Category: Featured

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled a 17-member squad for the forthcoming UAE T20 Tri-Series and the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday.

Salman Ali Agha will captain the team, which includes experienced players such as Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf. Additionally, young talents Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, and Hussain Talat have also been selected for the lineup.

Meanwhile, the ace duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have not been selected in the Pakistan squad.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s last T20I appearance came in December 2024 against South Africa.

Following the squad announcement, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson shed light on the selection of pacer Salman Mirza.

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“We have retained Salman Mirza because of his performance in Bangladesh,” Hesson said.

Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia Cup

Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim

Tri-series schedule (all matches at Sharjah Cricket Stadium):

29 August – Afghanistan v Pakistan – 7pm local time
30 August – UAE v Pakistan – 7pm local time
1 September – UAE v Afghanistan – 7pm local time
2 September – Pakistan v Afghanistan – 7pm local time
4 September – Pakistan v UAE – 7pm local time
5 September – Afghanistan v UAE – 7pm local time
7 September – Final – 7pm local time

ACC Asia Cup T20 2025 (Pakistan fixtures, Super Fours and Final):

12 September – Oman v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm local time
14 September – India v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm local time
17 September – UAE v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm local time
20-26 September – Super Fours fixtures (Abu Dhabi and Dubai)
28 September – Final, DICS, 6pm local time

READ: Pakistan head coach Nolberto Solano arrives at Football House in Lahore

DARWIN: A brilliant five-wicket haul by Faisal Akram went in vain as Perth Scorchers Academy held their nerve to edge out Pakistan Shaheens in a low-scoring thriller of the Top End T20 Series at TIO Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a modest 112-run target, the Scorchers were jolted early, slipping to 34-3 inside five overs.

Joel Curtis and Nick Hobson, however, steadied the chase with a 42-run stand that put their side back on track.

Just when the Scorchers looked comfortable, Faisal Akram turned the contest on its head.

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The left-arm spinner dismissed Hobson for 27 off 26 balls and then removed Matthew Spoors for a golden duck. He followed it up with the wicket of Luke Holt (4) to reduce the Scorchers to 86-6.

Faisal struck again in his next over, removing two more batters, including the well-set Curtis (27 off 26), to complete a superb five-for and leave the Scorchers reeling with 12 still needed and only two wickets in hand.

But Corey Rocchiccioli (8*) and Brody Couch (7*) held firm under pressure, sealing victory with seven balls to spare as Rocchiccioli launched Saad Masood for a six to finish the match.

Earlier, Pakistan Shaheens, opting to bat first after winning the toss, crumbled to 11-3 inside three overs and never recovered.

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Mohammad Faiq’s cautious 21 off 24 briefly steadied the innings, but the collapse continued with the scoreboard reading 53-6 by the 11th over.

Saad Masood offered late resistance with a fighting 42 off 32 balls, laced with three sixes and a four, but ran out of support from the other end.

He was the last man dismissed as the Shaheens folded for 111 in 18.5 overs.

For the Scorchers, Matthew Kelly led the bowling with three wickets, while Bryce Jackson, Brody Couch, and Luke Holt chipped in with two apiece.

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LAHORE: The first batch of Pakistan players, including T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, arrived here after the conclusion of the white-ball tour of West Indies. 

Alongside Salman Agha, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, and Hasan Nawaz, white-ball head coach Mike Hesson reached Pakistan

The Pakistan tour of West Indies ended on a poor note as the home side, West Indies, ended their 34-year wait with an ODI series win over the Green Shirts.

Despite clinching the T20I series 2-1 and winning the opening match of the ODI series, Pakistan faced defeat in the last two games of the tour.

In the last ODI, West Indies posted a commanding total of 294-6 in their allocated 50 overs.

West Indies skipper Shai Hope starred with the bat, scoring a sublime century, and powered his team to a sublime total.

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In reply, Pakistan demonstrated a shambolic batting display as pacer Jayden Seales tormented the visitors’ batting line-up with a record six-wicket haul.

