Pakistan Cricket Team to Tour South Africa

Speedster Shaheen Afridi has been left out of Pakistan’s squad for a  two-test series  in South Africa in a bid to keep him fresh for the Champions Trophy at home next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday.

However, the left-arm quick has been picked for six limited-overs matches in South Africa beginning on December 10, the PCB said in a  statement .

“Shaheen Afridi, who also missed the last two tests against England, has been picked for the white-ball matches as part of his workload management so that he is in his best fitness and form for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” the statement read.

Fellow fast bowler Naseem Shah and batting mainstay Babar Azam, both of whom  missed  the last two matches against England, were recalled for the test matches in Centurion and Cape Town.

The T20I squad will depart for South Africa on Friday, after Thursday’s third T20I against Zimbabwe, while the ODI and Test players will depart for Johannesburg on December 13.

Pakistan men’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will also arrive in Johannesburg on December 13 to supervise the pre-Test series camp.

The series will begin with the first T20I in Durban on December 10 (Tuesday), followed by the first ODI in Paarl on December 17. The Test matches will be hosted at Centurion and in Cape Town on December 26 and January 3, respectively.

Off-spinner Sajid Khan, whose tally of 19 wickets in two tests was key to Pakistan’s 2-1 series victory against England in October, was dropped.

“Leaving out Sajid Khan, despite his stellar performances against England, was an extremely tough and difficult decision,” selector and interim test team coach Aqib Javed said.

“However, considering the pace-friendly conditions at Centurion and in Cape Town, we opted for Mohammad Abbas instead, who is an outstanding exponent of seam bowling.”

Pakistan squads:

Tests:  Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha

ODI:  Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)

T20I:  Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper) - Reuters

Australia won the World Test Championship in 2023 - will they qualify for the final again? [Getty Images]

 

World Test Championship - Who Can Make The Final?

 

England were left with plenty to consider after a disappointing Test series defeat in Pakistan.

But one thing they no longer have to worry about is the World Test Championship with losses in Multan and Rawalpindi ending Ben Stokes' side's hopes of reaching next summer's final.

However, with 18 Tests remaining in the 2023-2025 cycle, five teams are still in with a chance of making it to Lord's and playing for the right to be crowned World Test champions.

Holders Australia are still firmly in the mix, as are India - beaten finalists in the first two editions of the competition - New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

BBC Sport has taken a look at what they each require to clinch a top-two spot and progress to the final...

World Test Championship points table

How does the World Test Championship points system work?

Each World Test Championship cycle runs for two years. The current one began in June 2023 and finishes with the final in June 2025.

Teams play six series in that time - three at home and three away - with 12 points awarded for winning a match, six for a tie and four for a draw.

However, as teams play a different number of Tests across their six series, the table is ranked by percentage of points won.

So, a win (12 points) is 100%, a tie (six points) 50% and a draw (four points) 33.3%.

Meanwhile, sides can be deducted points for a slow over-rate.

World Test Championship schedule & fixtures

November 2024-January 2025: Australia v India (five-match series)

November-December 2024: West Indies v Bangladesh (two-match series)

November-December 2024: South Africa v Sri Lanka (two-match series)

November-December 2024: New Zealand v England (three-match series)

December 2024-January 2025: South Africa v Pakistan (two-match series)

January 2025: Pakistan v West Indies (two-match series)

January-February 2025: Sri Lanka v Australia (two-match series)

World Test Championship qualification scenarios

Australia (best possible finish: 76.32%)

Following India's slip ups against New Zealand, the equation is pretty simple for Australia: win five of their last seven matches and they'll go to Lord's for a chance to defend their title.

Four wins could be enough but anything less than five and other results become a factor.

India (best possible finish: 69.30%)

New Zealand's historic 3-0 win in India has made it much tougher for the two-time beaten finalists to reach a third straight WTC final.

It is still in their hands, though, but they need to win four Tests in Australia to guarantee a place in the showpiece game next summer.

Sri Lanka (best possible finish: 69.23%)

As with Australia, it's a fairly straightforward scenario for Sri Lanka. Win all four of their remaining matches in the cycle and they will be in the final.

That won't be easy against fellow contenders South Africa and Australia but three wins and a defeat might still be enough depending on results elsewhere.

New Zealand (best possible finish: 64.29%)

A historic series clean sweep in India has kept New Zealand, Test champions in 2021, in with a chance of returning to the final.

Even victory in all three of their Tests at home to England would not assure them of a top-two place but it would give them a very good chance.

South Africa (best possible finish: 69.44%)

As it stands, the Proteas require four wins from four to be completely sure of a berth in the final.

Three wins and a draw would give them a strong chance, while even three wins and a loss would not completely end their chances.

However, in both instances, they would need other results to go their way.

England, Pakistan, Bangladesh and West Indies are no longer in contention to reach the final.

But, of course, it is worth noting that it could all change again if any side is deducted points for a slow over-rate, as five teams have in this cycle, including both England and Australia during the 2023 Ashes.

World Test Championship winners list

The World Test Championship was launched in 2019 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) so that each format of the game had a pinnacle tournament.

The previous winners are:

2019-2021: New Zealand (beating India)

2021-2023: Australia (beating India)

When is the World Test Championship final?

The 2025 World Test Championship final will take place at Lord's in England. The five-day match is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, 11 June.

There will be ball-by-ball radio commentary available across the BBC. - BBC

 

 

Pakistan to Host Test Series against Bangladesh, England & West Indies
By Mohammad Yaqoob  

 

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced the schedule of home Test matches against Bangladesh, England and the West Indies, and a One-day International tri-series involving South Africa and New Zealand in a packed schedule starting in August and lasting until February next year.

Interestingly, the PCB ignored the Gaddafi Stadium, the venue of its headquarters, for the national team’s three home Test series and the tri-nation ODI series.

According to a press release issued by the PCB on Friday, Bangladesh will play two Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi from Aug 21 to Sept 3.

Then Pakistan will host England for three Tests in Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi during October. The West Indies will tour Pakistan for a two-Test rubber in Karachi and Multan during January 2025.

In February, a tri-nation ODI series featuring Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa will be played in Multan.

The ongoing refurbishment of the Gaddafi Stadium is the reason given by the PCB for Lahore not getting a Test match in the forthcoming home season. However, renovation work at the venues of Karachi and Rawalpindi is also going to start in a few days.

“Karachi, Multan, and Rawalpindi will share the seven Tests and four ODIs between them. The Gaddafi Stadium is currently undergoing redesign and redevelopment work as part of preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but is expected to be ready to stage most of the high-profile matches from Feb 19 to March 9. The ICC will announce further details of the Champions Trophy in due course,” said the PCB press release.

Besides the home contests, the Pakistan team will tour Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe between November 2024 and January 2025, during which they will play two Tests, nine ODIs, and nine T20 Internationals against these countries.

The international season will conclude with the final of the Champions Trophy — which Pakistan is going to host — scheduled for March 9. Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and hosts Pakistan will feature in the event.

“From August 2024 to March 2025, the Pakistan men’s team will play nine Tests, nine T20Is. and, at least, 14 ODIs. The number of ODIs may increase based on their performance in the ODI tri-series and the ICC Champions Trophy,” read the PCB statement.

Pakistan’s nine Tests against Bangladesh, England, West Indies and South Africa (away) are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. To date, Pakistan have played five Tests in two series against Sri Lanka and Australia, winning two and losing three.

This has placed them in fifth position on the table with 22 points. India lead the table with 74 points after three series, followed by Australia (90 points from four series), New Zealand (36 from three series), and Sri Lanka (24 from two series).

Bangladesh last played a Test in Pakistan in February 2020 while England swept a three-Test series in December 2022. The forthcoming season will also mark the West Indies’ first Test tour to Pakistan since November 2006 when Brian Lara captained the side against Inzamam-ul-Haq and his men.

Pakistan last hosted the West Indies for a Test series in October 2016 at neutral venues in the UAE.

Commenting on the finalization of the forthcoming home season, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said it would give ample time to the players and team management to prepare properly.

“It was critically important for us to finalize and announce our 2024-25 home international cricket season now. This ensures that both the men’s cricket team management and the PCB event staff have sufficient time to prepare, plan and deliver these series to our very high expectations and standards, showcasing Pakistan as an outstanding cricket nation and the PCB as a thoroughly professional organization,” Mohsin said.

“The visits by five top cricket-playing nations in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, followed by seven countries participating in the event proper over the next eight months, also highlight Pakistan’s standing and stature in international cricket. We deeply value the participation of these teams and players, who will bring immense talent and competitive spirit to our fields,” the PCB chief added.

Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury expressed his delight at his team’s forthcoming series in Pakistan.

“We thank the PCB for confirming the schedule for Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan for the ICC World Test Championship matches. The series presents a significant test for us, but it is also a chance to showcase our progress in this format,” the BCB chief said.

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said it would be a challenge facing Pakistan on their soil.

“As a team we are looking forward to returning to Pakistan for the ICC World Test Championship,” Najmul said. “Playing in Pakistan is always a challenging but exciting prospect, and we will have to be at our very best to compete against a formidable home side in their backyard.”

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould hoped for an exciting Test series in Pakistan.

“We’re really excited to be returning to Pakistan for this three-match men’s Test tour in October,” Gould said.

“Our last men’s Test tour of Pakistan produced some memorable matches and I’m sure fans can look forward to more exciting cricket across this forthcoming series.”

Expressing his pleasure over the upcoming series in Pakistan, Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave said: “We are pleased to be visiting Pakistan next January for the final Test Series in the current cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.

