Pakistan have axed senior batsman Younis Khan for next month's One-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates as they announced their ODI and Twenty20 squads on Wednesday.
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.
Waqar Younis said that he is worried that players in Pakistan might face mental health issues if cricket continued to be played for more time in the COVID-19 situation.
The Pakistan cricket team, sans captain Shahid Afridi, returned to a hostile reception in Lahore and Karachi after their disastrous World Twenty20 campaign which also included a loss to arch-foes India. The team returned home in batches in Lahore and Karachi on Saturday night. Afridi, on the other hand, has decided to stay back in Dubai for a few days. The flamboyant all-rounder is expected to take a call on his future in the next few days after drawing massive criticism for his poor form in the tournament and the comment that he and his team get more love in India than Pakistan. A group of players including manager Intikhab Alam, Muhammad Hafeez, Muhammad Irfan, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Ahmed Shehzad and others had to face chants of "shame shame" when they landed at the Allama Iqbal international airport in Lahore.
Left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz has withdrawn himself from Pakistan's two-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka owing to a hand injury.
Pakistan have included uncapped opener Sharjeel Khan in their squad for this month's Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, but senior players Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq were left out.
Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi was, on Tuesday, named Pakistan's new Twenty20 captain until the 2016 World T20, and Misbah ul Haq retained Test and ODI skipper until the 2015 50-over World Cup.
Pakistan's long serving captain Misbah-ul-Haq confirmed that he would be retiring from One-day Internationals and T20 cricket after the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Pakistan's chief selector Haroon Rasheed has had a pep talk with the national team members and is confident that they can still qualify for the final in the ongoing Asia Cup.
The 16-man squad includes batsmen Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan and fast bowler Jake Ball, who have 11 Test caps between them, as well as three uncapped players in paceman Craig Overton, spinner Mason Crane and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.
Muhammad Hafeez led from the front with a blazing 67 as Lahore Lions trounced Sri Lanka's Southern Express by 55 runs in their penultimate Oppo Champions League Twenty20 qualifier, in Raipur on Tuesday, to keep alive their chances of making the main draw of the tournament.
Ending days of speculation on whether the Lahore Lions would play in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 in India, the Pakistan Cricket Board said the team has been issued visa and clearance for the tournament.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided that suspended off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal should play two One-day games against Kenya this month before he goes for his final biomechanics test in Chennai.
Misbah said with time he understood that it would be possible to give his best only to one role.
Pending Indian visa forces PCB to push back date for Hafeez's testing
The Pakistan Cricket Board has refused to provide any compensation to national Twenty20 captain Muhammad Hafeez, who had to miss the Big Bash tournament in Australia because of the national team's Test commitments.
Suspended Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal's modified bowling action will be put through an official ICC test in Chennai on January 24. The bowler, who will miss the World Cup because of the suspension for illegal action, had said he would prefer to be tested in Brisbane and not Chennai. On Tuesday, though, he said he has no issues about taking it in Chennai.
The World Cup bound Pakistani cricketers will have two counselling sessions with a well-known sports psychologist before leaving for the World Cup.
Pakistan senior batsman Azhar Ali, on Thursday stepped down as the One-day International captain after a meeting Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan in Dubai.
Opener Ahmed Shehzad has been recalled to Pakistan's Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka after being dropped for the April-May series against Bangladesh on disciplinary grounds. Besides Shehzad, the selectors also recalled southpaw Shan Masood, another out-of-favour opener, who was ignored for the last few series and tournaments.
Pakistan have made a number of changes in their ODI squad for the short home series against Zimbabwe, recalling seniors such as Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Sami in the 16-member side.
Pakistan's experienced all-rounder, Muhammad Hafeez has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that he is ready to undergo a bowling assessment test from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Injured Pakistan's all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez Muhammad Hafeez gave credence to speculation that he was sent back home from the World Cup against his wishes after a disagreement with the team management as he said that he could have recovered from his injury in time for the showpiece event beginning on Saturday.
Pakistan's suspended off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is of the view that his country will not make the semi-finals in the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Speaking on Geo Super channel, the seasoned campaigner tipped Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and India to be in the semi-finals.
A fit-again Muhammad Irfan returned to the Pakistan cricket squad announced on Friday.
Pakistan have named Azhar Ali as their One-day captain following the retirement of Misbah-ul-Haq from One-Day Internationals after this month's World Cup.
Tainted left-arm pacer Muhammad Aamir was in line to make his comeback to the Pakistan team for the tour to New Zealand in January.
The talented but unpredictable side are not favourites.
Pakistan champions Lahore Lions registered their first win in the Oppo Champions League Twenty20 main draw as they outplayed Dolphins of South Africa by 16 runs in Bangalore to keep their hopes of booking a semi-final spot alive.
'If the conditions change and we can have the Asia Cup, it must be held as earnings from it are distributed as development funds to member countries for next two years'
Suspended from international cricket for an illegal bowling action, Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal on Friday returned to the national side.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said that the option of flying out off-spinner Saeed Ajmal to Australia for the cricket World Cup was available if Pakistan reached the semi-finals.
Pakistan pacer Muhammad Irfan remains a doubtful starter for the cricket World Cup quarter-final against Australia on Friday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board and coach Waqar Younis indicated that disgraced left-arm pacer Muhammad Aamir would soon be given a chance to play for the national team again. PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan told the media in Lahore that the Board was considering giving a comeback chance to Aamir, who served a five-year ban for spot-fixing which expired last September.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing resistance in its attempts to rehabilitate tainted pacer Muhammad Aamir with most of the players in the national side being averse to sharing the dressing room with him.
Pakistan national cricket team selectors are in a dilemma over the selection of the final 15-member squad for the World Cup.
Experienced batsman Muhammad Hafeez has dismissed reports that he had failed a bowling assessment test at the Pakistan Cricket Board's biomechanics laboratory in a university in Lahore. Hafeez also made it clear that he had informed the PCB two weeks back that he was ready to take the ICC's bowling assessment test to confirm whether his bowling action could be cleared for international cricket. "I don't know from where these stories have come but I never gave any official test at the biomechanics lab in LUMs and I just went there with the PCB's analysts to see how my modified bowling action worked under different 3D cameras and angles," Hafeez said on 'Geo Super' channel.
Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar says he is he is not the least bit surprised by Pakistan's poor run in the ongoing World T20 Championship.
A 27-member Pakistan cricket contingent left for India to take part in the Twenty20 World Cup, finally ending days of uncertainty over their participation in the mega event. The team will be reaching Kolkata via Abu Dhabi. The Pakistan squad including 15 players, 12 officials and support staff reached the Allama Iqbal international airport amidst tight security and boarded a flight hours after the Pakistan government finally gave the PCB the green signal to fly to India to take part in the ICC event. Due to a long stay in Abu Dhabi the squad will reach Kolkata later this evening. Head coach Waqar Younis, before departing for India, left a message on his Twitter account calling for unity in the team. "Come on together we can do it," he tweeted a message aimed at motivating the players. He told the media that though the departure of the team for India had been hit by uncertainty and security issues, the focus of the players now would only be on cricket and doing well in the world event.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani said that the Sri Lankan delegation will visit the grounds and hotels where the teams will stay in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad besides meeting the board, police and security officials.
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