Eventually, West Indies bundled out Pakistan for a meagre 92 runs and won the series and match by 202 runs.

With this dominant win, West Indies secured their first ODI series win over Pakistan since 1991.

The Green Shirts will now head to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a tri-nation T20Is series, featuring the hosts UAE and Afghanistan ahead of the Asia Cup 2025

The series will commence on August 29 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and run until September 7. After the tri-series, Pakistan is set to compete in the Asia Cup 2025, which is scheduled from September 9 to 28.

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Pakistan star batter Babar Azam, along with several current and former cricket greats, shared heartfelt messages on Thursday to mark the nation’s 78th Independence Day.

Former skipper Shahid Afridi addressed the youth in his message, saying: “O youth of my nation, this homeland is yours. This garden, fragrant with the scent of sacrifices, holds your dreams — waiting for your actions.”

Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani also joined the celebrations, posting a picture on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: “Raise your country’s flag high.”

Babar Azam, in his Independence Day message, emphasised unity, faith, and discipline as Pakistan’s core strengths.

“Unity, faith, and discipline — these are not just words, they are our strength. August 14 reminds us that Pakistan came into being when all hearts beat together, when faith never wavered, and when discipline turned dreams into reality,” he wrote.

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“If we stand united today, no challenge can break us tomorrow. Pakistan belongs to all of us, and we all belong to Pakistan. Happy Independence Day,” Babar Azam added.

Former pacer Waqar Younis shared a scenic Independence Day photo with a congratulatory note, while ex-wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal simply stated: “Pakistan Zindabad forever.”

It is worth mentioning that Pakistan recently concluded their white-ball tour of the West Indies, featuring a three-match T20I and ODI series.

The visitors claimed the T20I series 2-1 under the leadership of Salman Ali Agha, while the hosts dominated the ODIs.

Pakistan will now turn its focus to two major assignments: the tri-nation T20I series against Afghanistan and the UAE later this month, followed by the ACC Asia Cup 2025 from September 9 to 28.

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DUBAI: Star Indian batter Rohit Sharma has overtaken the second spot from Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam in the latest ICC rankings revealed on Wednesday.

Babar, who returned with the scores of 47, 0, and 9, suffered a decline and slipped to third with 751 rating points.

Rohit Sharma has taken the position of Babar Azam, with Shubman Gill continuing to hold the number one spot in the rankings.

Besides Babar Azam, several other Pakistani players also faced demotion in their ranking spots following a 2-1 series loss against the West Indies.

Notably, Saim Ayub suffered the most significant drop among Pakistan’s batters, falling nine places to 46th spot.

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Pakistan’s ODI captain, Mohammad Rizwan, dropped one place, hence moving to 22nd position.

Fakhar Zaman, who was not part of the 50-over series due to an injury, dropped four places to 27th position. The overlooked opener Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha also saw a decline in their rankings, with both now placed at 37th and 41st, respectively.

In the ICC bowlers’ rankings, West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales jumped 24 places to take the 33rd spot. The right-arm pacer gained in rankings on the back of a stellar performance against Pakistan.

Seales picked up 10 wickets in the series, including a devastating six-wicket haul that ended the 34-year wait for the West Indies to win an ODI series against Pakistan.

Shaheen Afridi, who played two matches in the series, dropped one place to 13th with 599 points after managing to take four wickets.

Spinner Abrar Ahmed moved up three places to 54th, while Mohammad Nawaz maintained his 64th position, and Mohammad Wasim Jr dropped four places to 71st.

There were no changes in the top 10 as Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana continues to sit at the top position in the ICC bowlers rankings.

READ: Annabel Sutherland replaces Sadia Iqbal as No.1 T20I bowler

TAROUBA (Trinidad & Tobago): West Indies on Tuesday broke a 34-year-old jinx by achieving a historic ODI series win against Pakistan here at Brian Lara Stadium.

With a massive 202-run win, the West Indies clinched their first ODI series victory over Pakistan since 1991, taking the series 2-1.

Jayden Seales was named Player of the Series after scalping 10 wickets in three matches.

