Pakistani players during the national anthem (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Defending champions Pakistan fought hard to get hosting rights for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and made sincere efforts to make it a grand spectacle. Although India didn’t travel to Pakistan and instead opted to play their matches in Dubai, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)…
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi speaks with Pakistan cricketers in Dubai. (AFP Photo) NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam was conspicuously absent from the team’s training session ahead of their high-stakes Champions Trophy clash against India on Sunday, fueling speculation about his availability for the crucial encounter. Even as doubts lingered over Azam’s participation, Pakistan…
Shubman Gill and Babar Azam NEW DELHI: India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill has overtaken Pakistan’s Babar Azam to become the top-ranked ODI batter in the latest ICC rankings, released just ahead of the Champions Trophy. Gill’s exceptional performances in the recent home series against England propelled him to the No. 1 position, surpassing Babar, who had…
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: Nearly three decades after the 1996 ICC World Cup graced Pakistani soil, the nation stands at the precipice of another historic moment. With the hands of the clock glued to the famous tower of Faisalabad ticking fast, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is all set to…
Babar Azam, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma NEW DELHI: When India face Pakistan, everything is at stake. The world seems to come to a standstill, streets fall silent, and homes erupt with deafening cheers or pin-drop silence – depending on which side of the border you reside in. A sea of blue will flood the…
Arshdeep Singh (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Arshdeep Singh has swiftly become India’s most successful T20I bowler, surpassing Yuzvendra Chahal’s 96 wickets with a two-wicket haul in the first tie of the five-match series against England in Kolkata. The left-arm pacer now holds 97 wickets in just 61 matches, a feat achieved at an average of…
Shaheen Afridi (Getty Images) Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed addressed the absence of pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Test lineup, citing a lack of domestic four-day cricket as the reason behind the decision. Afridi, a key figure in Pakistan’s all-format setup, last played a Test during the heavy defeat to England in Multan,…
Shaheen Afridi. (Photo by Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images) NEW DELHI: After being sidelined for the two-Test series against the West Indies at home, Pakistan’s top fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi‘s future in Test match cricket is under a cloud. Since early 2024, Shaheen has been excluded, sidelined, or “rested” for eight of Pakistan’s previous…
Pakistan’s batters Mohammad Rizwan, left, and Babar Azam smile after their win against Australia in Perth (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: Pakistan defeated Australia to clinch the ODI series 2-1 on Sunday, becoming the first Asian team to win an ODI series against the Aussies at home twice. Their emphatic eight-wicket victory in the third and…
Fakhar Zaman (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s senior batter Fakhar Zaman has been left out of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contracts for the first time in eight years, with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirming that the decision was influenced by both fitness issues and Zaman’s controversial social media comments regarding the selection committee.Speaking…
