Pakistan

Change in the air as PCB goes back to pre-2019 plansSethi’s 14-member committee, appointed by current prime minister Shahbaz Sharif, has disbanded all bodies set up after the 2019 rejig to the PCB’s constitution, initiated by then prime minister Imran Khan and implemented by Ehsan Mani. That aside, Ramiz Raja has been removed as the

While Sajid did not have the best of times during the Tests against Australia, returning only four wickets in three matches, he fared much better in the 2022-23 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class competition. The offspinner picked up 21 wickets in seven first-class matches at 34.04 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He had recorded the fourth-best figures

Shahid Afridi has been named the interim chief selector of the Pakistan men’s national team, with his one-time team-mates Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum part of the three-man committee. For now, the appointment is only for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, and the committee has been tasked with reviewing the Test squad

In an unprecedented move, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to include Quetta’s Bugti Stadium among the venues that will host the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The eighth edition of the league, which is set to run from February 13 to March 19, will now be played across five venues: Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Rawalpindi

The new PCB management committee, led by Najam Sethi, has terminated the contract of chief selector Mohammad Wasim and disbanded all committees formed under the now-defunct 2019 constitution. This was the first decision the new board head took after formally taking charge on Thursday. “We are going to disband all committees today because they were

Najam Sethi has formally taken charge of the PCB, putting the revival of domestic cricket in the country at the top of his priorities. Following the removal of Ramiz Raja, as PCB chairman, and the current board, Sethi will head a 14-member management committee that will take interim charge of affairs. The committee will have

Pakistan’s 3-0 Test series defeat to England is not evidence of “a huge gulf” in quality between the two sides, according to Saqlain Mushtaq, who stressed that Pakistan were in positions to win two of these three games. “If you look at 3-0, it’ll be shocking. But if you decode it session by session, Pakistan

The removal of Ramiz Raja as PCB chairman and the current board has been formally initiated by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif who is also patron of the cricket board. That ends a couple of days of growing and fevered speculation of an imminent regime change and though it has to go through

Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Hasan Ali and picked uncapped middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand at home. Shaheen Shah Afridi continues to miss out as he recovers from a knee injury he picked up in the 2022 T20 World Cup final. Naseem Shah, who missed the last

England 354 (Brook 111, Foakes 64, Pope 51, Nauman 4-126, Abrar 4-150) and 170 for 2 (Duckett 82*) beat Pakistan 304 (Babar 78, Salman 56, Leach 4-140) and 216 (Babar 54, Shakeel 53, Rehan 5-48) by eight wickets England needed 38 minutes to complete a resounding eight-wicket win on the fourth morning in Karachi, eventually

Brendon McCullum, England’s Test coach, says it is “scary” to think how good a leader Ben Stokes could become after his transformative influence in the year just gone, having secured a historic 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan with a ninth Test victory in the space of ten games. Speaking to Sky Sports in Karachi, in

Inexperience. That was the word Babar Azam kept returning to. In the wake of Pakistan’s fourth successive home Test defeat, and a 3-0 home series defeat – both unprecedented. “There have been several debutants this series,” Babar said. “You need experience in Test cricket, and our experienced players were either unfit or not in form.

It says a lot that, even given how things have gone in Ben Stokes’ first nine games in charge as full-time Test captain, No.10 will carry a unique excitement. Rehan Ahmed will become the youngest debutant for the men’s side when he takes to the field on Saturday for the third and final Test of

Azhar Ali will retire from Test cricket after the Karachi Test against England, bringing to an end one of modern Pakistani cricket’s more accomplished careers. If he does play – and captain Babar Azam was unwilling to confirm that he would – he will finish three Tests short of 100 Tests (becoming only the sixth

Rehan Ahmed could make his debut in the third Test against Pakistan as England look to complete a 3-0 series sweep. Ahmed, the 18-year-old legspinning allrounder, would become the youngest debutant for the men’s team if selected. After being added to the squad during the pre-tour camp in Abu Dhabi, he has not been directly

