to create internal disruption in the Valley by the killing of the security forces.'
