Kamran Akmal, the leading run scorer in the Pakistan Super League, is left out of the 15-strong squad after scoring just 68 runs in three ODIs against the West Indies earlier this month.
The selectors have also put Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz on standby to cover for any player who fails pre-tour COVID-19 Testing scheduled later this month.
Rajput believes that makes now the right time to bring young players into his aging squad.
Captain Aaron Finch scored a century as Australia beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the opening One-Day International between the countries at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. Chasing 281 to win, the tourists reached their target with an over to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, with Finch making 116 and Shaun Marsh unbeaten on 91.
Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, announcing the World Cup squad and two reserve players, said the 11 from the 2017 Champions Trophy had been retained in the selection process.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, eminent personalities, politicians described Lata Mangeshkar as the "nightingale of the subcontinent"
Pakistan recovered from a dreadful start, thanks to a century by Sarfraz Ahmed, to post a respectable total of 251 before Root and captain Eoin Morgan shared a third-wicket stand of 112 to lay the platform for the hosts to go 2-0 up in the series.
Umar Akmal has been dropped from the Pakistan Twenty20 squad to face England as he is under investigation for bringing the sport into disrepute in an off-field incident, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reported on Thursday.
Pakistan routed England by nine wickets in the one-off Twenty20 international in Manchester on Wednesday to end their tour on a high.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has prepared a counter in case the Board of Control for Cricket in India decides to boycott the June 16 World Cup game in Manchester in the wake of Pulwama terror attack.
Pacer Shami Ahmed attributed his success to the tips he received from former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram and India opener Gautam Gambhir.
Pakistan fans pick 1999 Chennai Test win against India as greatest of their national team
Babar Azam scored an impressive hundred while Shoaib Malik smashed a quickfire half century to help Pakistan thump Sri Lanka by 83 runs in the first one-day international in Dubai on Friday.
Skipper Kane Williamson and fellow opener Martin Guptill forged the highest partnership in Twenty20 Internationals to secure New Zealand a series-levelling 10-wicket victory against Pakistan in the second match in Hamilton on Sunday.
Pakistan's Test stalwart Younis Khan, who led the national team to its only World T20 title in 2009, remained unsold while captain Misbah-ul Haq was snapped up by the Islamabad franchise on the first day of the Players' Draft for the Pakistan Super League, on Monday.
Yasir Shah promoted, Shoaib Malik retained in top category
Pacer Mohammad Amir claimed a wicket on his return to international cricket following a five-year ban as Pakistan registered a 16-run victory over New Zealand in the first Twenty20 International in Auckland on Friday.
The Asia Cup to be played in Bangladesh from February 24, will be played in the T20 format for the first time in the tournament's history. The tournament which precedes the vital World T20 to be held in in India in March, has a rich history with India and Sri Lanka winning it five times each. Pakistan have been victorious on two occasions while Bangladesh's best finish has been their runner-up performance in the 2012 edition. Team India will be led by MS Dhoni and the tournament will also see Virat Kohli returning after taking a break from the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Dhoni will be chasing history to become the most successful skipper in the tournament history. The Indian skipper and former Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga have both recorded same number of nine victories and four defeats in the Asia Cup All the matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur. The qualifying rounds involving Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Oman has begun from Friday.
Sri Lanka salvaged some pride after battering Pakistan by 165 runs in the fifth and final One-dayer at Hambantota on Sunday.
The PCB banned Shehzad for violating anti-doping regulations after he tested positive for a prohibited substance in May and his suspension was scheduled to end on November 10.
Pakistan will meet Group A toppers England in the first semi-final on Wednesday at the same venue.
The Bethel Memorial Church has been the target of a terrorist attack in the past.
However the final decision to shift the tournament will be Asian Cricket Council's prerogative.
Akram slams PCB for calling back Sarfaraz from South Africa
The road to the knockout stage for Sarfaraz Ahmed and his men is just an improbable mathematical calculation and that too provided Pakistan win the toss and bat first.
He idolises Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a cricketer and Pakistani wicketkeeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed on Sunday said he would love to play the role of a finisher like the celebrated Indian skipper. "I follow him a lot. The way he's making a difference with wicket-keeping and batting, I try to learn a lot from him. He's a very good cricketer for India, and I idolise him. Hope I too will be able to finish the match like him," Sarfraz said in an Open Media Session. Having impressed both with the bat and as a wicketkeeper, Sarfraz wants to be an utility player like the star Indian skipper. "It's great to be here. About my batting order, I play according to my team's need, be it up or lower down the order. I've been doing well," said the Pakistani U-19 World Cup winning skipper. However, Sarfraz rued their forgettable outing at Asia Cup but said they've plugged the loopholes and hoped to make an impact in the World Twenty20. "The condition was difficult in Bangladesh. Every team faced the situation in initial six overs. We have sorted this out. The condition will be similar to Pakistan here. Hope we will do well here," he said.
Mumbai's break dancers pin their hopes on their passion to dance to get out of city's ghettos.
Arthur suggested to the members that Shahdab Khan should replace Sarfaraz as captain in the limited-over formats while Babar Azam should be given the reins of the Test side.
Both the teams lost their opening matches but bounced back into reckoning after producing two of the tournament's biggest upsets so far.
Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum asked how the former Pakistan leg spinner was appointed assistant coach since he was blacklisted after the match-fixing scandal.
Hailing the arrest of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal as a big success for intelligence agencies, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil on Thursday said a state Anti-Terrorism Squsad team would soon leave to interrogate him and seek his custody.
Munaf Patel joins Kandy Tuskers in LPL; Sarfaraz pulls out, Malinga unsure
A couple of losses for hosts England has only brightened the 1992 winners' prospects of a semi-final berth.
The former Pakistan captain slammed cricket's ruling body for questioning the actions of his compatriots Shabbir Ahmed and Shoaib Malik.
Pakistan will not only have to win the remaining three matches, starting with New Zealand, but also hope that the results in other matches favour them to salvage any hopes of a semi-final berth.
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who played a brilliant cameo of 20 runs off just six balls against Pakistan in their Champions Trophy encounter on Sunday, has admitted he was under pressure in the much anticipated, high octane clash against the arch-rivals.
former cricketers paid homage to the spin legend, who died on Friday after suffering a cardiac arrest in Lahore.
With both teams virtually out of the semi-final race, South Africa and Pakistan will be battling it out for a consolation win in their World Cup match at Lord's.
A fit-again Muhammad Irfan returned to the Pakistan cricket squad announced on Friday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances