Pakistani selectors have named experienced opener Taufeeq Umar and senior batsman Younis Khan in a 19-member squad for the two-Test series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates, starting next week.
The 34-year-old replaced Iftikhar Ahmed, who managed only 44 runs in four innings in the recent tour of Australia where Pakistan lost both Tests.
Veteran Pakistan batsman Younis Khan is likely to announce his retirement from the One-day format after the World Cup, sources claimed.
A 24-year-old mother of two was allegedly gang-raped and thrown out of a moving auto rickshaw in an unconscious state at Akra in South 24 Parganas district, a Kolkata suburb.
Spinner Yasir Shah has scaled the number spot in the International Cricket Council Test rankings, becoming the first Pakistani bowler to do so since Mushtaq Ahmed achieved the feat in December 1996.
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.
Convicted spot-fixer Muhammad Aamir was selected in the Pakistan cricket team that will tour England for a four-Test series for the first time since the spot-fixing scandal broke in 2010. However the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is still awaiting for Aamir's visa approval from the UK High Commission. 24-year-old Aamir has made an impressive comeback in shorter formats and ironically his probable return to Test cricket will happen in the same country where he was arrested for indulging in spot-fixing along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif. Chairman of selectors Inzamam ul Haq said that the board had given clearance to pick Aamir in the side as they had been told his visa would arrive on Monday.
England made a bright start to their second Test against Pakistan at Headingley on Friday, after being hammered at Lord's last week, with Stuart Broad taking two early wickets and the visitors reduced to 68-4 at lunchtime.
Afghanistan and Ireland have been approved as Full Members by the ICC.
Pakistani head coach Dav Whatmore and Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul Haq were reportedly engaged in a fierce argument with team manager Moin Khan over the selection of the playing squad for the ODI series against South Africa.
Pakistan's national Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez has been dropped from the 12-member squad named for the two-Test series against South Africa to be held in UAE later this month.
A PCB official said the suspended off-spinner has been named in the preliminary squad as he was in the process of correcting his action and would soon appear for an ICC biomechanics test.
Kane Williamson, leading New Zealand in a Test for the first time at home, scored his 24th half century to guide the hosts to an eight-wicket victory in the first test against Pakistan in Christchurch on Sunday. Chasing a target of 105 for the win, Williamson was dismissed on 61 with the hosts just a run shy of victory. Jeet Raval (36 not out) hit a four to push New Zealand over the line on 108 for two shortly after lunch on the fourth day. New Zealand had bowled the visitors out in their second innings for 171 about an hour into the day's play at Hagley Oval.
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.
Misbah had the dubious honour of becoming the first player from his country to finish on 99 not out during their first innings of last week's seven-wicket first test victory in Jamaica.
James Anderson claimed four wickets as England made an excellent start to the third and final Test in Sharjah by bowling out Pakistan for 234 on Sunday.
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.
Having conceded a 121-run lead in the first innings, the Caribbean side began their charge in the final session on Day 4.
Australia vice-captain David Warner found it "bizarre" that pundits and fans continue to criticise the team despite winning their last two Test matches after a run of five losses.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja's maiden 10-wicket match haul against England in Chennai has propelled him to second position behind teammate and India's star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the ICC Test bowler rankings released on Wednesday.
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.
South Africa will have to dig deep if they are to avoid defeat in the first Test after being reduced to 72 for four wickets in their second innings, still trailing Pakistan by 121 runs, in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid stress on a humanitarian approach to address problems concerning Jammu and Kashmir and said 'Vikas' and 'Vishwas' will be the cornerstones of the central government's development initiatives for the state hit by the unrest.
A fit-again Muhammad Irfan returned to the Pakistan cricket squad announced on Friday.
Younis Khan hit a stellar double hundred while skipper Misbah-ul-Haq also joined the run-feast with his sixth Test century as Pakistan tightened their grip on the second and final test against Australia on Friday.
A fine hundred by Azhar Ali helped Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets in the second One-Day International and win their first One-day series in 17 months, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, on Friday night.
Captain Steve Smith raised a composed century to push Australia to a 22-run first innings lead in the second Test against Pakistan but the home side's hopes of pushing their advantage were washed away by rain on day four on Thursday.
Glenn Maxwell's brisk 76 guided Australia to a comfortable five-wicket win over Pakistan in the second One-day international in Dubai on Friday, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
In-form Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez returned to Pakistan's 15-member squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka, starting in the United Arab Emirates, next week. Hafeez scored three centuries in four One-Day Internationals in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.
Australia broke Pakistan's dangerous third-wicket partnership to reduce the tourists to 177 for three, still 361 runs in arrears, at tea on a rain-disrupted third day of the third and final Test on Thursday. - Scorecard: Opener Azhar Ali was the batsman to fall for 71, leaving elder statesmen Younus Khan, who is inching towards his 34th Test century on 84 not out, and Misbah-ul-Haq, who has made 18, to resume for the extended final session.
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.
The Indian men continued their winning streak by clinching the fifth Kabaddi World Cup title, while women bagged the crown for the fourth consecutive time.
Skipper Angelo Mathews and opener Kaushal Silva hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka take a 166-run first innings lead against Pakistan and push for a series-levelling victory on day two of the second Test on Friday.
Pakistani troops on Wednesday violated ceasefire and opened indiscriminate firing along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector after an infiltration bid was foiled by Indian troops.
Virat Kohli's aura in Indian cricket has grown exponentially over the past few years but contrary to popular perception, he has never wielded 'disproportionate influence' when it comes to policy decisions, says Committee of Administrators (COA) chief Vinod Rai.
Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six straight Tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia.
They may have travelled there to join the dreaded Islamic State militant group.
In order to seal the place in the squad, the duo will have to cancel their league tours in South Africa and Bangladesh.
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.
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