Category: Top Picks

DUBAI: Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has made a notable rise, entering the top ten of the latest ICC Men’s T20I Rankings released on Wednesday.

The left-handed spinner climbed eight spots to secure the sixth position among the world’s best all-rounders.

The rise comes on the back of Nawaz’s impressive all-round display in the first T20I against South Africa in Rawalpindi, where he claimed three wickets and smashed 36 off just 20 deliveries.

Despite Pakistan’s 55-run loss, the 31-year-old’s individual performance stood out as one of the few positives.

Meanwhile, young left-hander Saim Ayub continues to lead the ICC Men’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings with 262 rating points, maintaining his position ahead of India’s Hardik Pandya and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi.

In the T20I batters’ list, Sahibzada Farhan climbed one place to 11th with 670 rating points, consolidating his position as Pakistan’s top-ranked T20I batter.

Mohammad Rizwan also rose one spot to 40th, while Babar Azam retained his 39th position.

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Among bowlers, Abrar Ahmed slipped one place to eighth, while Shaheen Shah Afridi dropped two places to 16th.

Sufiyan Muqeem and Haris Rauf also slid down to 19th and 34th, respectively. Nawaz, however, continued his upward trend, gaining six places to reach 33rd.

In ODIs, there were minor shifts in the performance of several Pakistani players.

Mohammad Rizwan climbed one spot to 24th in the batting rankings, followed by Imam-ul-Haq at 40th and Saim Ayub at 53rd. Salman Ali Agha, however, dropped to 39th.

Among ODI bowlers, Shaheen Afridi moved up to 14th, while Abrar Ahmed and Naseem Shah gained one place each to sit at 38th and 43rd, respectively. Mohammad Nawaz slipped three spots to 72nd.

In the all-rounders’ category, Salman Ali Agha climbed to 19th, while Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah held steady at 27th and 36th. Haris Rauf and Saim Ayub both advanced to jointly occupy the 55th position.

READ: Rohit Sharma becomes No.1 ODI batter for the first time

DUBAI: Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma has added another feather to his illustrious cap, becoming the top-ranked ODI batter in the world for the first time in his career, according to the latest ICC Men’s Rankings released on Wednesday.

The Indian captain climbed two spots to claim the No.1 position after a match-winning, unbeaten century in the final ODI against Australia in Sydney, where India cruised to a nine-wicket victory.

Rohit’s dazzling 113* off 93 balls, laced with 13 boundaries and three towering sixes, guided India to a commanding victory in the dead-rubber match.

However, this innings propelled him past Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran and teammate Shubman Gill in the ICC Men’s Batting Rankings.

It marks a landmark moment for the 38-year-old, who has spent nearly a decade as a consistent presence in the top 10 but had never before reached the summit.

Rohit Sharma wasn’t the only Indian to make strides in the rankings update.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel made notable progress, rising six places to 31st among ODI bowlers and climbing to eighth in the all-rounders’ chart, just behind Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner moved up three places to fourth in the ODI bowlers’ rankings, while Australia’s Josh Hazlewood gained two spots to reach eighth.

England’s Harry Brook, meanwhile, made a significant leap of 23 places to 25th among ODI batters following a string of consistent performances.

READ: New Zealand crush England to seal ODI series in Hamilton

HAMILTON: New Zealand produced a dominant all-round performance to seal the three-match ODI series against England with a commanding win in the second game at Seddon Park on Wednesday.

Led by Blair Tickner’s fiery spell and composed half-centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, the Black Caps chased down a modest target of 176 with five wickets and nearly 17 overs to spare, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Tickner’s 4-34 set the tone as England were bundled out for just 175 in 36 overs after being put in to bat.

None of the English batters managed to occupy the crease for long, as regular wickets derailed their innings from start to finish.

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Only Jamie Overton (42 off 27) and captain Harry Brook (34 off 34) offered brief resistance, but both fell to soft dismissals that summed up England’s reckless approach.

In reply, New Zealand’s chase began shakily when Jofra Archer removed Will Young for a duck in the very first over.

