Experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal's scathing attack on the Pakistan team management could hurt his chances of making a comeback to international cricket.
Umar Gul emerged the unlikely batting hero as Pakistan came back from the dead to pull off a nerve-wracking two-wicket victory over South Africa in their opening Super Eights match of the ICC World Twenty20 in Colombo on Friday. Chasing a target of 134, on a difficult Premadasa strip, Gul produced a blistering 17-ball 32 while Umar Akmal scored an unbeaten 43 to guide the team to a thrilling victory with two balls to spare.
Contrasting half-centuries from Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal secured a three-wicket victory for Pakistan over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final One-day International in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Pakistan avenged their heart-breaking defeat in this year's World Twenty20 semi-final to beat Australia by 23 runs in the first T20 international in Birmingham on Monday.
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal will miss the first Twenty20 against New Zealand on January 15 after being slapped with a one-match ban for violating the ICC's dress code during a domestic game.
Images from the Asia Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is to seek an explanation from wicketkeeper Umar Akmal after he said in a television interview that he had been approached to fix matches.
Pakistan chief selector and interim coach Mohsin Hasan Khan, on Sunday, defended the axing of young batsman Umar Akmal from the Test squad, saying the youngster need to back to domestic cricket and learn playing big innings.
Pakistan recalled fast bowler Wahab Riaz and middle-order batsman Umar Akmal, but dropped experienced all-rounder Shoaib Malik for next month's three-Test series against England, in the UAE.
Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, who too were found guilty of spot-fixing like Kaneria, have been allowed back into the PCB fold.
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Umar Akmal played a stunning cameo of 18-ball unbeaten 38 as Lahore Lions beat defending champions Mumbai Indians by six wickets in their opening qualifying round match of the Champions League Twenty20 in Raipur on Saturday.
Talented wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal notched up a breezy century under pressure before the bowlers came to the party and guided Pakistan to a bonus-point 72-run victory over Afghanistan in the Asia Cup.
Former chief coach, Waqar Younis has urged the cricket authorities to drop Umar Akmal from the Pakistan team and blamed Shahid Afridi for the side's run of T20 defeats against England, New Zealand and in the Asia Cup and World T20.
Flamboyant allrounder and former captain, Shahid Afridi believes that Pakistan cricket think-tank has erred by having too many expectations from out of favor batsmen, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. "I don't know but it was wrong to expect them to be like Virat Kohli or Ab de Villiers and perform like them," Afridi said on Geo News channel on Monday. Shehzad and Umar considered to be two of the country's best young batting talent have been axed for the tour to England on disciplinary grounds and were not called for the training and skills camps set up by the cricket board. PCB Chairman, Shaharyar Khan made it clear that it was the decision of the new selection committee to sideline the two youngsters. Afridi said there was no doubt that Shehzad and Umar needed to work hard on their cricket and approach. "I also agree there should be no compromise on discipline. But I think it is best if we stop expecting too much from them and just let them be and let them play the way they do. With more experience I am sure they will be much better," he added.
Banned former captains Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and Shoaib Malik, as well as maverick pacer Shoaib Akhtar, were dropped from the list of players awarded central contracts by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The PCB, however, gave central contracts to Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal, who were fined after a probe into Pakistan's disastrous tour of Australia in January-February.
Fast bowler Sohail Khan earned a surprise recall while Pakistan selectors ignored senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal in their final 15-member squad for the World Cup.
Former ESPN Star Sports MD Sawhney has already been working alongside outgoing Chief Executive Richardson for the last six weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
Pakistan survived a top-order collapse before completing a seven-wicket win over United Arab Emirates in their second round robin league match of the Asia Cup T20 tournament on Monday.
Suspended from international cricket for an illegal bowling action, Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal on Friday returned to the national side.
Former Pakistan cricket director Muhammad Hafeez has claimed that ex-captain, Babar Azam and foreign coaches Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn had given team fitness lowest priority in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup in India.
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal on Saturday claimed that he did not report to Pakistan Cricket Board about the spot-fixing approach made to him which led to his ban last year as he thought the information would not remain confidential.
Opening batsman Khurram Manzoor, who has not played for Pakistan's Test team for three and a half years, is back in the squad for the tour of Zimbabwe that starts this month.