“Whilst we have toured Pakistan many times in recent years, it will have been almost two decades since we last played Test cricket there. The 2006 series also had Tests in both Karachi and Multan, and we look forward to returning for a competitive series against another proud Test cricketing nation.”

Schedule of Pakistan’s home international season (2024-25):

Bangladesh in Pakistan:

Aug 21-25: First Test, Rawalpindi

Aug 30-Sept 3: Second Test, Karachi

England in Pakistan:

Oct 7-11: First Test, Multan

Oct 15-19: Second Test, Karachi

Oct 24-28: Third Test, Rawalpindi

West Indies in Pakistan:

Jan 16-20: First Test, Karachi

Jan 24-28: Second Test, Multan

Tri-nation ODI series (all matches to be staged in Multan):

Feb 8: Pakistan vs New Zealand

Feb 10: New Zealand vs South Africa

Feb 12: Pakistan vs South Africa

Feb 14: Final

ICC Champions Trophy (schedule to be announced by ICC):

Feb 19 to March 9

Schedule of Pakistan’s away international matches (2024-25):

Pakistan in Australia:

Nov 4: First ODI, Melbourne

Nov 8: Second ODI, Adelaide

Nov 10: Third ODI, Perth

Nov 14: First T20 International, Brisbane

Nov 16: Second T20 International, Sydney

Nov 18: Third T20 International, Hobart

Pakistan in Zimbabwe:

Nov 24: First ODI, Bulawayo

Nov 26: Second ODI, Bulawayo

Nov 28: Third ODI, Bulawayo

Dec 1: First T20 International, Bulawayo

Dec 3: Second T20 International, Bulawayo

Dec 5: Third T20 International, Bulawayo

Pakistan in South Africa:

Dec 10: First T20 International, Durban

Dec 13: Second T20 International, Centurion

Dec 14: Third T20 International, Johannesburg

Dec 17: First ODI, Paarl

Dec 19: Second ODI, Cape Town

Dec 22: Third ODI, Johannesburg

Dec 26-30: First Test, Centurion

Jan 3-7: Second Test, Cape Town

 

 

 

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Schedule

International  cricket is coming  to the United States!

The US is set to host its first-ever ICC cricket tournament this year, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, as a co-host with West Indies. A  news release by the International Cricket Council  announced 55 matches to be played at various stadiums across the US including in Texas, New York, and Florida from June 1-29.

The opening match of the 9th edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup of 2024 will be played between Canada and the US on June 1 in Dallas, while the grand finale will take place on June 29 in Barbados. The semi-finals will take place in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.

New York City will host the much-anticipated clash between Pakistan and India on June 9, according to the schedule released by the ICC.

England enters the year as defending champions, having beaten Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup final in Melbourne. The series will mark Canada, USA and Uganda's first appearances at a Men's T20 World Cup.

Here's the full schedule of matchups and locations for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup:

ICC World Cup venues

Matches will take place in the following stadiums in the United States:

 

T20 World Cup: Pakistan-India Clash Set for June 9 in New York

Rivals Pakistan and India will play their Twenty20 World Cup 2024 group game in New York on June 9 while co-hosts United States will take on Canada in the opening match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Friday.

The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup runs from June 1-29. The expanded 20-team tournament is being  jointly held  by the United States and the West Indies and will get under way on June 1 at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas, when the US takes on Canada, both teams making their first appearance at a T20 World Cup.

A new venue 30 miles east of downtown Manhattan will host the big clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday, June 9 — one of eight games to be held at the 34,000-seat modular stadium being built in Nassau County.

A total of 16 games will be held in the United States — the first time that a major international cricket tournament is held in the country.

Lauderhill in South Florida, the most established cricket venue in the US, will host games featuring India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

While cricket is a niche sport in the United States it does enjoy significant support from the South Asian and Caribbean communities in the country.

“The US is already one of cricket’s biggest audiences for ICC events and bringing the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to New York City, Dallas and Florida is a massive opportunity to exponentially grow the sport,” said Peter Hutton, chair of T20 World Cup Incorporated, the entity established in the US to deliver the event.

“We’ve got three fantastic venues to host … a unique cricket spectacle featuring the best players in the world,” he added.

ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said the games in the US represented a “new frontier” in the expansion of the sport.

“It allows us to make a statement in the world’s biggest sports market,” he said.

“It will also be great to have an ICC event back in the West Indies, which has such a rich history of the game. It has hosted World Cups with great success in the past and this tournament will certainly provide a boost to the game there, especially with the final being played in Barbados,” he added.

The West Indies hosted the 2010 T20 World Cup, three years after they held the 50-over version.

Defending champions  England will begin their title defense on June 4 in Barbados against Scotland and 2022 finalists, Pakistan, will get underway when they play the US in Dallas.

England will go up against traditional rivals Australia in Barbados on June 8. The 20 teams have been divided into four groups of five, with the top two teams progressing to the ‘Super Eights’.

The Super Eight games will all be held in the Caribbean — in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The two top teams from each group in the Super Eight will progress to the semi-finals, which will be held in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago on Jun 26/27.

The final will be held in Barbados on June 29.

Group stage:

Group A:  India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, US

Group B:  England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman

Group C:  New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea

Group D:  South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal - AFP  |  Reuters  

 

 

Moneycontrol

 

New York to Host India v Pakistan Clash in 2024 T20 World Cup
By Simon Burnton

India’s game against Pakistan in a pop-up stadium on the outskirts of New York will be the showpiece occasion of the first group stage of next year’s T20 World Cup, with the full schedule due to be signed off by the International  Cricket  Council and local organizing committees.

Those countries will be among 10 teams who play all their opening group-stage games in the USA, who are co-hosting the tournament with the West Indies, as organizers hope to tap in to America’s large, cricket-loving expat communities.

Some changes to the schedule are still possible, but England and Australia will play all their group games in the Caribbean. It is understood that England’s games both in their initial, five-team group and, should they qualify from that, in the Super 8 round will all be in the British tourist hotspots of Antigua, Barbados and St Lucia, but the Australians will visit some of the region’s other venues, in St Vincent, Guyana and Trinidad.

ICC inspectors have been visiting the Caribbean venues over the last fortnight, finishing in Guyana this week, and though they found that some improvement and expansion is still necessary they have uncovered no significant issues. The venue for the final has not been confirmed but it is likely to be in Barbados, which has previously hosted the finals of the 2007 50-over World Cup and the 2010 T20 event.

America have confirmed that they will use just three venues, Central Broward Park in Florida, Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and Eisenhower Park on Long Island, about 25 miles from downtown Manhattan. The first two are dedicated cricket grounds, while a temporary, 34,000-seat stadium will be constructed for the tournament in New York, which has some 711,000 Indian residents and about 100,000 people of Pakistani origin according to the latest census data.

There is a 10-and-a-half-hour time difference between New York and New Delhi and organizers have agreed to schedule some games, particularly those involving India, with morning starts to better serve Indian television audiences.

England are defending champions having won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, beating Pakistan in the final. They are currently on a white-ball tour of the West Indies and have played in both Antigua and Barbados, giving them a useful insight into conditions they will face when they return in June. They have not played in St Lucia since 2019. – The Guardian

 

The country’s richest sports body has lacked continuous and proper management as the country’s prime minister holds the reins of the cricketing administration – Photo BBC

 

PCB, Not Babar, Should Take the Heat for Pakistan’s World Cup Debacle

By Syed Muhammad Zaid  

The lackluster performance that we saw during Pakistan’s World Cup campaign has sent the ‘bleed green’ fanbase into an abyss, akin to the Green Shirts’ unceremonious exit in 2015’s World Cup.

A team reshuffle and ‘where we go from here’ promises are always a typical approach to failed tournaments, but as a fan, I am fed up with how the players take the flak but never the cricket board.

Yesterday, top-order batter Babar Azam  announced  that he had stepped down as the Pakistan cricket captain in all formats. Babar didn’t mention a specific reason for his decision, but it comes on the heels of the team’s disastrous run in the ICC World Cup in India.

The poor performances have been deconstructed and dissected ad nauseam over the past few weeks. There is no need for another play-by-play of how badly the Green Shirts performed in the World Cup.

But what is needed is to pin some of the blame on the PCB. While the team shoulders the responsibility for its performance in the World Cup, the PCB is not blameless and has played the biggest part in our failure in the event.

Pakistan have already announced replacements for Babar in the Test and T20 side, with Shan Masood as the captain for the red ball and Shaheen Shah Afridi to lead the side in the shortest format of the game. There are no questions regarding Shaheen’s ability to lead the T20 side having won two back-to-back PSL trophies with Lahore Qalandar. But a complete upheaval every four years cannot be the answer to Pakistan’s problems.

PCB chief Zaka Ashraf (L) shakes hands with Babar Azam during a meeting at the PCB headquarters in Lahore—AFP /PCB

It also appears that the PCB has lost its faith in the coaching staff. It announced yesterday that the portfolio of the entire coaching staff would be changed, which is a knee-jerk reaction and another attempt at deflecting responsibility. How can a string of losses from a team that was number one in ODI rankings a little over two months ago merit a complete upheaval of the backroom staff?

Babar’s exit as the captain, while  not surprising , raises several important questions — including the crucial question of who will lead the ODI team — and necessitates careful reflection from the PCB.

But instead of introspection, the PCB once again it seems, has pinned the responsibility for what can only be called an utter failure to behave professionally — during a World Cup — with their captain, while trying to sweep its own obvious failures under the rug.

The fact is that the PCB has seen three chiefs — Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, and Zaka Ashraf — during the past couple of years. The country’s richest sports body has lacked continuous and proper management as the country’s prime minister holds the reins of the cricketing administration. Drastic transformations in the domestic structure by various PCB regimes since 2019 have  kept Pakistan cricket topsy-turvy . PCB’s conduct prior to the World Cup was a good sign for the nation as the board looked ready to back the national team. But its internal politics have very clearly hindered the team’s performance in the World Cup.

Let us look at how PCB themselves have performed during the World Cup.

What exactly is going on with the PCB?

This is one question that we should all ask. The board had backed Babar as  skipper  since April but suddenly looked to cut its losses when things began taking a turn for the worse. After Pakistan’s three consecutive losses in the World Cup, the PCB issued a very questionably timed  press release . When the team was already under pressure, why did the board feel it important to say that Babar and then-chief selector Inzamamul Haq were “given freedom and support” in forming the squad for the World Cup? They should be given “freedom and support” to pick the team, but it is a stretch to imply that they alone are responsible for what happens on the field.

Also, the PCB said that it would make decisions in the best interest of Pakistan cricket  going forward. Shouldn’t that have always been the board’s first priority? It’s not exactly unheard of for a sports board to make decisions for the betterment of the sport it represents.

Let’s return to the PCB’s handling of controversies which occurred during the World Cup. Inzamam stepped down as chief selector after media reports claimed he had a stake in a player’s management company registered with the PCB. The whole fiasco took place when Pakistan were still in the fight for the last semi-final spot. As Inzamam himself  pointed out , the allegations against him could have been investigated after the tournament.

At the same time, Babar’s private WhatsApp conversations were  leaked  on television, in a gross violation of the batter’s privacy. According to the host of the talk show, the PCB chief Zaka Ashraf himself  allegedly gave permission  to display the messages. Logically, the board should have come out and defended a player’s right to privacy. But we have the PCB chief himself giving permission to violate a player’s privacy.

So, my question now is: after Babar Azam — one of Pakistan’s greatest-ever batters — stepped down as captain, will Zaka Ashraf consider following suit? – Dawn

 

Cricket World Cup 2023: Dates, Schedule, Fixtures and Latest Odds for the ODI Tournament
By Josh Burrows   and  Will Macpherson

 

England will begin the defense of the World Cup title they won in 2019 against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on October 5 – a rematch of the nerve-racking 2019 final.

Jos Buttler’s side then play every other team in the tournament in a round-robin group stage that finishes with a match against Pakistan, the team they defeated in last year’s T20 World Cup final to become the first side to hold both white-ball World Cups simultaneously.

Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain and match-winner in the 2019 final, has been picked to play for England after  U-turning on his decision to retire  from one-day cricket. Stokes starred in England’s 3-1 ODI series victory over New Zealand,  scoring a record 182  in the third match.

However, another star of 2019, Jason Roy, has been axed from the squad over concerns about his fitness  with Harry Brook taking his place .

Who is hosting the World Cup?

India is hosting the tournament despite a tit-for-tat dispute with Pakistan about tournament boycotts. India had threatened to boycott the Pakistan-hosted Asia Cup in September; in retaliation, Pakistan threated to boycott the India-hosted World Cup. That dispute was resolved by sharing the Asia Cup hosting rights between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India’s games were all played in Sri Lanka.

At the World Cup, however, Pakistan will be playing in India. The round-robin match between the two sides will be held in Ahmedabad on October 15.

In the UK the 2023 World Cup will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket. 

There will be a daily highlight package shown at 7pm on Channel 5, which is free to air. That same highlights program will also be available to watch back on Channel 5’s on-demand platform, My5. 

Who is taking part?

Only 10 teams will play at the tournament. They are: India, who qualified automatically as the hosts, New Zealand, England, Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and South Africa, all of whom qualified based on their results in ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup, and Sri Lanka and the Netherlands, who earned their place via a qualifying tournament earlier this year. 

Among the teams who failed to qualify are previous World Cup winners West Indies, plus Ireland and Zimbabwe.

What is the format for the World Cup?

The 2023 edition follows the schedule used at the 2019 edition: a round-robin stage, followed by semi-finals and a final. In the round-robin all 10 teams will play each other once. A victory will be worth two points and a tie or no result will be worth one point. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals, with the top-ranked team against the fourth-ranked team, and the second and third placed teams against each other.

The boundary countback rule, on the basis of which England won the 2019 World Cup final, has been dropped. From now on, if teams are tied in a knock-out game and still tied after a super over, they will continue to play super overs until a winner is found. 

Full fixtures and schedule

This World Cup was originally slated for the spring of 2023, but the coronavirus pandemic messed up calendars, prompting the ICC to push it back by six months.

Thursday, October 5

England v New Zealand – Ahmedabad (09:30 UK time)

Friday, October 6

Pakistan v Netherlands – Hyderabad (09:30 UK time)

Saturday, October 7

Bangladesh v Afghanistan – Dharamsala (06:00 UK time)
South Africa v Sri Lanka – Delhi (09:30 UK time)

Sunday, October 8 

India vs Australia – Chennai (09:30 UK time)

Monday, October 9

New Zealand v Netherlands – Hyderabad (09:30 UK time)

Tuesday, October 10 

England v Bangladesh – Dharamsala (06:00 UK time)
Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Hyderabad (09:30 UK time)

Wednesday, October 11

India v Afghanistan – Delhi (09:30 UK time)

Thursday, October 12

Australia v South Africa – Lucknow (09:30 UK time)

Friday, October 13

New Zealand v Bangladesh – Chennai (09:30 UK time)

Saturday, October 14

India v Pakistan – Ahmedabad (09:30 UK time)

Sunday, October 15

England v Afghanistan – Delhi (09:30 UK time)

Monday, October 16

Australia v Sri Lanka – Lucknow (09:30 UK time)

Tuesday, October 17

South Africa v Netherlands – Dharamsala (09:30 UK time)

Wednesday, October 18

New Zealand v Afghanistan – Chennai (09:30 UK time)

Thursday, October 19

India v Bangladesh – Pune (09:30 UK time)

Friday, October 20

Australia v Pakistan – Bengaluru (09:30 UK time)

Saturday, October 21

England v South Africa – Mumbai (09:30 UK time)
Netherlands v Sri Lanka – Lucknow (06:00 UK time)

Sunday, October 22

India v New Zealand – Dharamsala (09:30 UK time)

Monday, October 23

Pakistan v Afghanistan – Chennai (09:30 UK time)

Tuesday, October 24

South Africa v Bangladesh – Mumbai (09:30 UK time)

Wednesday, October 25

Australia v Netherlands – Delhi (09:30 UK time)

Thursday, October 26

England v Sri Lanka – Bengaluru (09:30 UK time)

Friday, October 27

Pakistan v South Africa – Chennai (09:30 UK time)

Saturday, October 28

Netherlands v Bangladesh – Kolkata (09:30 UK time)
Australia v New Zealand – Dharamsala (06:00 UK time)

Sunday, October 29

India v England – Lucknow (08:30 UK time)

Monday, October 30

Afghanistan v Sri Lanka – Pune (08:30 UK time)

Tuesday, October 31

Pakistan v Bangladesh – Kolkata (08:30 UK time)

Wednesday, November 1

New Zealand v South Africa – Pune (08:30 UK time)

Thursday, November 2

India v Sri Lanka – Mumbai (08:30 UK time)

Friday, November 3

Netherlands v Afghanistan – Lucknow (08:30 UK time)

Saturday, November 4

England v Australia – Ahmedebad (08:30 UK time)
New Zealand v Pakistan – Bengaluru (05:00 UK time)

Sunday, November 5

India v South Africa – Kolkata (08:30 UK time)

Monday, November 6

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka – Delhi (08:30 UK time)

Tuesday, November 7

Australia v Afghanistan – Mumbai (08:30 UK time)

Wednesday, November 8

England v Netherlands – Pune (08:30 UK time)

Thursday, November 9

New Zealand v Sri Lanka – Bengaluru (08:30 UK time)

Friday, November 10

South Africa v Afghanistan – Ahmedabad (08:30 UK time)

Saturday, November 11 

England v Pakistan – Kolkata (08:30 UK time)
Australia v Bangladesh – Pune (05:00 UK time)

Sunday, November 12

India v Netherlands – Bengaluru (08:30 UK time)

Wednesday, November 15

Semi-final 1, (First plays fourth) – Mumbai (08:30 UK time)

Thursday, November 16

Semi-final 2, (Second plays third) – Kolkata (08:30 UK time)

Sunday, November 19

Final – Ahmedabad (08:30 UK time)

What are the latest odds?

India 5/2
England 13/4
Australia 9/2
Pakistan 7/1
New Zealand 10/1
South Africa 10/1
Sri Lanka 33/1
Bangladesh 100/1
Afghanistan 100/1
Netherlands 1000/1

England’s squad for the 2023 World Cup

Jos Buttler (Lancashire – captain)
Moeen Ali (Warwickshire)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Dawid Malan (Yorkshire)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
Reece Topley (Surrey)
David Willey (Northamptonshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire) – The Telegraph

Pakistan

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

 

Ben Stokes batting in the super over at the end of the 2019 World Cup final - Paul Ellis/Getty

 

Cricket World Cup 2023: Dates, Schedule, Fixtures and Latest Odds for the ODI Tournament
By Josh Burrows

Is it a year in the 21st century? Yes? Well then of course there's cricket world cup taking place. In fact 2023 is a bumper year for international limited-overs cup competitions, given that  the women's 20-over World Cup  finished in March. England's defence of the men's 50-over World Cup is later this year.

When and where is it?

