Meanwhile, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav were placed third and seventh respectively.
'Prayers for the entire family. We battle on the field. Off the field we are just regular humans.'
Following Pakistan's defeat to India in a T20 World Cup match, former players are calling for significant changes in the team, including the removal of Babar Azam and other senior players.
Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez revealed that Shaheen Shah Afridi approached him with a request to take a break from the recently-concluded third and final Test against Australia.
Pakistan pacer Zaman Khan comes under scrutiny over his bowling action in BBL
With the 2026 T20 World Cup fast approaching, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opted for a bold shake-up, dropping marquee players such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi from the T20I squad for the Sri Lanka series.
The knee injury ruled him out of the second Test against Sri Lanka and subsequent ODI series in Netherlands as well as the ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE.
Pakistan's cricket fraternity expresses disappointment over the national team's performance in the T20 World Cup, with former players calling for radical decisions and criticizing player selection and performance.
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced that Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead Pakistan in the three-match ODI series against South Africa in Faisalabad from November 4-8.
Shaheen Afridi brushes aside rumours of discontent within Pakistan team
Pakistan is expected to field four specialist bowlers, including two spinners and two pacers, in their crucial T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo.
Afridi's selection means that the team management has opted to play two left-arm spinners in the second Test as he will pair with Noman Ali, who is already established and also picked up a 10-wicket haul in Pakistan's 94-run win in the first game in Lahore.
Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf denied any groupings in the dressing room.
The board said that while Shaheen has been ruled out of the T20 Asia Cup and the seven-match T20 home series against England, he is expected to return to competitive cricket in October with the New Zealand tri-series, which will be followed by the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
Pakistan's premier quick Shaheen Shah Afridi blanked out, leading to a hilarious moment after he briefly forgot Bangladesh's famous cricketing nickname, the Tigers
'The real problem for Shaheen Afridi is the pressure of being the spearhead of this Pakistan attack and without much real support at the other end when it comes to pace, genuine pace.'
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Rizwan has declined to sign the new central contracts offered to the national players after being placed in category B.
Shaheen Shah Afridi steered clear of giving a direct response to Suryakumar Yadav's view that Indo-Pak games should not be considered a rivalry.
A recent policy decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to demand a $25,000 fee for players' No Objection Certificates (NOCs) left Haris Rauf -- signed by the San Francisco Unicorns -- as the country's sole representative in the USA's Major League Cricket (MLC) this year.
Afridi stated that the team is looking to spoil Warner's farewell series
Seniors Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are set to make a comeback to Pakistan's ODI team for the tour of South Africa.
Mushfiqur Rahim struck a record-breaking century as Bangladesh tightened their grip on the second Test against Pakistan in Sylhet on Monday by setting the hosts a huge target of 437 runs. Pakistan's bowling coach Umar Gul remains confident that his team can chase down the target.
Shaheen Shah Afridi ripped apart India's batting line-up as he took 4/35 to bowl them out for 266 in 48.5 overs
Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah will stay with the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi despite an attack on his residence in Lower Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
However, it is his superb deliveries to Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul that are being talked about after Pakistan's victory and he was deservingly awarded the Player of the Match.
Babar Azam provided 73 in 95 deliveries with the visitors profiting from some sloppy South African fielding as they dropped numerous catches and were not accurate enough with the ball.
Pakistan, after a defeat against India, face Namibia in a must-win match to qualify for the Super 8s. Their fragile batting and Shaheen Afridi's form are key concerns, while Namibia aims to play spoiler.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has indicated that a decision on Shaheen Shah Afridi's future as captain of the T20 team will be taken after the upcoming national camp in Kakul.
Head coach Jason Gillispie said Shaheen Afridi understands the "situation" and the break will give him quality time with his family.
Arafat Minhas delivered a match-winning all-round performance with a brisk 59 and six wickets as Pakistan defeated England by 87 runs in the Tri-Series clash.
Playing in just his second BBL match, Jerrssis Wadia made an instant impact in the Australian Big Bash League, delivering a thrilling cameo for the Adelaide Strikers.
Pakistan made short work of an inexperienced UAE batting unit by winning their last group league game by 41 runs in Dubai on Wednesday.
Shaheen Shah Afridi returned with a four-wicket haul, but picked Rohit Sharma's wicket as his prized scalp.
Jasprit Bumrah is also only the second Indian to reach the landmark of 100 wickets in T20Is.
Pakistan cricketers may be overlooked by IPL-linked franchises in The Hundred auction, a report claims, raising fresh questions over fairness and politics in global T20 leagues.
Pakistan have dropped plans to conduct "major surgery" on the national team as it included senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the Test squad for the two-match series against Bangladesh.
'I had planned to dismiss Virat but he is the NO 1 player. There is no difference in the batting of Babar and Virat.'
It is often speculated that the Pakistan team has two factions -- one supporting Skipper Babar Azam, while the other group is loyal to fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Pakistan beat Bangladesh, set up first ever Asia Cup final date against India
A look at five possible mouth-watering match-ups in the upcoming India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup in Colombo on Sunday.
