CrickPakistan

 Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif shared his opinions after Jay Shah was named chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).  The 55-year-old speculated that India's participation in the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy, which is set to take place in Pakistan, would result from these unopposed elections that chose Shah to be the head of the ICC.  In this regard, the former wicketkeeper batter made a clue about the basis of his presumption in an exclusive interview with The Sporting News. "There is no reason why PCB has objected to Shah's nomination. There seems to be a mutual understanding.  The Sporting News cited Latif as stating, "If India's team makes it, it will be thanks to Jay Shah's efforts and support from their government."  "Approval has been partially granted already. Latif said, expressing his faith in Shah, "India is coming to Pakistan." Five years after Shah assumed the top position at the BCCI, he was elected wi...

The Pakistan Cricket Board has expanded their playing roster by three players for the August 30 second Test match against Bangladesh. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made changes to their playing roster for the August 30 start date of the second Test match against Bangladesh. At Rawalpindi Stadium in Rawalpindi, Shan Masood & Co. lost the first Test match against the visitors by a margin of 10 wickets. All of Pakistan's pacers started the first Test match, despite the fact that spinners claimed more wickets than pacers due to the pitch's supposed benefits for them. Abrar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam, who were released prior to the first Test, have now been restored to the squad by the PCB. In addition to them, Shaheen Shah Afridi, who left the team following the first Test match in order to spend time with his infant, has returned to the team for the second Test match. Aamir Jamal, who was originally freed to concentrate on his fitness at the National Cricket Academy (N...

The Pakistan Cricket Board has revealed a novel AI-powered method for player selection. Pakistan's cricket board has chosen a novel method of talent acquisition, seeing how its performance graph declines with each series that goes by. Chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, has disclosed that artificial intelligence is largely used in the process of choosing players from the nation's local pool. The PCB is the first board to publicly acknowledge using AI for player selection, despite the fact that its usage is becoming more and more common in the fields of information technology, e-commerce, and several other industries. Naqvi addressed the media during a press conference regarding the men's national team's poor results, particularly in the wake of their most recent home loss to Bangladesh. Not much has changed since Naqvi's infamous statement for the necessity of surgery following Pakistan's early elimination from the T20 World Cup in 2024. ...

Rashid Latif, a former cricket player, has expressed alarm over Pakistan's fast-bowling attack's diminishing pace and has linked the team's recent problems—including a record loss to Bangladesh in Rawalpindi—to this notable slowdown.   Latif noted that Pakistan's best fast bowlers used to be their strongest suit, but their pace has significantly declined, which has affected their effectiveness. A while back, it was unimaginable to lose to teams like Bangladesh. The loss in Rawalpindi was primarily due to our bowlers' inability to bowl at a fast tempo, Rashid stated in a Cricbuzz interview. He emphasized that bowlers who bowled at 145 kmph at first, including Khurram Shahzad, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi, now bowl at about 130 kmph. Rashid chastised the support staff for not keeping up with the bowlers' speed and questioned if injuries are being covered up. Rashid also criticized Pakistan's strategies, especially their choice to end their first innings at...

Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the PCB, supports the selection committee despite opposing hasty changes following a single subpar performance because there is a small pool of talent from which to choose players. Chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, attributed the team's dismal performance to poor decisions made by the captain and coach. At Rawalpindi, Pakistan lost the first Test match against Bangladesh by a humiliating 10-wicket margin. Naqvi defended the selection committee in addition to blaming the team administration, captain Shan Masood, and head coach Jason Gillespie. He claimed that although the selection committee had chosen 17 players, Masood and the team management had remained with their starting lineup, which had performed appallingly in Rawalpindi. "It is unfortunate that Bangladesh lost, but the team only had 17 players chosen by the selection committee. It is up to the coach or captain to decide whether or not to play some of the...

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi clarified his previous remarks regarding the surgery of the national men’s team, lamenting the lack of a pool of players.  In an interview with the media on Monday at Gaddafi Stadium, Naqvi claimed that the senior men's selection committee lacked a pool of players from which to choose to replace the underperforming players. This suggests that the team's operation has been postponed. "The issue is that the players cannot be chosen by our selection committee from a bank of players." "When we used to discuss the operation, it was undoubtedly because we wanted to make up for our mistakes." "However, in order to say that we have a list of 10–25 players to replace, say, four players, we do not have [enough players] and data." Then, Mohsin Naqvi asserted that Pakistan Cricket would be able to discover and explore fresh potential thanks to the upcoming Champions Cup, and that the selection ...