This World Cup was originally slated for the spring of 2023, but the coronavirus pandemic screwed up calendars, prompting the ICC to push it back by about six months. According to the latest messages from the ICC, the tournament will be held in October and November, with the final due on November 26

India is due to host the tournament, although a dispute between the boards of India and Pakistan means that there are doubts, albeit small ones for now, about India keeping the hosting rights. The dispute is about whether India will boycott the Asia Cup, which will be hosted in Pakistan in September. If they do, Pakistan have threatened to boycott the World Cup in retaliation.

Who is taking part?

Only ten teams will play at the tournament. Seven have qualified automatically. They are:  India (as hosts),and  New Zealand, England,  Australia , Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan   (according to results in ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup).

One more team will qualify automatically, according to their ODI results. The four teams competing for this final automatic qualification spot are West Indies, Sri Lanka,  Ireland  and  South Africa .

The final two places at the tournament will be decided in a World Cup qualifying tournament held in Zimbabwe in September. This qualifying tournament will feature the three teams who miss out on automatic qualification, plus the lower-ranked ODI nations, including the likes of Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, Scotland, Oman, Namibia, UAE and Nepal.

What is the 2023 World Cup format ?

The 2023 edition will follow the schedule used at the 2019 edition: a round-robin stage, followed by semi-finals and a final. In the round-robin all ten teams will play each other once. A victory will be worth two points and a tie or no result will be worth one point. The top four teams will qualify for the semis, with the top-ranked team against the fourth-ranked team, and the second and third placed teams against each other.

Full fixtures and schedule

The fixtures and schedule can only be announced when the final ten teams have qualified. However, working backwards from the proposed date of the final (November 26), the semi-finals are likely to be on Tuesday 21 and Thursday 23. The 45 matches in the round-robin group stage will probably start in early or mid-October, with at least one game every day.

What are the latest odds?

At the start of 2023, the odds are as follows.

India 5/2
England 11/4
Australia 9/2
Pakistan 7/1
New Zealand  8/1

 

Who will be in the England squad?

By Will Macpherson

Matthew Mott, the England white-ball coach, says the Indian Premier League will have a “huge bearing” on selection for the World Cup.

In a quirk of their congested schedule, England’s  3-0 T20 defeat in Bangladesh  was their last white-ball action until September, with  the Ashes  and Hundred coming first in the home summer.

Mott’s team play New Zealand and Ireland across 10 matches in September, immediately before departing for the World Cup. But the squad for the showpiece tournament has to be picked before their next ODI - for logistical and marketing reasons - meaning fringe players will need to rely on other cricket to secure their places in the squad.

Mott felt that England’s mixed performances in Bangladesh, having won the ODI series but lost the T20s, would be instructive for World Cup selection. While the IPL is a different format, it does take place in India and features many of the world’s best white-ball players.

The IPL begins on March 31, with 15 Englishmen set to be involved. A strong tournament for the likes of Reece Topley, Phil Salt or Will Jacks - who is a doubt due to injury - could propel them into the squad, while Harry Brook will be looking for a statement showing after being picked up for more than £1m by Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“It has a huge bearing [on selection],” said Mott. “The IPL is renowned as one of the best competitions in the world, you’ve got all the best players playing in those conditions, we’ll be watching really closely on how our guys go.

“It’s a long time before our next game, there’s a lot of opportunities for players to put their hands up. We know it’s going to be an incredibly hard 15 to pick, a lot of players disappointed in that group, once they’re all fit it’ll be hard to squeeze them all in.”

Mott himself will take some time off, before scouring the domestic game for players who can improve England.

“The beauty is we have the opportunity to watch a lot of cricket, players getting opportunities in different formats and that is a big part of what we do, keeping in touch with the rest of the selection panel about what we are looking for, little incremental improvements. It seems an amazing amount of time before we get back together but it’ll come round fast and there will be a lot of talking and thinking in between.” The Telegraph

 

In 1999, Viv Richards was knighted for his contribution to cricket. In 2000, he was voted one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century by a 100-member panel of experts, coming fifth behind Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne -Antigua Observer

 

Sir Vivian Richards' Legendary Record Is Built on Playing Cricket without Ever Wearing a Helmet
By   Siraj Khan
Baltimore, MA

 

Sir Vivian Richards was notorious for punishing bowlers that dared to sledge him, so much so, that to avoid the wrath of Viv, many opposing captains banned their players from the practice. However, playing for Somerset in a county game against Glamorgan, Greg Thomas attempted to sledge Richards after he had played and missed several balls in a row. He took a jab at Richards with this gem “It’s red, round and it’s about five ounces, in case you were wondering.” Richards hammered the next delivery for 6, straight out of the grounds and into a nearby river. Turning back to the bowler, he said: “You know what it looks like, now go and find it.”

In 1999, Viv Richards was knighted for his contribution to cricket. In 2000, he was voted one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century by a 100-member panel of experts, coming fifth behind Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden as the greatest One Day International batsman who had played to that date and as the third greatest Test cricket batter.

To mark 150 years of Test history in 2013, Wisden named him in an all-time Test World XI and slotted Viv Richards at number 3, the only batsman of the post-war era along with Sachin Tendulkar to get featured in that team.

Several prominent cricket personalities including Imran Khan and writer John Birmingham are of the opinion that Richards was the best ever batsman against genuine fast bowling. Wasim Akram rates Richards as the greatest batsman he ever bowled to, ahead of Gavaskar and Martin Crowe. Akram also rates Richards as the best and most complete batsman he ever saw ahead of Tendulkar and Lara. Crowe himself rated Richards as the best batsman he played against.

Ian Botham, regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders and one of England’s greatest cricketers, rates Richards as the greatest batsman he ever saw – ahead of Gavaskar, Greg Chappell, Martin Crowe, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. Michael Holding, often regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time and part of the West Indies four-prolonged pace attack during the late 1970s-early 1980s, rates Richards as the greatest batsman he witnessed in the last 50 years. Australian fast bowling greats Jeff Thomson often regarded as the fastest bowler in cricket history along with Dennis Lillee, rates Richards as best batsman they ever bowled against. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell, who is regarded as one of the best cricket captains of all time, rates Richards as the most intimidating and dangerous batsman he ever saw who often changed the game simply by walking to the crease. I could go on and on.

However, what I am writing is not his biography. Yet, being a man of numbers, I have that natural inclination for quantifying greatness and accomplishment. One day last year, I was reading an article on Pakistan’s Younis Khan, his superlative exploits on the field and his yeoman services to Pakistan cricket. Taking the exercise further, I put down his statistics against Sir Vivian Richards’ and attempted to compare greatness from a different lens.

 

One day last year, I was reading an article on Pakistan’s Younis Khan, his superlative exploits on the field and his yeoman services to Pakistan cricket

 

Adding to it, are following impressive records that crown Younis Khan to greatness:

Younis has made Test hundreds in all 11 countries that have hosted Tests, a world record.

His century conversion ratio is over 50%, making more Hundreds than Fifties. Only a few batsmen can boast of such a record, one of which is Sir Don Bradman.

Five of his Test centuries have been made in the 4 th innings of a Test, the most by any, all of which have played influential roles in bringing victory to Pakistan or have saved his team from defeat.

Six Test double hundreds by him are the joint most by a Pakistan player, alongside Javed Miandad.

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The IMF Program Review And Role of the Private Sector

 

One of two Test players in cricket history to average above 45 in all four innings.

His Test average in a winning cause is 75.89; the 3rd best for any player in Test wins. (Min: 4,000 runs) Younis has scored 4857 runs in wins including 19 centuries.

70 sixes in Tests and comparatively only 56 in ODIs. Most batting greats have it higher in ODIs.

And if that isn’t enough, add to it 139 catches in Tests, the highest by a Pakistani who is also responsible for the highest number of runouts of the opposing team by his electric fielding.

By keeping his statistics alongside those of Richards, in no way am I trying to steal the thunder of Sir Viv’s amazing exploits with the willow. However, I believe that greatness is awarded more to some than to others – often unfairly. The media can make a hero of somebody and make another appear like a villain. Cricket was never expected to be commercial entertainment, where players are auctioned and have a bidding price for wearing colored clothes and advertising chewing gum. We live in a knowledge-based society, and you do not have to be a cricket fanatic to see the overall performance of a sportsman.

Just let the good old common-sense guide you fairly and help you understand the playing landscape better. There are a lot of dedicated players out there in the field who are doing amazing things quietly, without making a big deal, but somehow do not get the attention they truly deserve. We need to make the right judgment call and ensure that they get applauded and cheered all the way.

If I remove the numbers away totally, I am left in awe that in his entire career, Sir Vivian Richards those runs that he has racked up have been made without ever wearing a helmet and that no other cricketer has shown his quality and class, when the opposition and adversity has been the strongest, as Younis Khan did throughout his career. Try making a double-hundred against India in India!

 

Super Bowl LVII Could Be Memorable
By Ras H. Siddiqui

 

The biggest National Football League (NFL) game of 2023, Super Bowl LVII (Fifty-Seven) will be played at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday February 12 th with kickoff starting at 3:30 pm California time. The competing teams vying for the Vince Lombardi Trophy this time are the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the Philadelphia Eagles representing the National Football Conference (NFC). An interesting matchup here with experience (Chiefs) going up against momentum and exuberance (Eagles) with the real possibility of producing a truly memorable football game.

Before we get into the teams, some interesting facts about this game are worth sharing. First, this is the first Super Bowl where the starting Quarterbacks of both teams are Black (Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs and Jalen Hurts for the Eagles). Also playing against each other will be two brothers (Travis Kelce plays for the Chiefs and Jason Kelce for the Eagles). In this case the Kelce family wins either way! This is the 5 th appearance of the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl. They have won two (1970 and 2020) and lost two previously. For the Philadelphia Eagles, this is their 4 th appearance. They have won one Super Bowl (in 2018) and lost two previously. The years reported here are when the Super Bowl game was actually played, but the season as the NFL counts it, is usually the year before. And a final tidbit. This is the 4 th time that the Phoenix, Arizona metro area is hosting a Super Bowl. It is a good venue as the chances of inclement weather are low. 

