Since the 76-run defeat to India at the World Cup gloom has descended on the Pakistanis. It seemed as if the team had left the Inter-Continental hotel in Adelaide after the match.
'I am happy that we are not favourites'
'The physio told me I might have a problem walking in the future because of the back injury and that I need to stop playing cricket.' 'But I was very keen that I kept playing.' 'I told him just get me pain free and I will make a comeback.' 'And I did exactly that.'
Asad Shafiq's seventh hundred and a belligerent 96 from Sarfraz Ahmed helped give Pakistan a sizeable lead against Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the opening Test at Galle on Saturday.
Pakistan selectors will have no surprises in store when they announce the Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka on the next 48 hours apart from recalling talented opener Ahmed Shehzad.
Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes produced a record 273-run partnership in an unbroken opening stand to help Bangladesh whittle down Pakistan's huge lead to 23 runs at the close of the penultimate day of the opening Test at Khulna on Friday.
After two successful World Cups and rapid growth, ever-improving Ireland have lost their element of surprise and can scale new heights in Australia and New Zealand, according to captain William Porterfield.
When they could postpone a day's play in the third Test against New Zealand after the sad demise of Australian, Phil Hughes, this was a much bigger tragedy.
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Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi condemned the attack and revealed that three of his cousin's children were inside the school when the attack took place.
Australia opener David Warner paid a fitting tribute to his deceased teammate Phillip Hughes, scoring a rollicking 145 before India dealt three quick blows at the fag end to share honours on an emotionally charged opening day in the first Test in Adelaide on Tuesday. Statistical highlights from the day's play.
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.
Zimbabwe completed only their 11th Test victory with a dramatic 24-run win over Pakistan at Harare Sports club on Saturday to draw the series 1-1.
Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq equalled Viv Richards's record for the fasTest Test century while his team stood six wickets away from a memorable 2-0 series win against Australia on Sunday.
Pakistan crushed Bangladesh by 328 runs on Saturday to win their final Test with a day to spare.
It was Pakistan's last roll of the dice that saw them throw Sarfraz Ahmed into the role of opener at the World Cup and the gamble looks to be paying off.
Faf du Plessis seems to be a master of fourth innings chases. On his Test debut he batted for seven hours 46 minutes against Australia at Adelaide in 2012-13, saving South Africa from certain defeat.
Brian Vitori grabbed five wickets and opener Tino Mawoyo scored a half-century as Zimbabwe took control of the second Test against Pakistan with a 185-run lead on Thursday.
Pakistan's Rahat Ali removed England's top three batsmen as the first Test at Lord's hurtled towards an exciting climax on Sunday's fourth day. At lunch, England were 90 for three in their second innings, needing a further 193 runs to reach their victory target of 283. James Vince was a Test-best 41 not out and the recalled Gary Ballance 15 not out after Rahat had taken three wickets for 36 runs in eight overs. England captain Alastair Cook launched the chase with a four off the very first ball of the innings when he cut a loose Mohammad Amir delivery to the boundary.
Virat wouldn't have got 700 runs and smashed four centuries in Tests in Australia, says Ravi Shastri.
India most buzzed team in CWC while 'favourites' Australia fail to impress fans on Facebook.
Pakistan's jinx against India in World Cup continues
Grant Elliot's all-round performance eclipsed Shahid Afridi's 29-ball blitz to secure New Zealand a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first One Day International in Wellington on Saturday.
Which Indian batsman has the highest run tally against Sri Lanka (Clue: He has an aggregate of 1,995 runs)? Which Sri Lankan skipper led the islanders against India in 13 Tests and did not win a single one? As the Test series gets underway, Rajneesh Gupta surveys India-Sri Lanka Tests played over the years.
Sri Lanka lost early wickets in their second innings but extended their lead to 220 runs over Pakistan in the third and final Test in Sharjah to boost their chances of a series victory.
Debutant fast bowler Bilawal Bhatti dismissed experienced duo Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in consecutive deliveries as Pakistan strengthened their hold on the first Test against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
India registered just three victories in 11 Tests, worse than even Zimbabwe and the West Indies...
Penpix of the Pakistan squad for the 2015 cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Statistical highlights of the cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan.
With MS Dhoni opting out of the tournament, Virat Kohli will lead Team India as they attempt to regain the title they last won in 2010. Here're the statistical highlights pertaining to the tournament.
Rajneesh Gupta gives us a list of noteworthy statistics from first-class and Ranji Trophy
Australia's 111-ball 60 against England in the fourth Ashes Test is the shortest all-out first innings ever in Test cricket history. Rajneesh Gupta presents other such shocking collapses on the first day of a Test in recent times.
When the defending champion India take on Pakistan in their potentially high-octane campaign opener of the ICC Cricket World Cup on February 15 at the Adelaide Oval, the awe-inspiring Sachin Tendulkar would be conspicuously absent for the first time in a match between the two arch-rivals in the showpiece event.
The win at Edgbaston was not the first time an Indian team had vanquished Pakistan in an ICC competition. Rajneesh Gupta surveys the landscape of India-Pakistan encounters in ICC contests.
'It was a good performance,' M S Dhoni said after the match. It was a little bit more than that, in that it came just when the team needed to reverse trends, to find self-belief, to be able to look ahead rather than behind.'
'For all practical purposes, the game ended at the break. The Irish bowlers had neither the pace nor the skill to compete against the Indian line-up; the lack of swing further blunted any edge they could have brought to the contest.'
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