Chasing a daunting 295-run target, Pakistan crumbled under pressure and were bundled out for just 92 runs in only 29.2 overs.

Pakistan demonstrated a shambolic batting display as pacer Jayden Seales ripped through the top order.

Saim Ayub was the first to go for a three-ball duck, only in the first over, followed by Abdullah Shafique, who also could not open his account and played eight balls.

With Pakistan reduced to 8-2, it was all on the experienced duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. However, Seales was exceptional with the new ball and cleaned up the Pakistan captain on a golden duck with a beautiful inswinging delivery.

Ace batter Babar Azam did not look comfortable either and was trapped lbw. He only managed to score nine after facing 23 deliveries.

With Pakistan reeling at 23-4 in 8.2 overs, Salman Ali Agha and Hasan Nawaz tried to stabilize the innings and put on a 38 partnership.

However, with the required run-rate creeping up, Hasan Nawaz lost his patience, ending up being stumped after making just 13 from 40 balls.

Nawaz’s wicket sparked a collapse that Pakistan never recovered from, eventually resulting in an all-out on a modest total.

Salman Agha top-scored with 30 off 49 balls with the aid of three boundaries.

For the West Indies, Jayden Seales destroyed the Pakistan batting line-up with figures of 6-18 in only 7.2 overs.

Earlier, after being put into bat, the West Indies posted 294-6  in their allocated 50 overs.

The home side opening conundrum continued with Brandon King falling for a low score for the third time in the series. Green Shirts struck early, removing the right-handed batter for just five runs in only the second over of the match.

Following the opening wicket, Pakistan kept bowling on tight lines and did not allow West Indies to score freely within the fielding restrictions.

At the end of the power play, West Indies could only muster 35 runs with Evin Lewis and Keach Carty on the crease.

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Lewis, who was batting cautiously, decided to take on Hussain Talat and smashed two sixes to accumulate 14 runs in the 14th over. He was eventually caught in the next over, scoring 37 off 54 balls with the help of three sixes and a four.

Pakistan further applied the pressure and put the brakes on scoring, which resulted in another wicket. Keach Carty’s sluggish knock off 17 from 45 balls was ended by Abrar Ahmed.

However, Shai Hope held the West Indies innings together, forging crucial partnerships that resulted in a competitive total against Pakistan.

First, he formed a 45-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford (15 off 40 balls), which brought the total to 113 in 30.3 overs.

Following Rutherford’s dismissal, Shai Hope crafted a brisk stand of 64 runs with Roston Chase, which stabilized the home side’s innings.

Chase, who was looking dangerous, departed after making 36 off 29 deliveries, striking two sixes and three fours. The Green Shirts made a comeback with another quick wicket.

Gukasdesh Motie was caught and bowled, adding just five runs to the team total as West Indies were reduced to 184-6 in 41.5 overs.

However, Shai Hope partnered with Justin Greaves and stitched a destructive stand of 110* off just 50 balls to power them to a formidable total.

Justin Greaves played a cameo of 43 runs from just 24 balls, laced with four boundaries and two sixes.

For Pakistan, Abrar Ahmed and Naseem Shah picked up two wickets each.

TAROUBA (Trinidad & Tobago): Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bowl first in the third One Day International (ODI) against West Indies here at Brian Lara Stadium on Tuesday.

Playing XIs

Pakistan won the opening game of the series by five wickets, with debutant Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat, who was playing in only his second ODI, starring for the Men in Green.

Nawaz scored an unbeaten 63 off 54 balls, whereas Talat made 41 off 37 deliveries.

In the rain-affected second ODI, West Indies made a comeback, winning the game by five wickets to level the series.

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HEAD TO HEAD

Pakistan and the West Indies have played a total of 139 matches, with the West Indies leading the head-to-head with 72 victories. Pakistan has won 64 matches, while three games ended in a tie.

Matches 139, Pakistan 64, West Indies 72

Squads

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.

West Indies: Shai Hope (c), Jewel Andrew, Jediah Blades, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Johann Layne, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd.