However, Rachin Ravindra steadied the innings with a fluent 54 off 58 balls, striking eight boundaries and a six. He shared a 63-run stand with Daryl Mitchell, who once again proved to be New Zealand’s rock in the middle order.

Mitchell remained unbeaten on 56 from 59 deliveries, decorated with six fours and two sixes, while captain Mitchell Santner’s blistering cameo of 34 off 17 balls ensured a quick finish as the hosts reached 177-5 in just 33.1 overs.

Archer was the standout bowler for England, finishing with 3-23 in his 10 overs, while Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid claimed one wicket each.

READ: Australia’s Pat Cummins makes tentative bowling return

Borussia Dortmund eliminated Eintracht Frankfurt from the German Cup in the second round on Tuesday, winning 4-2 on penalties after the match finished 1-1.

Dortmund were faultless from the spot with Fabio Silva, Niklas Suele, Carney Chukwuemeka and Felix Nmecha all converting, while Ritsu Doan and Fares Chaibi both missed penalties for the home side.

Frankfurt’s Mario Goetze and Ansgar Knauff, both cup winners with Dortmund, combined to put the home side in front after seven minutes. Goetze threaded the ball through the Dortmund defence, allowing Knauff to stroke home.

Dortmund hit back three minutes after the break, Julian Brandt tapping in a pinpoint Julian Ryerson cross from close range.

The match went to extra time, and Germany striker Jonathan Burkardt looked to have sealed it for the hosts when he scored in the 115th minute, but the strike was ruled out for offside.

In the shootout, Can Uzun and former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi both converted for Frankfurt, but Doan blasted his attempt well over the bar.

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Chaibi needed to convert Frankfurt’s fourth kick to keep his side in with a chance, but blasted the ball straight at Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, sending the visitors to the last 16.

“We’ve got a sensational goalie and plenty of good penalty shooters. It feels nice,” Brandt told reporters.

The game was a rematch of the 2017 German Cup final, won 2-1 by Dortmund, with current Borussia coach Niko Kovac then in the Frankfurt dugout.

Two-time winners RB Leipzig cantered to a 4-1 victory at neighbours Energie Cottbus, with Johan Bakayoko and Christoph Baumgartner both scoring doubles for the visitors.

Bochum eliminated top-flight Augsburg 1-0 away, and Borussia Moenchengladbach won 3-1 at home against Karlsruhe.

Elsewhere, Hertha Berlin beat Elversberg 3-0 in the German capital, Hamburg won 1-0 at Heidenheim and second-division Holstein Kiel beat hosts Wolfsburg 1-0.

On Wednesday, 20-time winners Bayern Munich travel to Cologne while holders Stuttgart play at Mainz.

READ: Australia’s Pat Cummins makes tentative bowling return

Injured Australia captain Pat Cummins bowled for the first time since July on Wednesday as he races the clock to be fit for the second Ashes Test against England.

The 32-year-old pace spearhead has not played since picking up a lower back injury against the West Indies more than three months ago.

But he made a tentative return in a brief net session in Sydney captured by local television cameras, bowling off a five-step run-up.

Cummins has been ruled out of the first Test against Ben Stokes’ England in Perth from November 21, with hopes that he will be ready for the second day-night contest in Brisbane on December 4.

“We’re on the journey to that second Test and very hopeful that that will be a positive outcome,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said on Monday of Cummins.

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“We will see how he pulls up and then we’ll make decisions moving forward.”

Steve Smith will captain the side in Cummins’ absence with Scott Boland almost certainly replacing him to join fellow quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Australia are still grappling with who will open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja.

Incumbent Sam Konstas’ form has nosedived, and he was again out cheaply in the Sheffield Shield on Thursday, bowled for 10.

Selectors are due to finalise their Ashes squad at the end of the current round of the domestic red-ball competition, with Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne also in the running to be the opener.

READ: Mohammad Hafeez takes subtle dig at Pakistan T20I team

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez did not hold back after the national team’s 55-run defeat to South Africa in the opening T20I at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Hafeez criticised the T20I team, stating that the issue was not the pitch but the quality of cricket being played.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Hafeez drew a sharp comparison between the two sides, hinting that Pakistan’s struggles were rooted in execution and consistency rather than surface conditions.

