Rizwan Ali

Pakistan has sustained a big blow after its ace pace bowler Naseem Shah was ruled out of the Cricket World Cup due to a right shoulder injury. Naseem sustained the injury during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and has been replaced by Hasan Ali in a 15-member squad. Hasan played his last ODI in June of last year against the West Indies but was dropped due to his indifferent form in 50-overs cricket.

A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board will travel to India on Thursday after getting assurances that his country’s journalists and fans will get visas for the Cricket World Cup. The chairman of the PCB management committee will watch the marquee game between Pakistan and India in Ahmedabad on Saturday at the 134,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium. Earlier this week, the PCB said it was “extremely disappointment” that visas had been delayed for Pakistani journalists and fans, asking both t…

Pakistan has to shake off illness in its squad and also leave behind its heavy defeat to archrival India when it takes on five-time champion Australia at the Cricket World Cup. Opening batter Abdullah Shafique and fast bowler Shaheen Afridi are among the players sick with a fever after the Pakistan team left Ahmedabad following the seven-wicket loss to India. Both Shafique and Afridi rejoined practice at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday and are available for selection. Australia…

Defending champion England and unpredictable Pakistan started the Cricket World Cup among the favorites to reach the semifinals but the teams face off Saturday with little more than pride at stake. England will be hoping to sign off a woeful title defense with at least three wins from nine games. England’s campaign got under way with a thumping nine-wicket loss to New Zealand in a rematch of the 2019 final. It also included a run of five consecutive losses. Pakistan needs a near impossible 287-r…

Babar Azam has resigned as Pakistan captain in all formats after his team failed to advance from the group stage at the Cricket World Cup. Babar said it was “a difficult decision” but added it felt like the “right time for this call.” He will carry on playing for Pakistan in all formats. Babar scored 320 runs in nine World Cup games at an average of 40 in the ongoing edition. Pakistan won four of its nine games and missed the semifinals after finishing fifth. The Pakistan Cricket Board said Baba…

Fast bowler Haris Rauf has pulled out of the Pakistan team and three uncapped players were named in an 18-member squad for the test tour of Australia. Left-handed opening batter Saim Ayub, fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and allrounder Amir Jamal got their maiden call-ups after an impressive run in recent cricket tournaments. Newly appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz says Rauf was in the plans for Pakistan’s three test matches in Australia but the express fast bowler pulled out despite confirming hi…

Mohammad Amir has got a wicket off his second ball in his first international in four years and Pakistan bowled out New Zealand for 90 runs and easily won their Twenty20 in Rawalpindi. Amir came out of retirement for the T20 World Cup in June and took 2-13. Fellow fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi got 3-13 and Naseem Shah 1-27 to help sink depleted New Zealand for its second lowest T20 total against Pakistan. Mohammad Rizwan led Pakistan to 92-3 in 12.1 overs with an unbeaten 45 off 34 balls. Pak…

Mark Chapman has cashed in on three dropped catches and smashed 87 not out off 42 balls as understrength New Zealand beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the third T20 to level the five-match series at 1-1. Chapman and Dean Foxcroft (31) shared a century stand for the third wicket and New Zealand reached 179-3 in 18.2 overs, only a day after the visitors were bundled out for 90 runs to lose the second game by seven wickets. An inexperienced Black Caps bowling attack that featured debutant fast bowl…

Pakistan captain Babar Azam is hoping Haris Rauf will regain full fitness after a shoulder injury and make an impact at next month’s T20 World Cup. Fast bowler Rauf has been included in an 18-man squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, with Pakistan delaying its 15-strong party for the World Cup in the United States and West Indies until May 22. The fitness of Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan and Azam Khan will be assessed during the seven T20s against Ireland and England.

India is aiming to end its 11-year trophy drought in global cricket competitions. South Africa is chasing its first men’s World Cup title in any limited-overs format. Saturday’s Twenty20 World Cup finale at Bridgetown, Barbados features the tournament’s two unbeaten teams and it’ll end in either triumph or heartbreak for opposing captains Rohit Sharma of India and Aiden Markram of South Africa. The 20-team tournament started June 1 and has been staged in the United States and the Caribbean. Indi…