Pakistan

Report Australia have opted for three spinners on a used surface Toss Australia chose to bowl vs Pakistan Australia bolstered their spin resources in the XI, adding a second wristspinner in Amanda-Jade Wellington, as they opted to bowl on the used Bay Oval surface against Pakistan in Mount Maunganui. In inserting Pakistan, they unsurprisingly reduced

News The offspinner ended a 156-run stand at a time when the Australia opener offered no real chances It’s hard to put any spin on it. Not the ball (though that, too), but the fact this Test won’t rank among Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium’s finest moments. The cricket hasn’t been especially engaging – even if the

News Due to non-cricketing reasons, the two teams have almost no experience of playing each other Four of six innings at the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup so far have had totals in excess of 250, with at least one batter scoring a hundred in them. Mithali Raj, whose India will begin their campaign on

News Former Australia allrounder Watson also played a key role in Australia’s eventual trip Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said Australia’s pre-tour reconnaissance trip during West Indies’ visit in December was “the pivotal moment” that set the wheels in motion for Australia’s first visit of Pakistan since 1998. Calling the hesitation surrounding the visit

News Overcast conditions, no useful recent ground information among challenges for both sides There remains little clarity, just over 12 hours out from the start of the first Test against Australia, of the combination Pakistan will field. The absence of Faheem Ashraf appears to have plunged Pakistan into something of a selection dilemma, with uncertainty

Preview Both sides were still mulling the balance of their attacks as rain hit the build-up Big Picture Australia’s arrival in Pakistan for their first Test tour of the country in 24 years has been billed as a momentous occasion for world cricket and it is certainly important. However, they are the sixth nation to

News Three quicks and two spinners in prospect, but stiff challenge could await debutant at No.7 Pakistan are seriously considering giving a Test debut to Mohammad Wasim Jr at Rawalpindi, potentially as part of a five-man bowling attack. The home side’s preparations for the first Test of the historic series against Australia – the tourists’

News Australia offspinner expects UAE-like decks in Pakistan As he braces to bowl on surfaces reminiscent of those that have anguished them in the UAE previously, Nathan Lyon has summoned his trademark bravado and backed a “young and exciting” Australia to sweep the historic Benaud-Qadir series in Pakistan. Three days before their first Test in

News Fast bowler becomes ninth Pakistan player to sign county contract for 2022 Hasan Ali will play county cricket for the first time in his career after signing a contract with Lancashire for six County Championship fixtures. Hasan, 27, was the third-highest Test wicket-taker in 2021 with 41 wickets at 16.07 and is the ninth

News Rauf is yet to play a Test but was in the running for selection after injuries to Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf Pakistan have been dealt another blow ahead of the first Test against Australia with Haris Rauf testing positive for Covid-19. He has been put in isolation for now and is likely to

Report Kings’ forgettable season came to an end as Quetta finished with a win though they are unlikely to progress Quetta Gladiators 166 for 4 (Roy 82, Gregory 1-22, Wasim 1-27) beat Karachi Kings 143 for 8 (Clarke 52, Azam 36, Shahzad 4-22) by 23 runs The first match of Sunday’s double-header in the PSL

Report Rizwan’s half-century helped Multan canter to a six-wicket win despite a brief early stutter against a depleted United Multan Sultans 111 for 4 (Rizwan 51*, Dawson 3-16) beat Islamabad United 105 for 7 (Tahir 2-8, Afridi 2-21) by six wickets There was very little riding on this game, and perhaps that shone through in

News He was the only one of the five Mohammad brothers to not play for Pakistan Raees Mohammad, the only one of the five Mohammad brothers to not play for Pakistan, died on Monday in Karachi. He was 89. Sadiq Mohammad, his younger brother who opened the batting in 41 Tests and 19 ODIs, confirmed

News Allrounder says he has been coping with the condition for the last 15-16 years Chronic back pain has forced Shahid Afridi to end his Pakistan Super League season early. The 41-year old allrounder, who has been in rehab, said he only chose to take the field this year “for the fans” but the pain

Report Iftikhar Ahmed’s fifty in vain as Qalandars tightened their grip on second spot Lahore Qalandars 143 for 2 (Fakhar 53, Ghulam 55*) beat Quetta Gladiators 141 for 7 (Iftikhar 52, Afridi 2-27, Wiese 2-25) by eight wickets Top-order runs and a ruthless new-ball bowling performance from Lahore Qalandars saw Shaheen Shah Afridi‘s side coast

Report A 97-run opening stand from Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Haris took Zalmi to 193, and Kings never got going in the chase Peshawar Zalmi 193 for 6 (Zazai 52, Haris 49 , Jordan 3-41) beat Karachi Kings 138 for 6 (Babar 59, Irshad 2-24) by 55 runs Lahore Qalandars have had a few shocking