The road to the Super Bowl has been quite different for these two teams. In the AFC Championship game, the Chiefs barely beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to get to the big game. It was a rough and tough contest which could have gone either way, but a last-minute field goal decided it in favor of the Chiefs.

The NFC Championship was another story altogether. The Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 which was quite a surprise against the #1 defense in the NFL. We can assume that this is the main reason that some pundits are predicting that the Eagles will win this Super Bowl. But we need to consider the fact that it was both injuries and penalties which doomed the 49ers this time. 

The Kansas City Chiefs have a more experienced quarterback with impressive statistics. Patrick Mahomes is a member of the 5000 club as he has passed for 5250 yards this season, averaging 308.8 yards per game. He also has 41 touchdowns under his belt and his chemistry with Travis Kelce on the field has been amazing as this duo can be significant in Chief victories. But the Chiefs rushing game has been relatively weak and we will see if Isiah Pacheco can surprise us this time. Otherwise, the passing game will have to suffice, and the Chiefs offensive line will have to get Mahomes enough time to throw the ball successfully to his receivers without getting intercepted.

 

 

The Philadelphia Eagles have had convincing victories lately and quarterback Jalen Hurts with just over 3700 yards passing in the regular season has been instrumental in their wins. His total yardage may pale in comparison to Mahomes along with his average 246.7 yards per game and 22 TD’s, but he appears to be on fire lately in his ability to find his receivers. The Eagles also have a superior running game with Miles Sanders leading the charge with 11 TD’s this season. On top of it all the Eagles defense has been very solid lately especially against the pass and has allowed just 14 points to be scored against them in the past two games (7 points each) compared to 40 points scored against the Chiefs in their last two (20 points in each).

Fans here in Northern California may not have much skin in this game after San Francisco’s loss to the Eagles. But we are interested in finding out if we lost to the best team in the NFL this year. And who does not enjoy some good football? This matchup has the potential to produce a great game.

It is always difficult to predict the outcome of a Super Bowl because the best teams from the AFC and the NFC are represented and have already completed their own grueling journey to get here. Some experts are predicting an Eagles win and one cannot totally disagree with them. But the Patrick Mahomes led Chiefs can still pull off a victory if they can survive an Eagles onslaught in the first half and keep them from scoring. If not, the outcome of this Super Bowl LVII leads to a party in Philadelphia. 

ESPNcricinfo

Babar Azam Named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2nd Consecutive Year

Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam on Thursday was named as Men’s ODI Player of the Year for the second time in a row by the  International Cricket Council (ICC)  for his “match-winning knocks [and] spell-binding stroke-play”.

The ICC noted that Azam last year amassed 679 runs from just nine ODIs at an average of 84.87, with three centuries and five half-centuries.

Besides, he maintained his lead as the number-one ranked  batter  on ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings — a title that he has held on to since July 2021.

The ICC praised Babar for his role as Pakistan’s captain as well, “leading his team with aplomb and to just one loss throughout the year”, which was  against Australia  in Lahore.

Cricket statistician Mazher Arshad remarked on Azam’s accomplishment: “Before him, no one from Pakistan had received this award. Truly an ODI great.”

 

Memorable performance

Recognizing the outstanding player for his noteworthy achievements, the ICC highlighted his score of 114 against Australia in Lahore as the most memorable performance.

Pakistan had successfully chased a massive total of 349 for the loss of just four wickets and with six deliveries to spare.

The cricket council described the match as a “must-win encounter for Pakistan” after it had lost the series opener to the “always-difficult Australian side”.

After openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq had achieved a 118-run stand, the Green Shirts needed 231 from 187 balls and that is when Azam came to their rescue.

He brought up his hundred from just 73 balls — his fastest ever in ODI cricket — and stuck around until the 45th over with the victory target in sight. – Dawn.com

Courtesy Dawn.com

 

Melbourne Looks into Hosting Pakistan vs India Test

This combination of photos shows Virat Kohli (left) and Babar Azam (right) — Pictures via CA website/PCB twitter

 

The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is looking into the possibility of hosting a Test match between India and Pakistan, who have not played each other in the longest format of the game since 2007 with bilateral cricket between the neighbors suspended.

Since India hosted Pakistan in a  bilateral limited-overs series in 2013  the pair have only competed against each other at 20 and 50-overs World Cups and the Asia Cup.

The last time they met was at the Twenty20 World Cup in October, where more than 90,000 fans piled into the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch  India win a last-ball thriller .

MCC Chief Executive Stuart Fox said the atmosphere at that match showed there would be no problem filling the venue for a Test series between the two.

“The atmosphere for that game, I’ve never felt anything like it,” Fox told radio station  SEN .

“The noise after every ball was phenomenal. Three (Tests) in a row would be lovely at the MCG, you’d fill it every time.

“We’ve taken that up with Cricket Australia. I know the (Victoria) government has as well. It’s enormously complicated from what I can understand, amongst a really busy schedule. So, I think that’s probably the greater challenge.”

Fox said he hoped Cricket Australia would keep pushing the proposal with the International Cricket Council, the sport’s global governing body.

“When you do see some of the stadiums around the world unoccupied, I think it would be much better to have a full house and that atmosphere and celebrating the game with full houses,” Fox added. - Reuters

Courtesy Reuters

ESPNCricinfo

 

Recharged England Face Pakistan Challenge in Long-Awaited Series

A recharged England, playing swashbuckling cricket under skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, will get their first taste of Pakistan conditions in 17 years when the first Test begins in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Under Stokes and former New Zealand great McCullum, England have remodeled their game-winning six of their last seven Tests at home playing what has been dubbed “Bazball” after the coach’s nickname.

That came after a dismal sequence of just one win in 17 Tests — including a 4-0 humiliation in the Ashes in Australia — resulting in head coach Chris Silverwood being sacked and Stokes taking over as skipper from Joe Root.

But low and slow pitches in Pakistan — where England last played a Test in 2005 — pose a different challenge, McCullum admits.

Security issues have meant Pakistan have had to play most of their home Tests of the last two decades on neutral grounds, usually the United Arab Emirates.

“We understand the size of the challenge in front of us — but that’s great, and that’s why you want to play the game,” McCullum told a press conference.

“But at the same time, if we are given the opportunity to try and play aggressive and attacking cricket, we’ll try and take that option.”

England’s new approach saw them chase down targets of 277, 299, 296 and 378 with ease to win Tests this year.

But they have won only two of the 22 Tests they have played in Pakistan, losing four and drawing the other 16.

Seam spearhead James Anderson, who toured with England in 2005 but didn’t play a Test, will have to draw on his 667-wicket experience to get life out of the expected unresponsive pitches with express pace bowler Mark Wood ruled out with a hip injury.

Root will anchor an inexperienced batting line-up that needs to counter Pakistan’s new spin attack of left-armer Nauman Ali plus uncapped pair Zahid Mahmood and Abrar Ahmed.

Shaheen out

The home team will miss strike bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is  out of the series  with a knee injury, while veteran spinner Yasir Shah has been dropped after struggling for form.

An inexperienced pace attack will be led by Naseem Shah, who has played 13 Tests, while Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Junior are both in line to make their Test debuts.

“It’s always great to play England and I look forward to getting on this journey with our talented bunch of players,” said captain Babar Azam.

If Pakistan win the series 2-0 they will jump to second from fifth in the World Test Championship, with a series at home against New Zealand left to play. The top two of the nine teams will contest the final next year.

England are seventh and out of contention for the final.

Pakistan may prepare a more result-oriented pitch at the Rawalpindi stadium after it produced 1,187 runs for the loss of just 14 wickets in a tame draw against Australia earlier this year.

That pitch was rated “below average” by match referee Ranjan Madugalle and described as “dead” by Australian batter Steve Smith.

If the pitch takes spin, England will rely on the experience of left-armer Jack Leach and may even bring in 18-year-old uncapped leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, drafted into the squad last week after being initially named as a reserve.

Leach has experience on Asian pitches, taking 28 wickets in Sri Lanka and 18 in India in the last four years. - AFP

Courtesy AFP

New Zealand have not played in Pakistan since 2003 - Joe Allison/Getty Images

 

New Zealand to Play Two Tests, Eight ODIs and Five T20Is in Pakistan

After not touring Pakistan for 19 years, New Zealand are all set to visit the country twice in the space of five months to play two Tests, eight ODIs and five T20Is. It means New Zealand will not play home fixtures over the Christmas and New Year's season this year, and will have to deal with a clash with the IPL during the second leg of the Pakistan tour in April and May next year.

The two Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship and will be played in Karachi (December 27-31) and Multan (January 4-8). The teams will return to Karachi to play three ODIs that are part of the ICC Super League on January 11, 13 and 15.

New Zealand then go back to Pakistan in April and May to play five more ODIs, which are not part of the Super League, and five T20Is. The first four T20Is will be played in Karachi on April 13, 15, 16 and 19, before the teams travel to Lahore for the fifth T20I and the first two ODIs on April 23, 26 and 28. The last three ODIs of the series are in Rawalpindi on May 1, 4 and 7.

New Zealand's first visit is a part of the Future Tours Program, while the second was agreed to make up for the matches lost when they  called off their limited-overs tour  of Pakistan minutes before the start of the first ODI in September 2021, citing security concerns.

