All posts tagged: Pakistan cricket team news

‘Baaki batsman chanafali bech rahe the kya?’: Basit Ali, Kamran Akmal rip into Pakistan after Netherlands escape | Cricket News

‘Baaki batsman chanafali bech rahe the kya?’: Basit Ali, Kamran Akmal rip into Pakistan after Netherlands escape | Cricket News

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3 min readFeb 9, 2026 12:26 AM IST Former Pakistan cricketers Basit Ali and Kamran Akmal have slammed the way the team almost lost their T20 World Cup opener to the Netherlands before Faheem Ashraf rescued them and helped them to a three-wicket victory with three balls to spare. “Pakistan bach gaya bhai! (Pakistan just about survived). When Shaheen Shah Afridi is called in to bat, you can imagine what Pakistan batting did in that game. Bad batsmanship by the middle order, especially Babar Azam, Nawaz and Shadab Khan. These are experienced players. They have played not just in leagues across the world, but also in the Pakistan Super League. Today, they did not become heroes for Pakistan, they ended up being zeroes,” former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali said. “Who is a match changer in the Pakistan team? What are you going to say to a country’s fans that get happy when a wicket falls just because it means that Babar Azam will come to bat. But then Babar comes and goes. Today’s star for …

‘Kahaan se superstar hai?’: Basit Ali predicts Babar Azam could be dropped for Pakistan’s clash against USA | Cricket News

‘Kahaan se superstar hai?’: Basit Ali predicts Babar Azam could be dropped for Pakistan’s clash against USA | Cricket News

Published by Webster

4 min readFeb 8, 2026 10:23 AM IST After a near-defeat experience for Pakistan cricket team in their T20 World Cup opener against the Netherlands where a game-winning cameo from Faheem Ashraf helped them chase down the target of 148 with three balls to spare and just three wickets in hand, the knives are out for star batter Babar Azam. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has predicted that when Pakistan play their next group stage game against the USA in two days’ time, Babar may not make it into the XI. In the game against the Dutch team, Babar managed to score just 15 runs from 18 balls at a strike rate of 83.33 before Roelof van der Merwe dismissed him. “I have a feeling that Babar will not play in Pakistan’s next game. The anger I saw on coach Mike Hesson’s face… I don’t think that he will play Babar at no 4 again in the next game,” Basit Ali said on the YouTube show The Game Plan, where he was joined by Kamran …

Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf dropped from Pakistan squad for T20I series against Sri Lanka

Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf dropped from Pakistan squad for T20I series against Sri Lanka

Published by Webster

Pakistan is going to play a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. The Men in Green have announced their squad for the tour and have made a few surprise choices. The side has dropped the leading run-scorer in T20Is, Babar Azam, bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, who are all part of the ongoing Big Bash League in Australia. Additionally, wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan is also dropped from the team. Intrestingly Shadab Khan, who happens to be a part of the BBL team Sydney Thunder, returns to the side. Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (C), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq Series schedule DATE DAY MATCH VENUE January 7 Wednesday 1st T20I Dambulla January 9 Friday 2nd T20I Dambulla January 11 Sunday 3rd T20I Dambulla Strike rate conundrum Despite racking up 4429with an average close to 40, Babar’s middling 128.45 strike rate came in the way of a crucial top-order spot …

‘There are some silver linings from the series’: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha backs new faces after 1-4 drubbing against New Zealand | Cricket News

‘There are some silver linings from the series’: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha backs new faces after 1-4 drubbing against New Zealand | Cricket News

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Pakistan’s new T20 captain Salman Ali Agha said he was not disheartened about his team’s performance where they lost 1-4 to hosts New Zealand, adding that the new players will eventually find their feet in the team. Pakistan are currently in a transition phase in the shortest format with stalwarts like Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam not getting selected for the New Zealand tour. “Look the conditions in New Zealand are normally challenging with the bounce, pace and movement in the pitches, so for players coming to play here for the first time it is always going to be difficult,” Agha said after his side lost he fifth and final T20I against the Kiwis on Wednesday. “It was not easy for them to bat in these conditions. There are some silver linings from the series and some concerns as well but we have to address them before we go into the Asia Cup later this year,” he said. Story continues below this ad Salman, who was in good form in the series and scored a …

Wasim Akram on Pakistan’s surprise Champions Trophy pick Faheem Ashraf: ‘Bowling average sau ki, batting average nau ki’ | Cricket News

Wasim Akram on Pakistan’s surprise Champions Trophy pick Faheem Ashraf: ‘Bowling average sau ki, batting average nau ki’ | Cricket News

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When Pakistan selectors threw a curve ball in selection for the home Champions Trophy, Wasim Akram raised polite concern over selection of Faheem Ashraf whom he called an ‘out of blue’ selection. “Faheem Ashraf was picked, talented cricketer, I wish him best,” Akram said at a franchise cricket press conference, before adding his bemusement over the all-rounder. “Lekin phle 20 matches mein unkind bowling average sau ki, batting average nau ki hai,” Akram deadpanned, hoping that the selected team would deliver despite the boggling pick. Bowling average of 100, batting average of 9, was one of the kinder criticisms of the selection that has stunned Pakistan cricket fraternity. Faheem was last spotted in the 50-over Asia Cup in early 2023. Akram hoped “There was a mindset behind it.” That is to say he prayed it was a thought out, considered call. He also dubbed Khushdil an ‘out of the blue’ pick, as Pakistan brought in 4 unexpected names while Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique were ommitted. Story continues below this ad Potential for further drama …

Mohammad Rizwan hopes to re-cultivate good old team culture

Mohammad Rizwan hopes to re-cultivate good old team culture

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Mohammad Rizwan will be facing his first major test during the next month’s Australia tour after being appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain on Sunday. The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman will take the wheel when Pakistan play six limited overs matches in Australia, including three ODIs and three T20Is starting November 4. The 32-year-old, who replaced Babar Azam as the captain, has hoped to help the team regain their momentum. “One of my wishes is to see the Pakistan team in the same kind of atmosphere that we had a couple of years ago. We all were with each other at any stage whether things were working for us or not. Because of that, a lot of things worked in our favour back then. The same things are present now also. But the difference is that we have more young talent along with seniors and we wish that we all as a team gel together. It’s a bit difficult when the seniors are playing and when the young lot comes and takes time to understand things. I guess …

Jason Gillespie reveals he is no longer a selector for Pakistan team

Jason Gillespie reveals he is no longer a selector for Pakistan team

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Pakistan cricket team head coach Jason Gillespie has revealed that he’s “no longer a selector” with the Pakistan men’s side after the Pakistan Cricket Board announced a new selection committee in the middle of the team’s series against England. Gillespie added that his role with the Pakistan cricket team was now just as a “coach for match-day strategy”. The Australian has reportedly been excluded along with captain Shan Masood from having any say in selection matters. The new selection committee announced by the PCB — which includes former umpire Aleem Dar besides Aaqib Javed — named an unchanged playing XI for the third Test after their win over England in Multan. “The PCB came out and made some changes after that (first) Test. It was decided that a new selection panel would come in and that they would be making the decisions. I am now the coach for match-day strategy. I keep out of things now and focus on getting the players ready for cricket,” Gillespie said at the press conference ahead of the third …