Pakistan booked their place in the Super Eight stage of the World Twenty20 tournament, thrashing the Netherlands by 82 runs in a must-win Group B match for both teams at Lord's on Tuesday. Riding on Shahid Afridi's haul of four wickets for 11 runs and Saeed Ajmal's three for 20, Pakistan, who needed win the match by a margin of 25 runs to qualify, dismissed the Dutch for a paltry 93 in 17.3 overs.
'I was confident pre-tournament itself that he would deliver when needed.'
India captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday urged his side to keep their focus on "things we can control" ahead of the mega World Cup clash against arch-rival Pakistan, having completed a dominating eight-wicket win over Afghanistan in New Delhi.
Pakistan find their tournament in tatters
Pakistan defeated England by eight runs in the first of three T20 Internationals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Chasing a modest target of 145, the visitors managed only 136 for six. Umar Gul was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with figures of three for 18.
England's opening batsmen safely negotiated the final hour's play to close the third day of the third Test with Pakistan on 36 without loss, chasing 324 to win, after Azhar Ali's mammoth innings of 157 put the hosts in a dominant position in Dubai.
The wickets proved to be mere consolation for Pakistan as Salt continued his onslaught and struck the winning runs in the 15th over, ending with 13 fours and three sixes in his 41-ball knock.
Pakistan scored 64 for no loss at tea after bowling Australia out for just 88 on day one of the second Test at Headingley on Wednesday, in a game they must win to draw the series.
Australia set Pakistan a world record 440 to win the first Test at Lord's after they were dismissed for 334 in their second innings on the third day on Thursday.
They beat Zimbabwe by 68 runs in the opening match at Sharjah.
Just when things looked to go well for Pakistan, Shadab dropped Bhanuka Rajapaksa at long on off Haris.
Sri Lanka were 183 for three at the close on the fourth day of the third and final Test against Pakistan needing another 309 runs for victory.
Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis snared nine wickets between them
Pakistan recovered from a terrible start to their day to complete a spirited victory in the fourth One-day International against England at Lord's on Monday.
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.
Dashing opener Shafali Verma smashed 81 off 48 to power India to 178 for 3.
Pakistan took command of the second Test against Australia on Monday, amassing a lead of 204 runs by close on the second day at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Replying to Australia's paltry first innings toal of 127, the tourists, who resumed the day on 14 without loss, were 331 for 9 when stumps were drawn for the day.
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.
Runaway Rohit roars back into form ahead of semis
They made 286 in their allotted 50 overs and later bundled out the Kenyans for 143 in 31.4 overs.
Pakistan completed a second Twenty20 victory over World Cup finalists Australia in as many days at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Tuesday. The Pakistanis, beaten by Australia in the World Cup semi-finals in the Caribbean this year, won by 11 runs after their 23-run win on Monday to clinch the two-match series.
Images from the Asia Cup final match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, being played in Mirpur
Pakistan regained the Asia Cup title after a gap of 12 years as they pulled off a nail-biting two run victory against Bangladesh who came agonisingly close to a historic triumph but ran out of steam in the dying moments to go past the target in Mirpur.
Daniel Vettori led from the front with both and ball and Grant Elliott sparkled with a gritty innings of 75 to help New Zealand outclass Pakistan by five wickets to enter the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Johannesburg, on Saturday. Chasing 234 for victory, New Zealand kept losing wickets at regular intervals before the 104-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Elliott and Vettori, who made a quick 41 from 42 deliveries, sealed the deal in their favour.
Pakistan scrambled the 40 runs they required to beat Australia by three wickets in the second Test at Headingley on Saturday to level the series at 1-1.
'It was about being clear with our plans and executing our processes rather than thinking about who we are facing and what the result would be. I'm glad that first spell worked for me," he added about his effort last night.'
It was the highest run chase in men's T20 cricket without losing a wicket.
Pakistan posted 347 for 5 and then restricted the visitors to 243 for 7 in 50 overs.
Pakistan looked in the hunt before being all out for 328 in the second session on day four of the contest.
England clinched the series 4-3 in a major boost ahead of the World Cup.
Both the spinners shared six wickets between them in England's first innings which ended at 219 in 70.3 overs. The duo bowled just 21.3 overs in the first innings.
'We played since childhood in U-15, U-17. It felt like we carried on from where we left off.'
Pakistan recalled left-handed opener Salman Butt in place of Imran Nazir while India picked in-form Gautam Gambhir ahead of the experienced Virender Sehwag.
Pakistan take a 3-2 lead in the seven-match series.
Pakistan produced a clinical display to beat Sri Lanka by six wickets and storm into the final of the Asia Cup. Their second successive victory put them in the final of the tournament for the first time in 12 years.
Light rain delayed the start of the tri-series final between India and Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.
England opener Alastair Cook ended a dismal run of form with an untypically aggressive 110, but England were 221 for 9, 146 runs ahead, in their second innings when bad light stopped play on the third day of the third Test against Pakistan.
Aaron Jones was at a loss for words after starring in the USA's seven-wicket demolition of Canada in the T20 World Cup opener, in which the New Yorker introduced himself to cricket's elites with a 40-ball 94.
India's senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar believes having a solid game plan against each of the opposition player is as important as executing "your skills on the field".
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