"New Zealand is one of the high-performing sides and the more we will play against the top teams in our backyard, the better we will get as a unit, which is crucial to our objective of featuring inside the top three across all formats," Zakir Khan, PCB director - international cricket, said in a statement. "The New Zealand matches will also provide opportunities to our youngsters to continue to watch and follow their favorite players in action, something they have missed when we were forced to play our international cricket offshore.”

New Zealand last toured Pakistan in November 2003, and their return follows the tours of Australia and England to the country this year after a gap of 24 and 17 years respectively.

"I know our players can't wait to arrive and savor the experience of playing in Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi - places that carry a great cricketing heritage," NZC CEO David White said.

"The recent tours from Australia and England have left us in no doubt regarding the quality of the Pakistan side across all formats, and the extent of the challenge that awaits us." - ESPNcricinfo staff

Pakistan players celebrate a wicket — Twitter/ @TheRealPCB

 

Pakistan down Bangladesh by 21 Runs in T20I Tri-Series Opener

Christchurch: Pakistan inflicted a 21-run defeat on Bangladesh in the opening game of the triangular series in New Zealand on Friday.

Mohammad Rizwan maintained his rich vein of batting form in the first innings with an unbeaten 78 as Pakistan made 167-5 against Bangladesh.

Rizwan batted through the innings in cold, difficult conditions at Hagley Oval, tallying seven fours and two sixes in his 21st half-century.

His 50-ball knock dominated the start of a series, also involving hosts New Zealand, which the three teams are using to prepare for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Mohammad Rizwan (right) batted through the innings in cold, difficult conditions at Hagley Oval, tallying seven fours and two sixes in his 21st half-century — Twitter/ @TheRealPCB

 

The world´s top-ranked T20 batsman, Rizwan didn´t offer a chance as he lifted his career average in the shortest international format to 54.34.

After being asked to bat, Rizwan negotiated an awkward-paced wicket which caused several team-mates to miscue shots.

All five wickets to fall were via outfield catches, including two off Bangladesh´s best bowler, paceman Taskin Ahmed, who took 2-25.

Rizwan´s best support came from Shan Masood (31 off 22 balls) following an opening stand of 52 with captain Babar Azam (22 off 25).

Players from both teams regularly slipped on a surface made hard by unexpected weather conditions earlier in the week.

A cold blast left ground staff sweeping snow from the covers and outfield on Thursday morning.

Temperatures had climbed to a relatively warm 12 degrees Celsius (54F) for the start of the match. - AFP

Courtesy AFP

England to Play 7 T20s in Pakistan

 

Islamabad: England will tour Pakistan for the first time in 17 years when it plays seven Twenty20s next month in Karachi and Lahore.

Karachi will host four T20s from Sept. 20-25 and Lahore will host the remaining three from Sept. 28-Oct. 2.

England last toured Pakistan in 2005, while Pakistan twice hosted in the United Arab Emirates in 2012 and 2016. Last year, England was due to tour Pakistan just before the T20 World Cup but withdrew citing “bubble fatigue” and unexplained security concerns.

“England ... playing the shortest format in the leadup to the men’s T20 World Cup in Pakistan will not only help the team management to finalize their preparations, but will also set the tone for December’s three-test series,” Pakistan Cricket Board director international cricket Zakir Khan said in a statement on Tuesday.

England will return to Pakistan after the T20 World Cup in Australia in October to play three test matches in December.

England’s security delegation visited Pakistan last month.

Pakistan will also host New Zealand in two phases. New Zealand will play two tests and three one-day internationals in December-January and return in April for another five ODIs and five T20s.

Pakistan is also due next year to host the Asia Cup for the first time since 2008, as warmup event for next year’s 50-over Cricket World Cup in India in October-November. – AP

Schedule of T20Is:

Jayasuriya Stars again as Sri Lanka Thrash Pakistan to Level Test Series
By Faisal Kamal

Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya grabbed five wickets as Sri Lanka thumped Pakistan by 246 runs in the second Test to end the series 1-1 on Thursday.

Chasing a mammoth 508 for victory, tourists Pakistan were bowled out for 261 in the second session on day five with skipper Babar Azam hitting a valiant 81 in Galle.

The 30-year-old Jayasuriya, a left-arm spinner, claimed his fourth five-wicket haul in just his third Test since making his debut against Australia earlier this month.

Ramesh Mendis, who took five wickets with his off-spin in Pakistan's first innings, wiped off the tail with four more to trigger Sri Lankan  celebrations.

The tourists won the opener with a Galle record chase of 342 and fought hard to outdo themselves, with the in-form Azam scoring his 23rd Test fifty and putting on brave stands with overnight partner Imam-ul-Haq (49) and Mohammad Rizwan (37).

But Jayasuriya kept hitting back with regular strikes and got Agha Salman out for four at the stroke of lunch, then trapped talisman Azam lbw to end Pakistan's resistance.

Ramesh struck on his first ball of the day to get Imam caught behind, with the left-handed batsman adding just three to his overnight 46.

Jayasuriya, who took one wicket on day four, cut short Rizwan's stay on 35 with his left-arm spin. Fawad Alam was run out for one.

Azam survived Jayasuriya's lbw call, which was given out by the umpire but successfully reviewed by the batsman, before the bowler claimed him for the third time this series.

Azam, who began the day on 26 and needed some physio help for lower back discomfort, has been in top form with the bat and scored 119 and 55 in Pakistan's opening win.

Dhananjaya de Silva, who stood in as Sri Lanka captain with back pain keeping Dimuth Karunaratne off the field, set up victory with his 109 in Sri Lanka's 360-8 declared.

Sri Lanka ended their innings on Wednesday afternoon with a monumental lead but weather remained concern for the hosts, with play ending early on day three and four due to bad light and rain predicted for Thursday afternoon.

Pakistan fell behind Sri Lanka by 147 runs after being bowled out for 231 in response to the hosts' first-innings 378. - AFP

Shafique Steers Pakistan to Victory over Sri Lanka in First Test
By Rex Clementine

Galle, Sri Lanka (AP): Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 160 to lead Pakistan to a record run chase and a four-wicket victory on Wednesday in a series-opening cricket test that went ahead despite a political and economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

His 408-ball innings contained six boundaries and a six in an innings, although he did get some reprieves.

Shafique was lucky to survive an LBW appeal when he was on four. He was dropped on 135 when Dhananjaya de Silva missed a return catch and again on 151 as Pakistan closed in on the win.

A rain delay after lunch on Day 5 slowed down Pakistan’s push for victory with 11 runs still required, but it really was only a matter of time.

The previous highest successful run chase at Galle was Sri Lanka’s 268 against New Zealand in 2019.

“We knew that the set batsmen had to score big," Shafique said. "The early part was always going to be tough but once you are set, you can score big runs here.

"It was a great effort. Pretty happy with what we have achieved here.”

Together with overnight batsman Mohammad Rizwan, Shafique added 71 runs for the fourth wicket to help Pakistan inch toward the victory target of 342.

Rizwan eventually fell for 40 when Prabath Jayasuriya trapped him LBW, leaving Pakistan needing less than 70 runs with six wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka also claimed the wicket of Agha Salman (12) in the last over before lunch, when Jayasuriya had him caught behind.

The wicket eased out with a lack of bounce helping the batters as the first test wore on. Sri Lanka didn’t help its cause spreading the field in a bid to stop boundaries and its defensive mindset only helped Pakistan's batters take singles.

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne regretted not having enough runs in the first innings.

“We won the toss and batted first, and we should have scored much more than the 222 we managed," he said. "There were some soft dismissals and that gave them the advantage.

"But having said that, we did well to set them a target of 342. Anything beyond 300 is big in Galle but apart from Prabath Jayasuriya, rest of the bowling was pretty poor. Disappointed with the way we played, but we will bounce back in the next game.”

As the test was in progress, there was a protest organized just a few hundred meters from the stadium in Galle against the rising cost of living and corruption. The protests in the capital Colombo have been taking place on a larger scale and forced cricket officials to shift the second test, originally scheduled for Colombo, to Galle with a Sunday start.

The first test finished not long after Sri Lankan lawmakers chose six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president, defying the risk the vote would re-ignite turmoil among a public outraged by the South Asian country’s dire economic, humanitarian and political crisis.

The vote means Wickremesinghe, prime minister and acting president, will succeed former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and finish the term ending in 2024 that Rajapaksa abandoned by fleeing the country and resigning earlier this month. – AP

 

Courtesy AP

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja addresses a press conference in Karachi on June 29, 2022 — PCB

 

‘I Am Not Going Anywhere,’ Says PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja
By  M Muzamil Asif

 

Karachi: Ruling out any uncertainty over his future in the office, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja Wednesday said that he was not going anywhere.

Addressing a press conference at the National Stadium in Karachi, Ramiz Raja blamed the media for spreading speculations about his exit.

“There is no uncertainty. You people [journalists] are the ones creating this uncertainty. I know the inside issues, and nothing is going to happen,” he added.

The former cricketer said it has been a tradition that when a new government is formed, the board’s chief is changed, but it was not a constitutional or legal requirement to change the PCB chairman.

“I am not going anywhere; should I write it on a stamp paper and give it to you?” he asked a journalist who asked him about his future. The PCB chairman added: “I know you people want me gone as it will give you headlines.”

On his future after the conclusion of his term as the PCB chairman, the former batter said he might not be a commentator as he has “fought with almost everyone”.

 

‘Let the bat do the talking’

Talking about batter Ahmed Shehzad, the PCB chairman said that he should perform well and engage in introspection during his time out.