READ: Trinidad weather update ahead of third West Indies-Pakistan ODI

TRINIDAD: The decisive third and final ODI between West Indies and Pakistan, scheduled to be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Tuesday, is likely to be affected by rain.

With the series tied at 1-1, the two teams will compete in Tarouba, with the match set to begin at 6:30 PM (Pakistan Standard Time).

However, similar to the second ODI, which was shortened by 15 overs due to continuous rain, the final match is also at risk of being affected by the weather.

Forecasts predict intermittent rain throughout the day, raising the possibility of multiple interruptions.

According to AccuWeather, Tarouba will remain mostly cloudy with a high of 33°C and a RealFeel of 40°C.

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Light rain is expected in the morning, followed by brief afternoon showers, bringing around 7 mm of precipitation over roughly 2.5 hours.

Winds from the east are forecast at 13 km/h, with gusts touching 33 km/h. The chance of rain stands at 85%, with a 25% probability of thunderstorms.

Cloud cover is expected to be 76%, while the UV index will stay moderate at 5.

The stakes could not be higher for the West Indies, who are aiming for their first bilateral ODI series victory against Pakistan since 1991, when they won 2-0 in a three-match contest.

The home team made a strong comeback in the second ODI, leveling the series by successfully chasing a revised target of 181 runs after losing five wickets.

READ: When will India reveal their Asia Cup 2025 squad?

The future of the proposed two-tier Test system is uncertain amid growing resistance from several full-member nations.

Last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) formed a team to propose recommendations for saving the longest form of the game amid a packed cricket schedule.

The debate over the two-tier Test system has persisted for over 15 years, with the ICC indicating its support for the concept as early as 2009. However, full members remain divided on the issue for various reasons.

The revamped Two-tier Test system will involve an expansion from the present nine-team format to two divisions of six.

A week earlier, The England Cricket Board (ECB) raised his concerns on the revamped Test structure.

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“We wouldn’t want, as England, if we go through a fallow period, to fall into Division Two and not play Australia or India. That simply couldn’t happen. Common sense needs to prevail,” ECB chair Thomson told BBC’s Test Match Special.

Now, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has also shared its views on the two-tier Test system.

According to a report published on an international sports website, CWI highlighted concerns regarding finances for overhauling the Test structure.

“The CWI does not have a position as we have not held any discussion or seen any specifics (on two-tier championship) other than public speculation.

Our position relates to the financial model that underpins Test and other bilateral international cricket, which we do not believe is fit for purpose and which would have to be a major part of any overhaul,” West Indies board CEO Chris Dehring told the website.

According to the report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly opposed the model at the recently held ICC meetings in Singapore.

“The Test schedule of the ICC is locked for the next two years. So it is too premature to discuss this,” the website quoted a PCB spokesman.

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DUBAI: Pakistan men’s cricket team have slipped one place to fifth in the latest ICC Men’s One Day International (ODI) rankings, released on Monday.

The Green Shirts, who now have 3,465 points, were overtaken by Sri Lanka, who climbed to fourth with 4,009 points.

The West Indies experienced a notable improvement in their ranking, rising to ninth place in the standings.

This upward shift led to Bangladesh dropping one position, resulting in their placement at tenth.

India continue to lead the ODI standings with 4,471 points, followed by New Zealand (4,160) and Australia (3,473).

South Africa are sixth with 2,775 points, while Afghanistan remain seventh on 2,279.

Notably, Pakistan has been struggling in ODI cricket lately, which is evident from their position in the rankings.

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They failed to progress beyond the group stage at the ICC World Cup 2023, suffering a shock first-ever ODI defeat to Afghanistan.

That result led to Babar Azam’s removal as captain, with Mohammad Rizwan taking over.

Under Rizwan’s leadership, Pakistan enjoyed a strong start, winning away series against Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

However, they subsequently lost the home tri-nation final to New Zealand, also featuring South Africa.

The Green Shirts then exited the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in the first round and were beaten in an away series by New Zealand.

They are currently in the West Indies for a three-match series, which is level at 1-1 after two games.

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