Pakistan retained under-fire skipper Misbah-ul Haq and out-of-form Muhammad Hafeez, but dropped tall left-arm pacer Muhammad Irfan from the 28-man probables' list for the two-Test series against South Africa.
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has said that it was unfair to compare him with India's Virat Kohli as both batted at different positions.
Pakistan will open their innings in Sunday's World Cup match against India with Younis Khan in an attempt to accommodate leg-spinner Yasir Shah, and also include talented youngsters Umar Akmal and Sohaib Maqsood in the final eleven.
Middle-order batsman Umar Akmal hit an unbeaten 38 from 28 balls as Pakistan wrapped up the two-match Twenty20 international series against Zimbabwe with a 15-run victory at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
Former leg-spin great, Abdul Qadir has advised flamboyant Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi to say goodbye to cricket and slammed Umar Akmal, saying he lost his place in the national team because of his own mistakes. Qadir, known for his candid comments, said at a function in Lahore that Afridi had aged and was no longer fit for top level cricket. "I don't think cricket is any longer the forte of Afridi and he should say goodbye," Qadir said. He also didn't mince any words on the exclusion of batsmen Ahmed Shehzad and his son-in-law Umar Akmal from the list of probables for the tour to England. "To me Shehzad is simply more of an actor than a cricketer while Umar Akmal has lost his place in the team because of his own mistakes," he added. Umar, who is married to Qadir's daughter, has in recent months been at the centre of controversies raising questions over his commitment to the game.
Having not played since last October's semifinal match against Sri Lanka in the Twenty20 World Cup, the Mohammad Hafeez-led Pakistan side on Sunday underwent a one-hour practice session to get into the groove ahead of the first T20 match against India in Bangalore.
Pakistan off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal has alleged that ICC umpire, Steve Davis had victimized Pakistan after he ruled Umar Akmal caught behind on a referral decision during their high-octane World Cup opener against India in Adelaide.
Shocking instances of bickering and in-fighting surfaced to suggest that Pakistan's rout in New Zealand and Australia were partly because of the enemy within.
In a strange move, the Pakistan Cricket Board has allowed nine of it's top players to sign up for the Bangladesh Twenty20 premier league ahead of the all-important series against England in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Pakistan's batting finally came good as they successfully chased down a competitive total posted by Sri Lanka to win by six wickets in an inconsequential final round robin league encounter of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament in Mirpur on Friday. Batting first, Sri Lanka could manage a decent 150 for four, riding on a century opening stand between TM Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal. In reply, Pakistan produced a collective batting performance to win the match in 19.2 overs. Umar Akmal (48 off 37 balls) and veteran Shoaib Malik (13 not out) added 56 runs in 6.1 overs to take Pakistan home. Akmal's innings had four boundaries and two huge sixes. Mohammed Hafeez (14) hit three boundaries before off-spinner Shehan Jayasuriya dismissed him off a delivery that stopped as the batsman failed to check his shot. Left-hander Sharjeel Khan hit five boundaries and a six, in his 31 off 25 balls as he added 35 quick runs for the second wicket with Sarfraz Ahmed (38).
The Pakistan Cricket Board has returned the money it had deducted from the funds of four players after they were fined heavily earlier this year for indiscipline during the disastrous tour of Australia.
Mazhar Majeed, the UK based bookie who was at the centre of spot-fixing scandal three month back, claimed that four more Pakistani players were involved in fixing international matches besides the suspended trio of Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir.
Pakistan held their nerve to win a thrilling Twenty20 international against Australia off the final ball of a super over after the match finished in a tie on Friday.
South Africa skipper AB de Villiers said he made a few captaincy errors that may have helped Pakistan snatch a thrilling win from the jaws of defeat in the opening Group 2 Super Eights match of the ICC World Twenty20 in Colombo on Friday.
Buoyed by their spectacular win over Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of this season's campaign, Kolkata Knight Riders will take on spirited qualifiers Lahore Lions in their second game of the Champions League Twenty20 in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Images from the second semi-final in the WT20, between Australia and Pakistan, in St Lucia, on Friday.
Following are the statistical highlights of the World Twenty20 match between Pakistan and South Africa played on Monday.
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