“My message to Ahmed Shehzad: Let the bat do the talking. Shan Masood made a comeback by performing well,” the PCB chairman told journalists in response to a question about Shehzad's demand to make a negative report regarding him public.

In his conversation with media personnel a day earlier, Shehzad demanded the PCB make a "negative report" about him public.

"The report submitted to the PCB by the past team management about me and on the basis of which I have been harmed by being kept away from the team should be made public."

In response to the batter, Raja further said that this wasn’t Shehzad speaking, rather it was the “frustration” talking — as this happens when you are not in the team. – The News

Dawn adds: … When Ramiz’s attention was drawn towards the fact that Shahbaz Sharif had met former PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood but not him so far and some leaders in the present government had categorically stated they would soon send Ramiz home, the incumbent PCB chief sounded philosophical yet remained simple.

“Look, he [the PM] is the PCB patron-in-chief. I think if fans are with you and your performance also speaks [in your favor] then it will be difficult [for the authorities] to make a decision but he [PM] is the patron-in-chief and it is his call,” the 59-year-old Ramiz said.

“I think if the Pakistan team is giving [good] performances then our discussion should not be to change the chairman. Rather the focus should be on the team’s performance, to point out its weak and strong areas,” he emphasized.

Ramiz said he had a number of plans to develop the game which he sought to discuss with PM Shahbaz Sharif.

“I have so many options. However, my pipeline project, particularly the junior league, pathways program for 100 junior cricketers and hiring foreign coaches for domestic cricket are my excitements and these are important for Pakistan cricket,” he said.

“I have written to the prime minister a letter for the meeting to brief him over the future plans,” Ramiz said.

“There is no issue of ego as we all need to lift the game, and should not destroy our cricket on the desire of a couple of individuals.”

Answering a question, Ramiz said when previous patron-in-chief Imran Khan, who made Ramiz PCB chairman, left as PM, he (Imran) blocked his (Ramiz’s) number.

Ramiz said when he took charge as PCB chief nine months ago, he aimed to bring excellence in three spheres — cricket, commercial and organizational.

“The success rate of the Pakistan team is 75 per cent, while India’s success rate is 68 per cent, England’s is 45 and New Zealand 38. All our opponents are richer in resources as compared to Pakistan,” he pointed out.

“From the commercial point of view, the model of the HBL-Pakistan Super League has increased 81 per cent, as our funds [currently] are at the highest level. We are making properties in the shape of a junior league and pathway program. Every PSL franchise received Rs810 million from the seventh edition in which all matches, for the first time, were held in Pakistan with capacity crowds,” he underlined.

Responding to a query, Ramiz said he wanted to salute Multan fans who came to watch the recently-held Pakistan-West Indies ODIs in extremely hot weather.

Speaking on the subject of security, the PCB chief said they have decided to make arrangements for the touring teams to stay inside the stadiums’ premises in order to resolve the issue once and for all.

“Yes, due to [stringent] security arrangements during matches fans all over Pakistan have faced too many problems. Therefore, we have decided to build 70 rooms at the National Stadium Karachi, 30 at the National High Performance Center, Lahore and 70 in Multan for the teams to stay there. In this way, we can avoid [additional] security expenditure as well as inconvenience to citizens.”

Commenting on the matter of upgrading the major cricketing venues across Pakistan, Ramiz said the PCB had no lease agreement for the Multan Cricket Stadium, Gaddafi Stadium, Pindi Cricket Stadium and now LCCA ground, which was given to the PCB by Lahore commissioner last year. “Therefore, it is tough for the Board to invest on developing the infrastructure of these venues,” he said.

In fact, he added, the PCB needed new stadiums particularly in the small cities where fans were waiting to see world-class players in action.

Ramiz said the idea to install drop-in pitches had been shelved, adding it was causing too many transportation-related problems.

“Now we are working on procuring Australian soil besides bringing in their curators to prepare pitches of international standard,” he said, adding 107 new pitches across Pakistan were being laid.

Ramiz said Pakistan’s win against India in the 2021 T20 World Cup proved a game changer.

Some changes in the team management made before World Cup had a positive impact, he said.

“Even my family was against any kind of changes at that crucial time, but I made them [hiring of coaches, Matthew Hayden of Australia and South African Vernon Philander], and it served the team,” he recalled.

To a number of questions, Ramiz did not show eagerness to have elected members on the PCB’s BoG and the general body.

“I think the system based on elected members has its own challenges as many people are used to even blackmail the PCB while there are only a few individuals who want to work with heart and soul for the game’s welfare. However, now within three months office-bearers will be elected as scrutiny of the clubs through an outsourced system has started,” he said.

On the resumption of departmental cricket which was abolished during the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the chairman had a different stance.

“In place of departmental cricket, the PCB is taking care of around 250 cricketers, who are earning Rs3.5 to Rs5.5 million per year from domestic cricket. [Moreover], a letter was written by the PCB to departments and companies [for the resumption of departmental cricket] but no enthusiastic response was received from them,” he said. - Dawn

 

Photo: CricCrazyJohns/Twitter

 

Babar Azam Gives His Man of the Match Award to Khushdil Shah & Wins Hearts

 

Babar Azam has once again set the bar pretty high for a cricket captain by displaying one of the highest forms of sportsmanship — making sure his teammate Khushdil Shah gets credit for his match-winning performance.

On Thursday, Shah stepped into a sinking boat of a match against the West Indies and  turned  the opening ODI of the three-match series around. Having started the over needing 44 off 24, Shah’s hitting saw them end it needing 24 off 18. His 23-ball 41 not out overshadowed all the other players' performances.

This was not lost on Azam, who, when awarded the Man of the Match prize, decided to hand it over to Shah, someone he thought was more deserving.

ESPN  posted the moment on Twitter, praising the captain.

Shah thanked God for the success in the first ODI and credited the "great team work". He tagged Azam and appreciated him for keeping the foundation strong as it is what enabled the win. "Insha Allah Pakistan will keep performing wonderfully in the next matches as well," he tweeted.

Player Shadab Khan also took a moment to appreciate both players who stood out. Addressing the captain he said, "I pray that you always keep scoring centuries like this and stay young, that Khushdil keeps hitting sixers and we keep improving in our efforts."

Azam was appreciated by netizens for this gesture. They hailed him as the "best captain in the world" who's going around "winning hearts". Twitter users also felt like Shah really deserved the title of the player of the match.

People really appreciated the gesture.

The good news only keeps getting better — Azam is also the fastest captain to reach 1,000 runs in men's ODI.

We love seeing good sportsmanship and players supporting each other. - Images

 

Ramiz Calls for Calm amid Resignation Rumors

By Mohammad Yaqoob  |  Mir Shabbar Ali

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja addresses a press conference in Lahore on Sept 13, 2021 — Reuters

Karachi/Lahore: Sensing stress and anxiety among his subordinates at the Pakistan Cricket Board headquarters in Lahore, chairman Ramiz Raja gathered them in a meeting on Wednesday and assured them that he is staying and work shall be continued as planned.

The assurance was needed amid speculations regarding Ramiz’s future at the helm following Shehbaz Sharif’s election as prime minister — automatically making him PCB’s patron — after his predecessor Imran Khan was ousted from office via a no-confidence vote.

“If he’s so assured, it must mean he has support from someone who has the power to appoint or remove him has communicated something,” a source close to the matter told  Dawn .

However, sources in the government have told  Dawn  that the a list of candidates aspiring for the role is lying on Shehbaz’s desk at the Prime Minister Office and that Ramiz may quit anytime.

In the PCB’s constitution, the patron has no power to oust the chairman. However, in many decisions of the honorable courts of Pakistan, it has been declared that a person who has the power to appoint anyone also has the powers to withdraw their names.

Therefore, Shehbaz may withdraw the nominations of both Ramiz and Asad Ali Khan — another board member nominated by Imran — if they don’t step down voluntarily.

Shehbaz is most likely to bring back former PCB chief Najam Sethi, who was at the board’s helm when the now premier’s brother Nawaz was the head of government. Sethi resigned when Imran Khan took office after the 2018 general elections.

During Sethi’s tenure, the PCB successfully launched the Pakistan Super League and the national team won their maiden Champions Trophy in 2017.

Sources said a good number of candidates are lobbying for the coveted post and among them some former cricketers are also included.

Traditionally, a change of prime minister is followed by the election of a new PCB chairman, a position for which the country’s premiers have always handpicked their favored individuals.

Imran did the same when he took charge back in 2018, nominating former International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani for the post.

After Mani’s three-year term, Imran brought in Ramiz, who was unanimously elected as the PCB chief in September last year.

Ramiz, since he assumed the charge, has shown no hesitation in expressing his ambitions for Pakistan cricket.

While the idea of a four-nation tournament — involving Pakistan, India, England and Australia — that he floated at the ICC board meeting earlier, looks like one closest to his heart, he has been working on creating what he calls “properties” to attract investors towards Pakistan cricket.

Two of such properties are PSL-style tournaments for Under-19 players and women, scheduled to be held in October and February respectively.

Ramiz has also been vocal about the revamping of pitches across the country.

While there are fears all these projects can be potentially dumped if a new PCB chairman comes in, there’s also hope within some members of the cricketing fraternity that the resignation of an Imran-appointed chief will result in the reintroduction of departmental teams in domestic cricket.

The system was revamped in 2019, following the passing of a new PCB constitution, which saw the role of departments go virtually irrelevant and six provincial cricket associations teams introduced.

“Bringing back departmental cricket will be a task that will take some time, and clearly cricket is not a priority of the new government,” a source close to the matter told Dawn.

