Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar feels that the result of the Champions Trophy clash between arch rivals India and Pakistan would depend on the performance of senior players like Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Yousuf.
'It was a great fightback from India. The way Kuldeep played, it was massive. Look at Jasprit Bumrah, look at the fight while defending a small total.'
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday announced a five-year ban on temperamental fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for repeated violations of discipline.
The players face a ban of one to two years under WADA regulations.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt dismissed reports that he had ruled out the possibility of Shoaib Akhtar's return to the national team and said that the injury-plagued pacer will have to prove his worth in domestic tournaments to be considered for a place.
The Shaukat Khanum Hospital blamed Shoaib's brother, who said he released the report to the media to prove his brother is "completely committed" to the Pakistan team.
The two Pakistan players, who tested positive for performance-enhancing steroids, gave up their right to call for testing of 'B' samples while appearing before a drugs inquiry tribunal.
The Pakistan pace ace, who is playing for Durham, said he still has pain in his side muscles due to the rib cage stress.
Controversial Pakistani pace duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif will be under the spotlight in the Asia Cup starting Tuesday in Sri Lanka after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has decided to conduct random dope tests during the four-nation tournament.
Akhtar then cited how debutantes Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill delivered under pressure.
Pakistan beat England by nine wickets in the deciding third Test to win the series 2-1 in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
Shoaib Akhtar may have been cleared to play in the Indian Premier League but former players say the maverick pacer will find it tough to make an impact in the twenty20 league as months of absence from the cricket field has robbed him of match fitness.
Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan and discarded pacer Shoaib Akhtar feel the body language of the Indian cricket team at the ongoing T20 World Cup is not positive, which indicate there are problems within the side.
Akhtar said that India don't need to be scared as they can beat England on fair pitches.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has advised suspended off-spinner Saeed Ajmal to take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
Akhtar also lamented that no Pakistani pacer has sought his advice while Indians like Shami has been keeping in touch with him regarding fast bowling.
'I would keep forcing him to play the drive shot at my pace'
A serious remark made by Shoaib Akthar questioning Jofra Archer's sportsmanship over the bouncer incident in the second Ashes Test was met with a hilarious tweet by former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh on Monday.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar on Monday claimed that match-fixing was at its peak in 1996 and said the environment in the dressing room was far from conducive.
'There is a rise after every fall and it might help India in the World Cup.'
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mulling over approaching former speedster Shoaib Akhtar for the bowling consultant role as it continues its search for big names to mentor cricketers at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Akhtar's name has come into consideration because of the unavailability of former pacer Aqib Javed, whose name was earlier finalized for the role.
Vettori said the BCCI should quickly step in and manage Malik's workload to safeguard his unique talent.
A look at some of India's best victories over Pakistan in ICC tournaments.
The 'Rawalpindi Express', considered the fastest bowler in history said he does not understand why the civilian sector cannot work in collaboration with the Armed forces.
Former Pakistani Test bowler Shoaib Akhtar has slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for their `mild rap on the wrist` to South African batsman Faf du Plessis over the ball tampering controversy, saying that the ICC 'doesn't have any guts' to show justice.
Jamie Smith smashed a counter-attacking 89 before England's bowlers made early inroads into the Pakistan line-up to drag the touring side back into the deciding third and final Test.
Former captain Wasim Akram led Pakistan's cricket community in lambasting the team for "going down without a fight" against arch-rivals India.
Pakistan pace greats including Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar slammed Mohammad Amir's decision to retire from Test cricket at the age of 27.
Pakistan's controversial former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar wants the PCB to appoint Australia's Tom Moody as the coach of the national team, which has faced a torrid time in the ICC Champions Trophy, failing to win a single match in three appearances.
Captain Shan Masood smashed 153 and forged a 253-run partnership with fellow centurion Abdullah Shafique as Pakistan dominated Day 1 of the first Test against England on Monday.
'Pakistan was that one team against which I always loved hitting boundaries, especially against Shoaib Akhtar.'
After criticising Misbah-ul-haq severely in the recent past, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar took a U-turn.
Former Pakistan cricketers and the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Mohsin Naqvi came down heavily on the team management and the players, after their six-run loss to India on Sunday.
'You can't control the emotions of the crowd and such incidents happened in the world of cricket.'
Shoaib Akhtar has requested Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar to hold the All-Stars Cricket event in Pakistan as well.
Saud Shakeel's crafty 134 fetched Pakistan a handy first-innings lead before their spinners blew away England's top order to boost their hopes of a memorable series victory on day two of the deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Shoaib Akhtar said the ICC cannot implement the idea without the nod of world's richest cricket board, the BCCI.
The stylish middle order batsman is now gunning for Shoaib Akhtar and company during the upcoming tour to Pakistan.
The PCB CEO accused the ICC of adopting double standards in interpretation of rules.\n\n