Former South African skipper Shaun Pollock on Wednesday said if poor performance was criteria for handing out bans to Pakistani cricketers then the punishment is a "bit harsh".
Sri Lanka hit back with three Pakistan wickets in Saturday's final session, including century-maker Younus Khan, to boost their chances of drawing the series by the close on the third day of the third and final Test in neutral Sharjah.
Mike Hussey has defended Pakistani cricketers accused of throwing their Champions Trophy match against Australia, saying the allegations against Younus Khan and his men are "false" as he didn't sense anything fishy in the last-ball thriller.
Aarya 3 feels like a recycled version of the previous seasons, discovers Mayur Sanap.
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.
Surrey's plans to rope in Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla did not materialise as the Board of Control for Cricket in India refused him permission to play in the county cricket. Surrey, which signed former Pakistan captain Younus Khan on a deal that will last until mid-July, said in a statement that Chawla failed to get the BCCI's nod and hence would not join the side.
Pakistan's new head coach Waqar Younis on Wednesday said that the cricket board must have valid reasons to hand indefinite ban on senior players Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan but they should be made public.
All-rounder Shahid Afridi smashed a rapid 70 and took two wickets as Pakistan eased to a 138-run victory over New Zealand in the first One-Day International in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Pakistan clinched a second consolation victory in the fifth and final one-day international against Sri Lanka on Sunday but the hosts still won the series 3-2.
Teenager Umar Akmal smashed an unbeaten 102 off 72 balls as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the fourth one-day international by 146 runs on Friday to record their first victory on a dismal tour.
Pakistan leg spinner Danish Kaneria took five for 62 to help bowl Sri Lanka out for 233 on an action-packed second day of the third Test on Tuesday. Kaneria, playing his first game of the series, bowled superbly to give Pakistan a 66-run first-innings lead.
Pakistan reached 142 for four wickets before play was abandoned due to rain after tea on day one of the second Test against Australia in Melbourne on Monday.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan in Sydney, on Friday.
Opener Azhar Ali was unbeaten on 85 as Pakistan crawled to 169 for two on a rain-affected first day of the series-deciding third Test against West Indies in Dominica on Wednesday.
Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali shared an unbroken partnership of 132 to lift England to 414 for five and a lead of 311 runs over Pakistan on the fourth day of the third test at Edgbaston on Saturday. Bairstow was unbeaten on 82 and Moeen 60 not out at the close with England in a good position to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series if they can bowl out the touring side on the final day.
India and Pakistan meet in their opening World Cup match at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Ahead of what promises to be a thrilling contest here's a fact-file on the teams.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews was vindicated for surprisingly deciding to field after winning the toss when his fast bowlers skittled Pakistan for 165 in the first innings of the second Test in Dubai on Wednesday. Sri Lanka then lost opener Dimuth Karunaratne (32) before reaching 57 for 1 when bad light brought an end to the day's play.
Sri Lanka recovered from losing opener Upul Tharanga to reach 99 for one in reply to Pakistan's 451 at close on the second day of the first Test on Thursday.
Pakistan wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka with a finger injury, the country's cricket board said on Friday.
Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed match figures of 11 for 118 as Zimbabwe collapsed to 120 all out before lunch on the final day of the first Test in Harare on Saturday to lose by 221 runs.
As M S Dhoni stepped down as India's ODI and T20 captain, some honest words from Captain Cool.
Virat Kohli is the lone Indian batsman to be figuring in the top-10 in the ICC Test batsmen rankings.
Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane jumped three places to enter the top-10 in batsman's list while Ravichandran Ashwin maintained his pole position among all-rounders in the latest Test rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
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.
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.
Kane Williamson hit a brilliant 123 as New Zealand staved off Pakistan's spirited challenge to eke out a series-levelling seven-run victory in the fourth one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan made half-centuries as Pakistan ambled to 222 for three at the close on day three of the second Test on Saturday, 358 runs ahead of England after Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah had scuttled the tourists lower order before lunch.
Azhar Ali's hit a belligerent century on the final day as Pakistan pulled off a dramatic five-wicket victory in the final Test against Sri Lanka to level the three-match series 1-1 on Monday.
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.
Angelo Mathews made amends for missing a century in the first innings with a gritty unbeaten 116 in the second as Sri Lanka racked up a solid lead in the opening Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took five wickets to help Pakistan crush England by 10 wickets in the final Test at The Oval on Sunday and level a fluctuating series 2-2.
Azhar Ali's patient century lifted Pakistan to 257 for three and a dominant position on the second day of the third Test against England at Edgbaston on Thursday. Replying to the home team's 297 all out, Azhar shared a second-wicket partnership of 181 with Sami Aslam on the way to an excellent knock of 139 as England endured a frustrating day in the field.
Australia were two wickets from victory at the end of day four of the first day-night test against Pakistan on Sunday, but the tourists were buoyed by a feisty fourth innings chase and a brilliant unbeaten century from Asad Shafiq.
Zimbabwe captured nine Pakistan wickets for 249 runs on the opening day of the first Test in Harare on Tuesday after a frustrating ninth-wicket partnership between Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan.
Pakistan's seam attack dragged their side back into the first Test against New Zealand on Saturday by capturing seven wickets before lunch, bowling the hosts out for 200 on the third day. Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali and Mohammad Amir shared the wickets as the hosts were bundled out with a lead of 67 runs. New Zealand had bowled Pakistan out for 133 before tea on Friday at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Hashim Amla notched his 20th Test century but three wickets for 34-year-old debutant Zulfiqar Babar allowed Pakistan to restrict South Africa to 245 for eight on the opening day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Pakistan's spinner Yasir Shah had Ian Bell (40) stumped in the third session as England ended the day at 222 for 4 on Day 2 of the 3rd Test in Sharjah on Monday.
England beat Pakistan by 330 runs to win the 2nd Test at Old Trafford to level the four-match series 1-1 on Monday.
Superb pace bowling, immaculate catching and astute captaincy combined to forge a thrilling final-day victory for England, who dismissed Pakistan for 201 to win the third test by 141 runs and go 2-1 up in the series. England refused to be cowed by a 103-run first-innings deficit, building a 343-run lead when they batted again and then destroying the tourists with an immaculate performance in the field that saw six wickets tumble between lunch and tea.
The Pakistan-born bowler made an instant impact on his return to the South Africa line-up and his team mates made sure his hard work did not go to waste as they finished the day on 128 for three wickets, a 29-run first innings lead.
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