“Nothing wrong with Pindi pitch, but the obvious difference is the standard of cricket. #PAKvSA. International league vs International team,” Hafeez posted.

His remark came after South Africa dominated Pakistan in all departments, led by Corbin Bosch’s fiery spell and Reeza Hendricks’s composed half-century.

Batting first, the visitors posted 194 for 7, with Hendricks anchoring the innings with 60 off 40 balls, laced with five boundaries and a six.

George Linde chipped in with a brisk 36 from 22 deliveries, while Tony de Zorzi (33) and Quinton de Kock (23) added valuable contributions.

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Mohammad Nawaz stood out with the ball for Pakistan, claiming three wickets for just 26 runs, while Saim Ayub picked up two.

Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmed took one apiece.

In response, Pakistan faltered early and never recovered. Saim Ayub top-scored with 37 off 28 balls, hitting four sixes, while Nawaz provided late resistance with a 20-ball 36.

Sahibzada Farhan made 24 off 19, but none of the top-order batters could anchor the innings.

Babar Azam’s much-anticipated T20I comeback ended abruptly, as the former captain fell for a second-ball duck to Bosch in the sixth over.

Bosch was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa with 4 for 24, while George Linde and Williams added three and two wickets respectively, sealing a commanding win for the visitors and a 1-0 lead in the series.

READ: Babar Azam bags unwanted record with duck against South Africa

RAWALPINDI: Top-order batter Babar Azam has equalled former captain Shahid Afridi’s unwanted record for the most ducks in T20Is for Pakistan during the first T20I against South Africa.

On his return to the limited-overs side after a year here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Babar could not extend his stay at the crease and was caught without scoring.

After being dismissed for nought, the right-hander moved up the list of Pakistani batters with the most ducks in T20Is.

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Currently, Umar Akmal is at the top of the list with batters who have recorded the most ducks, while Saim Ayub is in second spot.

Most Ducks for Pakistan in T20I Cricket:

Umar Akmal: 10
Saim Ayub: 9
Babar Azam: 8
Shahid Afridi: 8
Kamran Akmal: 7
Mohammad Hafeez: 7

For context, South Africa defeated Pakistan by 55 runs in the opening T20I of the three-match series.

Batting first, the visitors posted a strong total of 194-9 in 20 overs, led by Reeza Hendricks’ impressive 60 off 40 balls.

Quinton de Kock (23) and Tony de Zorzi (33) provided quick runs at the top, while Mohammad Nawaz was the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers with three wickets, helping to slow South Africa’s scoring in the middle overs.

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In reply, Pakistan’s chase never took off as they were bowled out for 139 in 18.1 overs.

Despite a decent 31-run start from Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan, the home side collapsed after early breakthroughs from South Africa. Babar Azam fell for a duck on his return, and wickets tumbled regularly thereafter. Saim Ayub was the only notable contributor with 37 off 28 balls.

Corbin Bosch starred with the ball for South Africa, claiming four wickets, while George Linde added three to seal a comfortable win.

With this victory, South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the T20I series. The next T20I fixture is scheduled to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Friday, October 31.

READ: “We just need to bat properly,” says Salman Ali Agha after loss in T20I opener

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha has urged the batters to step up after defeat against South Africa here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

South Africa outplayed Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series by a hefty margin of 55 runs. The home side faltered while chasing 195-run target.

For Proteas, George Lined starred with the bat and ball. He made 36 from 22 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. The left-hander backed his batting by crucial spell of three wickets, hence earning him player of the match award.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

For Pakistan, besides Mohammad Nawaz all-round performance there was nothing much to cheer. Nawaz bowled an excellent spell of four overs, scalping three wickets which stem the visitors runs flow. He backed his bowling by an impressive batting, scoring 36 from 20 balls.

Speaking in the post match presentation, Agha highglighted the shortcoming of the match and lamented poor bowling in the opening overs.

“We didn’t start well with the ball, but we pulled things back. With the batting, we are losing wickets quickly, and we need to have a quick turnaround,” he said.

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Regarding aggressive batting approach, he stressed the need of buidling partnerships and sensible batting.

“We just need to bat properly, do singles and doubles, and build partnerships,” he continued.

