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Pakistan Cricket Team
Pakistan captain Babar Azam was ruled out of the first test against England starting on Wednesday because of a hand injury. Babar was struck on the middle finger of his right hand while batting against the West Indies this month, and hit again in a warmup game last week in Beckenham. "Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first test match," Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said on Tuesday. "Salman Agha will be the captain for the first test." Ahmed said the finger was not broken and he hoped the pain will reduce so Babar could play in the second test at Lord's starting on Aug. 27. But his absence was a blow to Pakistan. Babar had just been reappointed captain and led the scoring in the West Indies. Agha will captain the test team for the first time. He's the skipper of the Twenty20 side. Shan Masood, whom Babar replaced as captain, was recovered from his own broken finger during the first test in the West Indies. He missed the second test and warmup game but he'll retur
Pakistan ended its eight-match losing streak away from home in cricket Tests with a resounding eight-wicket victory over the West Indies on Wednesday to level the series. First innings century-maker Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam, in his first series since being reappointed as captain, reappointed as captain, led Pakistan to 77-2 with unbeaten knocks of 24 runs each as the visitors achieved victory shortly after lunch on Day 4 of the second test. Babar knocked off the target by hitting back-to-back sixes against left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, whose six-wicket haul in the first innings had limited Pakistan's lead to 43 runs. West Indies won the first test by 90 runs at Tarouba. In the second test, spinners Sajid Khan and Ali Usman utilized favorable conditions on a wearing wicket of Queen's Park Oval to ensure Pakistan remained unbeaten in a test series against the West Indies since 2000. Pakistan lost the wickets of Imam-ul-Haq, brilliantly snapped up by Justin Greaves in the .
Pakistan captain Babar Azam was denied his first Test century in four years as West Indies fought back in the second and final cricket Test on Tuesday. Babar, who last scored a Test century in December 2022 against New Zealand at Karachi, was run out for 88 by Brandon King's stunning direct throw from short cover before Pakistan's middle order collapsed and reached 333-6 at lunch on Day 3. Pakistan still trails by 11 runs with Abdullah Shafique holding the fort at 132 not out and tailender Sajid Khan unbeaten on 16. King picked up a lower back injury and had to be stretchered off after he fell awkwardly as his sharp throw ran out Babar at the striker's end when Shafique refused to go for a tight single and Babar couldn't recover his ground after running halfway to the wicket. West Indies dried up runs through some disciplined bowling from Jomel Warrican and Jayden Seales after Pakistan resumed at 266-2. Babar and Shafique, who rotated strike well on Day 2, stretched their partners
Pakistan spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has been handed a three-month suspension for failing a dope test after consuming a "substance of abuse" unrelated to sporting performance during the T20 World Cup earlier this year, the ICC said on Friday. Nawaz's sentence would be reduced to one month on completion of a substance abuse treatment programme. His period of ineligibility is backdated to May 1, which is the date he started a voluntary provisional suspension. "Pakistan spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has accepted a three-month period of ineligibility (which will be reduced to one month on completion of a substance of abuse treatment programme) for breaching the ICC Anti-Doping Code," the world body stated in a press release. "Subject to Nawaz completing a substance of abuse rehabilitation programme to the ICC's satisfaction, Nawaz will not be required to serve the remainder of the three-month period of ineligibility." The 32-year-old had tested positive for a ...
Pakistan fielding coach Shane McDermott has resigned ahead of their upcoming tour to the West Indies and England after a year-long stint. A reliable source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board said McDermott will not travel with the team on those aforementioned tours. The PCB is keen to appoint Mansoor Amjad, who has worked with Shaheens and Under-19 teams, as the Australian's replacement. "Mansoor Amjad who has been the fielding coach with the Pakistan Shaheens and under-19 is likely to replace McDermott," the source said. Pakistan will leave on Monday for the two-Test tour to the Caribbean, and subsequently will travel to England for three Tests. The PCB has not specified any reason for McDermott's resignation, and it has added another instance to a foreign coach leaving his assignment in Pakistan cricket in unexplained circumstances. Recent examples being the outgoing trainer/physio Cliffe Deacon, and the resignations of head coaches, Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie. Pakistan
A three-member technical committee of the Pakistan Super League has rejected opener Fakhar Zaman's appeal against the two-match ban imposed on him for ball-tampering during a match. The committee held a hearing and after going through all available evidence, upheld the ban imposed by match referee Roshan Mahanama. He had charged the Lahore Qalandars' skipper with a level three offence for changing the condition of the ball. Zaman will miss his team Lahore Qalandars' match against Multan Sultan on Friday and on April 9 against Islamabad United. Zaman had based his appeal on the plea that there is no conclusive evidence available to confirm he changed the condition of the ball and the ban should be retracted. The match referee held two hearings with him after the Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings match here. Just before the final over in the Karachi Kings innings, umpire Faisal Afridi had asked for the ball from Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi and pacer Haris Rauf, while they were huddl
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman was on Tuesday suspended for two matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for breaching the code of conduct pertaining to changing the condition of the ball. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that match referee found Fakhar guilty of a level three offence, breaching Article 2.14 of the applicable Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel during the PSL match between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings here on Sunday. The suspected ball tampering incident occurred just before the start of the final over when the on-field umpires penalised Lahore Qalandars for five runs and the ball was changed before the start of last over of Karachi Kings' batting innings. On-field Umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Aafreedi, TV Umpire Asif Yaqoob, and fourth Umpire Tariq Rasheed levelled the charge. Fakhar denied the offence and contested the charge at a full disciplinary hearing in accordance with the Code of Conduct. Match Referee Roshan Maha
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday denied the imposition of fines on members of its T20 World Cup squad for not reaching the semifinals of the tournament. Amir Mir, the PCB spokesperson, refuted the reports to that effect that appeared in a section of the media. "No player has been fined but yes the board is thinking about working out a formula for players because they get lot of incentives when they perform well," Mir told reporters here. Mir noted that each player now earns close to PKR 6-7 crores so the board is contemplating making them responsible for their performances. "But nothing is final and no player has been fined," he added. It has been reported that each Pakistan player were fined PKR five million after the team's exit from the ICC showpiece without reaching the last four stage. Pakistan cricketers are given central contracts with monthly retainers besides the usual match and tour fees and bonuses for winning matches in different categories. The players also ge
Pakistan's national selectors are not happy with the absolute authority given to the white-ball head coach Mike Hesson in the selection of players. Selectors Aaqib Javed, Misbah ul Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq have addressed a media conference in Lahore on Saturday and made it clear they had asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to review the selection structure for the national side after the team returns home from Bangladesh. "Once the team returns home we will sit down and discuss things with the coaches and captain and find a suitable selection system for the national team," Aaqib, the senior selector, said. Aaqib, who is also director at the High Performance Centre, admitted that until Hesson took charge in May last year, the selectors used to be involved even in the selection of playing XI for away and home series. He dismissed a query that perhaps Hesson had been pressurised to include and play Babar Azam and few other players during the recent T20 World Cup. "The .