Nearly 200 of Pakistan’s domestic cricketers are still awaiting payments for participating in a domestic season that is less than a month from its conclusion. ESPNcricinfo understands that 192 players who have taken part in a number of domestic tournaments – including the National T20 Cup and the Quaid-e-Azam trophy – have not been paid

Babar Azam will replace Wahab Riaz as Peshawar Zalmi’s captain for the upcoming season of the Pakistan Super League. After trading in Babar from Karachi Kings in exchange for Shoaib Malik and Haider Ali, the franchise continues a transformation that started in 2021 in the hope to form a new core. Zalmi won the title

Naseem Shah has been ruled out of Pakistan’s plans for the third Test in Karachi, after failing to recover from the shoulder niggle that caused him to miss this week’s 26-run defeat in Multan. Naseem was in visible discomfort during the Rawalpindi Test, particularly while throwing the ball in from the outfield. However, he still

In March, when Rawalpindi hosted the first Test of Australia’s tour of Pakistan, bat dominated ball to the extent that 1187 runs were scored for the loss of only 14 wickets over five days. That pitch had earned a “below average” rating too, with match referee Ranjan Madugalle noting that the Test match did not

Ollie Pope‘s diving catch down the leg-side to dismiss Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel cost Pakistan and shouldn’t have been given out, according to Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Speaking after Pakistan succumbed to a 26-run defeat in Multan that confirmed a series loss to England, Babar said it appeared as if the ball had touched the

Lunch England 180 for 5 (Stokes 14*, Jacks 0*, Abrar 5-70) vs Pakistan Abrar Ahmed provided the mystery that Pakistan’s attack had been lacking in last week’s first Test, to claim a five-for on his first morning as a Test cricketer, as England’s top-order opted not to die wondering in spinning conditions in Multan. From

Naseem Shah‘s availability for the second Test against England in Multan is in significant doubt with an ongoing shoulder niggle, first sighted during the Rawalpindi game. This has put a further strain on Pakistan’s pace bowling resources, as they are already without Shaheen Shah Afridi and Harris Rauf, who debuted in the first Test but

Ollie Pope could keep his spot behind the stumps at the expense of Ben Foakes, while Mark Wood is primed for a return as England address selection conundrums ahead of the second Test against Pakistan. Following a historic 74-run victory in the first Test, England arrived in Multan on a high but with considerations over

ESPNcricinfo understands Pakistan will call upon a fast bowler from outside the original 18-person squad for the second Test, starting in Multan on Friday. The only specialist fast bowler who didn’t play the first Test for Pakistan was Mohammad Wasim Jnr. But Wasim Jnr is yet to play a Test match, while three of the

Pakistan’s cricket team has been denied visas to travel to India for the ongoing T20 World Cup for the Blind. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) said that the team could not get clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs in India. “This unfortunate incident has left the Pakistan

Haris Rauf has been ruled out of the second Test in Multan, with his participation in the series in doubt. The 29-year old, who made his Test debut in the ongoing match against England, stepped on the ball while fielding, leading to an injury in his right quad. Rauf was sent for MRI scans, and

England allrounder Liam Livingstone has been ruled out of the ongoing Test series with Pakistan after sustaining a right knee injury during the first Test. Livingstone, who was making his debut in the format, jarred his knee while fielding a ball on the boundary on day two, after England had posted 657 in their first

Stumps Pakistan 499 for 7 (Babar 136, Imam 121, Shafique 114, Salman 10*, Zahid 1*, Jacks 3-132, Leach 2-160) trail England 657 by 158 runs Four late wickets rewarded England for some hard graft on a pitch where runs have ruled, keeping their prospects of pushing for victory over Pakistan in this first Test alive.

After scoring 506 for four on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi, Ben Stokes had one last word for his charges ahead of day two. “We’ve broken some records yesterday, let’s try and break some more today.” Harry Brook took those words to heart. In a remarkable morning session that saw England

England might be preparing a longer-term project with their Test side, but for Babar Azam and Pakistan, the goal is more immediate: qualification for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Pakistan remain firmly in the hunt for the top-two finish, but find their margins for error dwindling rapidly – they will need to win four