The skipper noted that they can chase big total if they can bat long while admitting the vivid bowling in the first 10 overs.

“If we have partnerships we can chase such totals. We didn’t bowl well in the powerplay. Bowling top of off stump would’ve been good enough, but the positive is how we pulled it back later,” he conclulded.

READ: Warner backs ‘super fit’ Kohli to play until 50

Former Australia opener David Warner has lavished praise on India ace batter Virat Kohli and backed him to play until the age of 50.

During the last ODI between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Warner was seen chatting with Kohli.

Warner has now shared a video on social media, revealing the details of the conversation with the legendary batter.

“I hadn’t seen Virat in quite a while, so I just embraced him, gave him a handshake and a hug, and asked how he and the family were doing, said Warner.

We spoke a little about cricket, and I told him he looks super fit and can play until he’s 50,” Warner revealed.

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This comes after the speculation and debate regarding Virat’s retirement from International cricket. The right-hander has already hung up his boots in T20Is and Test cricket.

The uncertainty cloud regarding his future grew after he had bagged back-to-back ducks in the first two ODIs.

However, the veteran batter returned to form in style in the final match, where he struck an unbeaten 74, which guided India to a nine-wicket victory over Australia.

He partnered with Rohit Sharma, who also scored a sublime century and took his side home, eventually avoiding Australia a clean sweep.

Virat Kohli is now set to feature in the forthcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, which will commence on November 30 in India.

READ: Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen proposes reforms to take PSL to next level

RAWALPINDI: South Africa made a triumphant start to the T20I series against the hosts Pakistan with a comprehensive 55-run victory here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Set a daunting 195-run target, Pakistan’s batting line faltered and were bowled out for 139 in 18.1 overs.

Sahizbada Farhan and Saim Ayub provided a good start with a 31-run stand in 4.5 overs. Farhan was bowled after making 24 from 19, whereas Saim got going after being dropped for nought earlier in the innings.

Once Farhan departed, the Proteas bowler tore through the home side’s middle order. Babar Azam could do much on his return to the shorter format, as he was caught for a duck.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

Salman Ali Agha followed him after and could only manage two. Consequently, the Green Shirts were reduced to 3-43 in 7.2 overs.

Following the early hiccups, Saim then partnered with Usman Khan for a 39-run partnership. The duo’s brief stand somehow managed to arrest the slide.

Pakistan were gaining momentum; however, Saim’s wicket sparked a collapse that Pakistan could not recover from. The southpaw went back after scoring 37 from 28 balls, studded with a boundary and four sixes.

As a result, the home side slumped to 89-7 in 12.5 overs and were bowled out for a mere score.

For South Africa, Corbin Bosch starred with the ball, scalping four wickets in his quota of four overs. George Linde was equally good with three wickets.

Earlier, Reeza Hendricks’ 60 from 40 balls powered South Africa to a strong total.

Put in to bat, South Africa put on a strong batting display, racking up 194-9 in their 20 overs.

Openers Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks were off to a flyer, posting 44 in just 3.5 overs. The former rolled back the clock with his elegant stroke play, while the latter rose to the occasion with fine shots.

The dangerous stand eventually culminated in the introduction of Saim Ayub, removing De Kock after scoring 23 off 12 with the aid of five cracking fours.

Despite the wicket, the Proteas continued on their merry way with Tony de Zorzi taking Pakistani bowlers to the cleaners. The left-hander belted Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed for five fours and ended the powerplay with his side 74-1.

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However, once Mohammad Nawaz was introduced into the attack, the scoring rate went down, and De Zorzi was stumped due to a clever piece of bowling. He made 33 from 16, striking five fours and a maximum. As a result, South Africa were 2-93 in 7.4 overs.

Mohammad Nawaz kept mounting pressure with an excellent bowling spell. He cut through the Proteas’ middle order, which pegged them back and allowed Pakistan to squeeze their scoring rate.

However, Hendricks held the innings together and struck a half-century, with wickets tumbling around him. He hit five fours and a six in his knock.

For Pakistan, Mohammad Nawaz remained the standout bowler, picking up three wickets in his quota of four overs.

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