Zafar Gohar and Amad Butt put on 63 runs for the unfinished eighth wicket as Pakistan defeated England by three wickets in a low-scoring but nerve-racking thriller to reach its fifth ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup final, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, on Monday.
England were forced to make a change to their original playing XI after several of their players were laid low by a virus that also threatened to delay the start of the match.
The central contracts stand-off between Pakistan Cricket Board and top national players ended on Wednesday.
Harry Brook became only the sixth England batter to hit a triple century in Tests as the visitors piled on the runs on Day 4 of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan on Thursday.
Pakistan does not have any injury concerns but they are one of the most undercooked ODI sides at the moment. Since the 2019 World Cup, the 'Green Brigade' has played just 29 ODIs, whereas India have played 57 matches in the same period. - Asia Cup 2023
India steamrollered Pakistan by seven wickets in a lopsided blockbuster match at a heaving Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday to maintain their unblemished 50-overs World Cup record against their arch-rivals.
England were 7-1 at stumps with Ben Duckett (4) and Ollie Pope (3) batting together
Having taken a 78-run lead in the runfest, England declared their second innings on 264-7 to set Pakistan an improbable victory target of 343 with four sessions to go.
James Anderson nearly got Abdullah caught behind on 64 but replays confirmed the ball had touched the ground before nestling in the glove of a diving Ollie Pope.
Pakistan expected to give all in must-win World Cup clash against Bangladesh
India spinner Kuldeep Yadav believes that he was able to create confusion in the minds of Pakistan's batters because they went for high-risk sweep shots despite failing to read his hand during the marquee World Cup clash in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Pat Cummins took 10 wickets to lead Australia to Pakistan series triumph
An injury-hit Pakistan will have the tough task of taming a high-spirited Sri Lanka when they lock horns in a virtual semi-final match in the Asia Cup 2023 match on Thursday.
England cemented their position by finishing day two on 202-5 riding fifties by Ben Duckett and Harry Brook.
Abrar Ahmed made a stunning Test debut claiming seven for 114 to bowl out England for 281
Pakistan would be desperate to plug the gaping holes and hope their star players regain form when they open their World Cup campaign against a free spirited Netherlands in Hyderabad on Friday.
Custodian of cricket laws, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), will play one 50-over game and three T20 matches during their upcoming tour of Pakistan, beginning on Thursday. MCC president Kumar Sangakkara will captain a 12-member squad for the tour, which includes the likes of Ravi Bopara, Roelof van der Merwe and Ross Whiteley.
England will hope that the likes of Joe Root, Harry brook and skipper Jos Buttler also get some runs and end their a disastrous World Cup campaign on a high.
Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur feels the "boys" of 2019 batch have become grown up men four years later and promised an aggressive brand of cricket from them over the course of the ODI World Cup.
Images from the ICC Men's ODI World Cup match between England and Pakistan at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
India's batters will have to counter a potent Pakistan bowling attack that can make an impact irrespective of the nature of the pitch.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of World Cup 2023 after the first 12 games.
IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match played between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Chennai on Monday.
IMAGEs from the World Cup match between Pakistan and New Zealand played at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday
IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match played between Australia and Pakistan in Bengaluru, on Friday.
England's makeshift one-day international team put the COVID-19 issues that hit the previous squad behind them to bowl out Pakistan for 141 runs before cruising to a clinical nine-wicket win in the series opener in Cardiff on Thursday.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah marks his return to the national men's team as Pakistan on Wednesday announced an 18-member squad for next month's two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
Three-time former champion and last tournament's losing finalist Australia and dark horse Afghanistan progressed from Group B to the next round of the ICC U19 World Cup on the final day of the first round matches on Wednesday.
Sarfaraz Khan's superb all-round showing and a five-wicket haul from Deepak Hooda helped India outclassed Pakistan by 40 runs in the Group A match of the ICC Under-World Cup in Dubai.
