Pakistan Cricket Team

Ashwin calls Usman Tariq's 'Pause Legal', Chopra wants check on faster one

Off-spinner Usman Tariq with his unique stop and pause side-arm action, has already divided the cricket world but India great Ravichandran Ashwin came out strongly in support of the new Pakistani recruit. Tariq has played 4 T20Is and taken 11 wickets at an astonishing economy rate of less than six runs per over. Across all T20s, he has 70 wickets in just 42 games which is phenomenal and he could be a factor on the slow Premadasa track against marauding India batters. Pakistan are using him sparingly as one found USA batters like Milind Kumar looking like sitting duck as Tariq regularly delivered with unique action and a visible change in pace without apparent change in momentum. With India playing Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo, Tariq has become the talk of the cricketing universe with former England skipper Kevin Pietersen terming the pause while loading action illegal while Ashwin possessed a contrarian view. "Okay, let me make it as clear as possible. Firstly, the legalities of h

Our aim was to get BAN respect: PCB chief Naqvi on ending boycott vs IND

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday said Pakistan's decision to boycott their T20 World Cup match against India was aimed solely at securing "respect" for Bangladesh. Bangladesh were ousted from the tournament for refusing to play in India citing security concerns. Earlier this month, the Pakistan government said its national team would not take the field against India for their group game in the T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo. However, after negotiations between the PCB, Bangladesh Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council, the Pakistan government withdrew the boycott order late Monday night. "We did not discuss anything apart from Bangladesh, our only purpose was to get Bangladesh respect, to highlight the injustice done to them. And you saw that whatever demands Bangladesh made, they were accepted. That's it," Naqvi said. "We had no personal interest in the meeting ... our task was purely related to Bangladesh. The government made the decision on that ...

T20 WC 2026 Group A points table: India, Pakistan, Netherlands rankings

The Group A points table has already started taking shape with Pakistan taking top spot after 2 wins in as many games.

Pakistan vs USA HIGHLIGHTS T20 World Cup 2026: PAK gets 2 wins in 2 matches; beat USA by 32 runs

Sahibzada Farhan's display with the bat paired up with an all round bowling display take PAK to the top of the Group A points table.

Pakistan vs USA live streaming: Where to watch today's T20 WC match?

Pakistan enters this match under pressure after a narrow victory against the Netherlands, which highlighted vulnerabilities in their middle-order batting.

T20 WC 2026: Pakistan vs USA preview, toss time, live streaming

The last time these two teams met in the T20 World Cup was in 2024, when the USA beat Pakistan and knocked them out of the competition

T20 World Cup 2026: PAK vs USA pitch report and Colombo Stadium key stats

Pakistan and the USA will play their first match against each other at the Sinhalese Sports Club, with both teams having faced each other just once earlier in New York

Thank ICC for this amicable solution to Pakistan impasse: Rajeev Shukla

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Tuesday praised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for "finding a very good solution" that prompted Pakistan to withdraw its boycott of the T20 World Cup match against India. The high-profile India-Pakistan match on February 15 in Colombo will go ahead as scheduled after Pakistan's government, following persuasion from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, decided to withdraw its boycott call. "I would like to thank the ICC chairman (Jay Shah) and its office-bearers on behalf of the BCCI for finding a very good solution. After discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and after listening to all sides, this decision has been taken," Shukla told reporters. "This decision is very important for cricket. Cricket must go and the World Cup will now be a big success. This is a big achievement as far as ICC is concerned. Even Bangladesh Cricket Board has praised the ICC, so it has listened to all sides and arrived at the ...

India vs Pakistan: Why Islamabad reversed boycott call; Timeline of events

With the impasse resolved, Business Standard takes a look at the timeline of events surrounding the India vs Pakistan match.

T20 World Cup 2026 today's matches: PAK vs USA, NED vs NAM, NZ vs UAE

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 action on Tuesday will start with the Netherlands taking on Namibia in Match 10 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi

Sri Lanka President thanks Pakistan PM for India match boycott withdrawal

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for directing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to end the boycott of their T20 World Cup match against India here on February 15. The India-Pakistan match will go ahead as scheduled after Pakistan's government decided to withdraw its boycott call following persuasion from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, ending an impasse that cast a shadow on the ongoing tournament. "Delighted that the eagerly awaited India Pakistan match at the ongoing T20 cricket World Cup in Colombo will go ahead," Dissanayake said on X platform. Dissanayake had called Sharif Monday night to convince him to play the game following the Sri Lanka Cricket letter addressed to PCB to change its decision. Pakistan PM's office acknowledged Dissanayake's call in the government release which effectively ended the match boycott by his country. Pakistan had earlier said they would not play the India match, which was seen as a polit

IND vs PAK: Pakistan ends boycott threat, India match on Feb 15 to go ahead

In a post on social media, the Pakistan government said it had allowed the team to take the field "in view of the outcomes achieved, as well as the request of friendly countries".

T20 WC: Bangladesh asks Pakistan to end boycott, play India on February 15

BCB president Aminul Islam said he urged PCB chief Mohsin Raza Naqvi in Lahore to end the boycott, as efforts intensified to resolve the standoff over the February 15 match.

T20 WC: ICC-PCB in talks; Pakistan likely to play India on February 15

The PCB had earlier cited a February 1 social media post by the Pakistan government, which instructed the team to participate in the T20 World Cup but boycott the India match

T20 World Cup 2026: BCB to meet PCB in Lahore - Report

The BCB-PCB meeting in Lahore is intended to help the two boards align their positions before further engagement with ICC officials

West Indies vs Scotland HIGHLIGHTS T20 World Cup 2026: All-round West Indies edge past Scotland

ICC T20 World Cup HIGHLIGHTS: Pakistan start their campaign with a thrilling 5-wicket win over the Netherlands in the opening game of the tournament

T20 WC: Faheem says heart rates spiked but confidence never dropped

All-rounder Faheem Ashraf admitted his heart rate was fluctuating during the fag end of Pakistan's nervy yet successful run chase against the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup opener here on Saturday, but said he was confident he "could take down whatever runs in one over". Ashraf emerged as Pakistan's hero, hammering an unbeaten 29 off just 11 balls, including two fours and three sixes, in a stunning late assault that sealed a dramatic three-wicket victory over the Netherlands. "We have been playing this brand of cricket for the past year. Heart rates go up and down, it's happened so many times before, we're used to it," the 32-year-old bowling all-rounder said at the post-match presentation. "Shaheen (Afridi) and I were talking about saving wickets, knew we could take down whatever in one over." Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi remained unseparated in a 34-run stand for the eighth wicket. Chasing 148 for a win, Pakistan were 90 for 2 at the halfway stage but lost wickets in a heap as th

T20 WC 2026: Faheem cameo helps Pakistan survive late scare

Pakistan suffered a middle-order collapse, forcing them to go deep in a match they were cruising till the halfway stage

Pakistan vs Netherlands live streaming: Where to watch T20 WC 2026 match?

Pakistan entered the tournament under immediate pressure. An impending boycott of their group-stage clash against India means they effectively start two points behind

PAK vs NED T20 WC 2026: Colombo weather forecast, hourly rain prediction

The toss for the opening fixture was won by Pakistan skipper Aalam Agha, who acknowledged the possibility of rain as he chose to bowl first in the match