 

Azam to Khawaja: Five Things We Learned from Australia's Pakistan Tour

The Frontier Post

Australia's cricketers were headed home Wednesday after completing their first tour to Pakistan since 1998.

Pat Cummins' side won the three-Test series 1-0, lost the one-day internationals 2-1 and rounded off an incident-free trip with victory in the lone Twenty20 international.

AFP Sports highlights five things we learned from the first full tour to Pakistan by a top Test-playing nation since the fatal attack on a Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009.

 

- It's safe to tour -

A full-strength Australia squad was greeted by head of state-style security with hundreds of policemen and military personnel guarding their hotels and routes to the grounds.

The matches passed off without incident in Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore and the players, despite also being under strict Covid protocols, were even able to get out for a round of golf.

Pakistan will be hoping the successful Australian tour has paved the way for England and New Zealand to return after both called off series in Pakistan last year citing unspecified security concerns.

 

- Pitches fail the Test -

The Test series was blighted by flat pitches that offered nothing for the bowlers.

The opening match, on a Rawalpindi pitch deemed "below average" by the International Cricket Council, saw just 14 wickets fall as 1,187 runs were eked out in a bore draw.

The second Test pitch in Karachi was also slow and low and saw drama only in the final session of the final day when a late flurry of wickets saw Pakistan hang on for a draw.

Then it took Cummins' bold declaration with almost two days' play remaining in Lahore to earn Australia a win and the series on another placid pitch.

At least the batsmen-friendly surfaces made for more of a spectacle in the white-ball games.

The highlight was Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq both scoring centuries as Pakistan thrillingly completed a record ODI run chase of 349 with an over to spare in Lahore to keep the series alive.

 

- Be prepared -

Australia were able to compete when they stepped into the unfamiliar territory of Pakistan because of meticulous research and preparation that even included studying domestic match performances in detail.

The result was an Australia squad able to cover every eventuality.

The tourists had variety in their spin and fast-bowling options, and selected experienced batsmen who could adapt to the conditions -- including Pakistan-born Usman Khawaja, one of the tour's big success stories.

 

- Khawaja at home -

Khawaja's parents were unable to travel to see him play, but their son did them proud as he plundered 496 runs at an average of 165.33 with two centuries to be the highest scorer in the series.

It capped off a fairytale return to Test cricket for Khawaja, who had not played since 2019 when he was recalled for the fourth Ashes Test at Sydney in January.

He memorably scored a century in each innings at the SCG and his stellar run of scores on this tour of 97, 160, 44 not out, 91 and 104 not out have cemented the 35-year-old's place at the top of Australia's order.

 

- Azam joins the elite -

Pakistan captain Azam was already renowned as one of the world's finest white-ball batsmen but he can now justifiably join the ranks of Australia's Steve Smith, India's Virat Kohli, England's Joe Root and New Zealand's Kane Williamson as a modern-day master.

"Glad we don't have to bowl to Babar any more for a while," said limited-overs captain Aaron Finch after Azam top scored for the third match running with 66 in his side's 162-8 in Tuesday's lone T20 international.

Azam stood tall in all three formats but his 425-ball, 607-minute, career-best 196 to save the second Test in Karachi was an epic.

Two years after his last Test century, his extraordinary display was the highest fourth-innings score by a captain in history.

There was no let-up in the ODI series as he smashed back-to-back hundreds in the last two matches in Lahore to lead Pakistan's come-from-behind 2-1 victory. – AFP

 

 

After 24 Years, Australia Wins a Test Series in Pakistan
By Tom Decent
Lahore

Australian captain Pat Cummins celebrates a Pakistan wicket with teammates on the final day of the third Test – AP

After 24 years and 672.3 brutal overs in the field across a series that went down to the 45th and final session over 15 exhausting days, Australia has finally secured a Test series victory in Pakistan thanks to a career-defining five-wicket haul from Nathan Lyon.

Pat Cummins and his players have achieved what Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke - as captains - and a generation of other precocious cricketers never got the chance to do by winning a series in Pakistan, more than two decades after Mark Taylor’s men recorded an identical 1-0 series result in 1998.

Smith's sharp catch ends Babar's knock

Cummins’ daring day four declaration was validated in the most rewarding fashion imaginable in stifling conditions as Australia executed plans to perfection in a series characterized by patience and perseverance.

It was only fitting that Cummins inflicted the killer blow by blasting two of Naseem Shah’s stumps out of the ground to spark wild celebrations in the middle of Gaddafi Stadium on Friday afternoon.

After making their way to 2-142, Pakistan crumbled when the heat was on, losing 8-93 to be bowled out for 235, well short of their target of 351.

“I thought 350 was a total that if they batted really, really well they were in the game but I thought if we bowled to our potential, it was a long way away,” Cummins said. “We knew we’d bide our time and the way we applied ourselves today ... everyone was up for it.

“The really great thing about this squad is we played really well in the Ashes and we’ve proven each individual’s game can be transferred to anywhere in the world. Really happy with everyone. We didn’t really know what to expect coming over here, but it’s been an amazing experience for our whole group.”

Lyon, who rode the roller coaster in Karachi when Australia couldn’t bowl Pakistan out in 171.4 overs, was the undisputed hero of Friday’s fantastic finale of a series that few thought would go ahead 12 months ago.

The wily spinner hadn’t taken a five-wicket haul during the entire pandemic but sent a reminder to all the doubters that he still has what it takes. His 5-83 from 37 overs will go down as one of his most important five-wicket hauls as Australia took out the Benaud-Qadir Trophy in style.

Pakistan needed 161 runs from 37 overs in the final session, with five wickets in hand, to orchestrate an extraordinary win.

As Babar Azam crunched the new second new ball with frightening ease, having been dropped at deep mid-wicket by a diving Travis Head five balls before tea, Lyon had the Pakistani captain caught at first slip thanks to a terrific catch from Steve Smith who made it count when it mattered.

When Sajid Khan (21) chipped a ball to Usman Khawaja and Hasan Ali (13) was bowled by Lyon, Australia went in for the kill.

An earlier cameo of 70 from Imam-Ul-Haq kept the home side in the contest but it wasn’t to be as Mitch Swepson took a blinder on the boundary for the ninth wicket before Cummins put the icing on the cake of his first away series victory as skipper.

The magnitude of what Australia has achieved in their first overseas tour since the 2019 Ashes cannot be overstated. It took the full 15 days but Australia were clinical when it mattered and trusted their class would shine through.

Lyon picked up two of Australia’s first three wickets as No.3 Azhar Ali threw his bat and gloves in disgust after a controversial review.

David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne missed extremely difficult chances fielding in close and Pakistan captain Babar Azam was nearly run out by Imam in an eventful first session last night before Cummins (3-23) snared two wickets from six deliveries thanks to some outstanding reverse swing.

Earlier, Cummins began Australia’s quest for 10 wickets by taking the first over on day five but it was all-rounder Cameron Green who delivered the key breakthrough in the fourth over.

Australia edges closer to a win in the third Test after Pat Cummins traps Mohammad Rizwan lbw with an in-swinging yorker

Acting as Australia’s third seamer in this match, Green found the edge of Abdullah Shafique’s bat and celebrated accordingly with a big fist pump. The opener prodded outside the off stump and departed for 27 as Alex Carey snaffled a simple catch behind the wicket to get Australia’s day off to a flyer.

After Australia sent down 27 overs without reward on Thursday afternoon, Green’s third wicket of the series was a much-needed confidence boost that ended a 77-run opening partnership. It was a big tick for Cummins’ captaincy, given many thought he would open up with Mitchell Starc at the other end.

Pakistan passed 100 in the 40th over before a controversial DRS ruling saw Australia remove Azhar for 17. Azhar tried to sweep Lyon before the ball hit his pad and ballooned to Steve Smith at slip.

Australia were adamant Azhar had got a faint bottom edge before pad, so sent the decision upstairs.

Ultraedge showed a very small spike but Pakistan could have argued there was not enough evidence to overturn the not out decision.

However, Azhar was sent packing, much to his displeasure, for his third score below 20 since his 185 in Rawalpindi. With Pakistan 2-105, replays showed Azhar launching his bat the moment he entered the dressing room before throwing gloves in the same direction.

Lyon is no different to other Test spinners, who have to deal with the pressure of steering their team to victory on a final day.

When the odds are in his team’s favor, the pressure is amplified. Australia’s greatest off-spinner relished the occasion and had his second wicket when Imam was caught sharply at silly point by Labuschagne.

Cummins then had Fawad Alam (11) and Mohammad Rizwan removed in quick succession, both LBW for his sixth and seventh wickets of the match. Rizwan walked off without reviewing the decision but replays showed the ball swinging in would have hit him outside the line of off stump.

Australia arrived in Pakistan late last month knowing there would be no repeat of their demolition job of England in the Ashes.

Only two of the five Ashes matches went to a fifth day. Cummins warned this series would be won or lost - and hopefully not drawn - across 15 energy-sapping days that would be an ultimate test of his team’s fortitude. He wasn’t wrong.

The PCB and Cricket Australia have pulled off a tour that few predicted would take place after the Lahore terrorist attack in 2009. There will be debates about the quality of cricket, but the bigger picture of this tour is ensuring more of the big teams travel to Pakistan.

Behind the scenes, Pakistan cricket officials had spoken about the last ball of the series being more important than the first.

Cummins sending stumps flying probably wasn’t what they had in mind, but if it means more Test cricket takes place in Pakistan, it’s job well done. - The Age

 When a Draw Felt Better than Victory
By Abdul Majid
Karachi

Australia's cricketers clap as Pakistan's captain Babar Azam walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal on the fifth and final day of the second Test match between Pakistan and Australia at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday — AFP