In the One-Day Cup that will take place next month, Pakistan Cricket Board head Mohsin Naqvi named five mentors for five domestic teams, one day after his team suffered their first-ever Test defeat against Bangladesh. The teams participating in the new domestic Champions Cup have five mentors, as revealed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on August 26. Three-year contracts have been awarded to Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis. The squads and sides have not yet been given official names. Currently active players are two of the mentors. Sarfaraz, the skipper who won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, is part of the current Test team for the two-Test series against Bangladesh. At the first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Mohammad Rizwan was selected as the starting wicketkeeper-batter, and Sarfaraz was left out of the starting lineup. Agha Salman was also picked because of his prowess with the bat and ball. Shoaib Malik is the oth...

Shan Masood talked about the four-pacer strategy and early declaration decision following Pakistan's humiliating first-Test loss to Bangladesh. In the opening Test of the two-game series, Bangladesh defeated Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, making history. After 13 meetings, Bangladesh has never triumphed over Pakistan prior to this one.  Pakistan's chances of making it to the World Test Championship final were severely damaged by the 10-wicket setback at home. After the loss, captain Shan Masood spoke about the team's widely criticized decision to field four pacers in the Rawalpindi stadium.  Pakistan had declared their first innings at 448 for six, and he gave the rationale for that decision. Pakistan fielded four pacers in their lineup because they thought the Rawalpindi pitch would favour fast bowlers. Bangladesh, on the other hand, had six alternatives for excellent spin bowling. In the end, the spinners turned out to be the decisive element after five d...

Mohammad Rizwan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), received high accolades from Mohsin Naqvi for his undefeated 171-run performance in the first innings of the first Test match against Bangladesh on Thursday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Mohsin Naqvi praised Mohammad Rizwan on X, the former Twitter platform, saying that the player has shown himself to be a valuable member of the Pakistan Test team. "What an incredible force Muhammad Rizwan demonstrated throughout today's Test Match! Thank you for helping him get 150 runs with three sixes and nine fours! He has undoubtedly shown that he is a valuable addition to Pakistani Test Cricket.  What a pleasure to observe! I'm hoping he does even better in the upcoming games; he has undoubtedly made Pakistani cricket fans proud," he continued.  Interestingly, Pakistan declared their first innings at 448/6, meaning that Mohammad Rizwan was denied a well-earned double century. With an undefeated 171 off 239 d...

Imam-ul-Haq is not included in the Bangladesh Test Series team. The future of Imam-ul-Haq, Pakistan's best batsman, was discussed by Test skipper Shan Masood during his pre-series press conference on Tuesday for the Bangladesh Test series.  Mohammad Huraira took Imam's place throughout the two-match series when he was dropped. Saim Ayub received his first cap in the most recent Test match between Pakistan and Australia, whilst Imam was absent from the field. When asked about the substitutions made before the game, Masood said, "Imam-ul-Haq is part of the plan but not part of the squad."  Imam-ul-Haq has been rested for the Bangladesh series, he continued. He continued his chat by answering the query of the substitution of Huraira for Saim Ayub and Mohammad Ali for Mir Hamza. Masood, 34, clarified that we are not suggesting that one bowler is superior to the other in this sense; rather, we are stating that the particular bowler is not appropriate for the circumstan...

 The playing XI for Pakistan's first Test match against Bangladesh, which is set to start in Rawalpindi on August 21, was revealed on Monday. For the first time in a home series, left-handed hitter Shan Masood will be the team's leader, with middle-order hitter Saud Shakeel serving as his vice. Pakistan's inning will be opened by Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub, then Masood and star batsman Babar Azam. Salman Agha, an all-rounder, will be the only spinner for the Shan Masood-led team in the first Test, while Muhammad Rizwan has been chosen as the wicketkeeping batsman. Mohammad Ali, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the four pacers in Pakistan's bowling assault. It is important to note that the Pakistani team for the first Test was relieved of wrist spinners Abrar Ahmed and Aamir Jamal one day prior. Aamir was told to concentrate on his recuperation at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, and Abrar Ahmed will now play for Pakistan Shaheens ...

 "I performed well when I played as a lone spinner in Australia," the spinner says. Beginning on August 21 in Rawalpindi, the two-Test series against Bangladesh will feature Salman Ali Agha as the "sole spinner." In order to target Bangladesh with all-pace tactics, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier opted to release mystery spinner  Abrar Ahmed from the first Test team. Agha is the only consistent spinner on the team with Abrar out due to injury, and the all-round player is eager to contribute. Salman stated at a news conference, "I have played as a lone spinner in Australia and did well there." "No pressure exists, and I'm prepared to take on the challenge. "The Rawalpindi pitch appears to be greener and appears to favor fast bowlers more." He went on to say that everyone on the squad supports one another as brothers and friends, which fosters a positive environment. "We have nothing to do with whatever is going on social ...