News Mohammad Yousuf, meanwhile, has been roped in as batting coach for the home series against Australia Saqlain Mushtaq is set to continue as Pakistan’s head coach on an interim basis for another 12 months, while the PCB has also named former Australia quick Shaun Tait as fast-bowling coach for 12 months. Former Pakistan batter

News Pakistan have also named five reserves – including Yasir Shah and Naseem Shah – for the Tests, which are set to begin in Rawalpindi from March 4 Pakistan have called up right-arm quick Haris Rauf, while opening batter Shan Masood, who played a Test in January 2021, has been recalled in the 16-member squad

News The trip was approved by the CA board late last week, Australia’s first to the country in 24 years The Australian Cricketers’ Association is bracing for a small number players to pull out of the tour of Pakistan due to safety concerns, despite reassurances about the situation. Australia last toured Pakistan in 1998, but

News Young quick disallowed from bowling in the ongoing PSL as well Mohammad Hasnain‘s bowling action has been found to be illegal. The Pakistan fast bowler underwent tests on his action last month at the ICC-accredited biomechanics laboratory at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS); a subsequent report, ESPNcricinfo understands, found that a majority

News Former champions are bottom of the table with three straight losses Karachi Kings’ floundering PSL campaign has been dealt another blow with the withdrawal of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Ilyas because of injuries. This robs the 2020 champions of two key bowlers, as they look to recover from three straight losses as a start

News The former Zimbabwe keeper-batter is head coach at both Multan Sultans and Lucknow Super Giants Former Zimbabwe keeper-batter Andy Flower has left Multan Sultans midway through the Pakistan Super League season to be in India for the IPL mega auction on February 12 and 13. One of Zimbabwe’s most successful cricketers, Flower, who coached

News Captain becomes first player in 45 years of Youth ODIs to hit a century and take a five-for in the same game Pakistan 365 for 3 (Qasim 135*, Haseebullah 136) beat Sri Lanka 127 (Qasim 5-37) by 238 runs Riding on captain Qasim Akram‘s all-round heroics, Pakistan thrashed Sri Lanka by 238 runs to

Report Shadab’s 91 in vain as Islamabad United fall short of 218 target by 20 runs Multan Sultans 217 for 5 (David 71, Rossouw 67*, Wasim 1-39) beat Islamabad United 197 (Shadab 91, Khushdil 4-35, Willey 3-38) by 20 runs Shadab Khan‘s fighting 91 off 42 balls went in vain for Islamabad United, as Multan

News West Indies ride on Bishop, Wickham hundreds to beat Zimbabwe; bowlers help UAE pip Ireland Pakistan 176 for 4 (Haseebullah 79, Shehzad 36, Rakibul 2-28) beat Bangladesh 175 (Ariful 100, Mumtaz 3-16, Awais 3-52) by six wickets Three wickets apiece for Mehran Mumtaz and Awais Ali helped Pakistan get the better of Bangladesh and

Report Quetta Gladiators came close via Iftikhar’s mighty blows, but fell just short in the end It was a game that was the length of a shoelace from going to a Super Over, but because Tim David ensured the shoelace in question didn’t touch the boundary rope, Multan Sultans sealed a scintillating six-run win against

Report Rutherford made an unbeaten 70 to lift Peshawar from the doldrums of 35 for 4 but it wasn’t enough Islamabad United 172 for 1 (Hales 82*, Stirling 57) beat Peshawar Zalmi 168 for 6 (Rutherford 70, Ashraf 2-23, Hasan 2-34) by nine wickets Paul Stirling struck the third fastest fifty in PSL history. Alex

Report Sultans needed 16 off the last over, and Khushdil sealed the win with four consecutive boundaries Multan Sultans 209 for 5 (Masood 83, Rizwan 69, Khushdil 18, Afridi 3-40) beat Lahore Qalandars 206 for 5 (Zaman 76, Ghulam 43) by five wickets Faced with a steep target of 207, Sultans made a rapid start

Report UAE upset hosts West Indies in qualification playoffs; Uganda notch up first win Australia 276 for 7 (Wyllie 71, Miller 64, Kellaway 47, Qasim 3-40) beat Pakistan 157 all out (Mumtaz 29, Salzmann 3-37, Whitney 2-31) by 119 runs Batter Teague Wyllie continued his domination at the U-19 World Cup before the seamers came

Report Ahsan Ali 73, Will Smeed 97 in vain for Quetta Gladiators Peshawar Zalmi 191 for 5 (Talat 52, Malik 48*, Nawaz 3-44) beat Quetta Gladiators 190 for 4 (Smeed 97, Ahsan 73, Qadir 2-20) by five wickets Quetta Gladiators opened sensationally, while Peshawar Zalmi kept the fireworks going right through the chase. In a