Beginning on August 21, Pakistan and Bangladesh will engage in a two-Test series, with Babar Azam slated to bat at number four. Salman Butt, a former cricket player for Pakistan, praised Babar Azam, stating that the right-hander has demonstrated his fitness and amassed massive runs over the last two years. In their forthcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, Pakistan's reliable batsman Babar Azam is scheduled to start at number four, sources said  Geo News on Thursday. According to the sources, captain Shan Masood will bat at number three, and Abdullah Shafiq's spot as the team's opener is "not under threat," according to Geo News . "Babar Azam scored truckloads of runs in the last two years, he proved his fitness, he ran on the field, and he scored runs while batting first as well as second innings," Butt said in a statement posted on his official  YouTube account. Things ought should rise, but they are incorrectly breaking in the midst. T...

The forthcoming Rawalpindi Test against Bangladesh, which is set to start on August 21, will mark the second time in 28 years that the men's cricket team of Pakistan would deploy an all-pace attack. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced earlier today that the home team will field an all-pace attack and that they have released only specialist spinner Abrar Ahmed from their squad for the first Test against Bangladesh.  "In the first ICC World Test Championship match against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, August 21st, the selectors have decided to go with an all-pace attack," the PCB stated in a statement. "The selectors decided to include him in the Shaheens squad rather than bench him for the Test, giving him some game experience before the second Test, which is scheduled to begin in Karachi on August 30." Due to Abrar's withdrawal, Pakistan will only use an all-pace attack in a home Test for the second time since they hos...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declared on Sunday that the second Test match in the two-match series between Bangladesh and Pakistan will now take place in Bangladesh instead of Karachi. The cricket board made this decision in light of the ongoing renovations being done at Karachi's National Bank Stadium in anticipation of the 2025 Champions Trophy.  "The Pakistan Cricket Board, in consultation with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, has decided to move the second ICC World Test Championship fixture to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium due to the deployment of heavy construction equipment and the need to adhere to tight redevelopment schedules for the National Bank Stadium, which is being prepared for next year's ICC Champions Trophy 2025," the PCB said in a press release. "With this move, cricket fans and spectators can now witness the live action of both Test matches, which act as a sneak peek at an exciting and demanding international season for Pakistani cricket. The n...

In the meanwhile, PCB announces that all senior red-ball domestic events would utilize Duke balls. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday that Kookaburra balls will be used for the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh, which is scheduled to start in Rawalpindi on August 21.  Pakistan and Bangladesh are keen to perform and improve their standing on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, therefore their Test matches will take place as part of the WTC 2023–25. During a press conference, the PCB announced that they will be using Duke balls for the 2018 domestic season and Kookaburra balls for international matches.  Duke balls will be utilized for all senior red-ball domestic events, according to a PCB announcement. In a press release, the PCB stated that Aceline and Grays will serve as the official local cricket ball brands for pathways and grassroots cricket, which includes U15, U17, and U19 events, schools, universities, clubs, and inter-distric...

 Shaheen Afridi, the top speedster in Pakistan, is about to reach a significant bowling milestone. Shaheen, who is well-known for his ability to chat up new balls, needs just nine more wickets to achieve history by being the first Pakistani bowler to reach 100 wickets in an ICC World Test Championship. Throughout two WTC cycles, Shaheen has participated in 24 Test matches. The left-arm bowler has claimed 91 wickets with a strike rate of 53.1 and an average of 27.23 in 41 innings. With three fifers and one ten-fer added to his impressive record, he is Pakistan's most successful bowler in WTC history. Naseem Shah, a right-arm seamer with 51 wickets to his name, comes next on the list. Thus, Shaheen's superior bowling performance in the esteemed competition is demonstrated by the fact that he has 40 wickets more than the next-best bowler. Most wickets for Pakistan in WTC Shaheen Afridi- 91 wickets in 24 matches Naseem Shah- 51 wickets in 17 matches Yasir Shah- 41 wickets of 13...

The national men's cricket team's three fittest players were announced by former captain Salman Butt ahead of their two-match home series against Bangladesh, which is set to start on August 21. Butt expressed worries about the national cricket team's fitness on his YouTube channel. Nonetheless, he argued that not every member of the Pakistani squad is unfit, naming Test captain Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Rizwan as the most fit.  "Fitness will soon show improvements. You can't claim that every player isn't healthy. Several of the players rank in the top 10 in the world of cricket in terms of fitness. You may observe the physical fitness of Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, and Fakhar Zaman, as well as their high Yo-Yo Test scores. They run well on the field and are good in the gym," Butt said. Fast bowlers are a concern because they don't play longer formats, FC cricket, or much Test cricket. You have to manage them. Not everything is develop...

Masood is enthusiastic about Pakistan's fast-bowling department's depth.  The captain of Pakistan's Test team, Shan Masood, has voiced great faith in the fast-bowling armament of his team.  In an interview with Bazid Khan for the PCB podcast, Masood discussed how he will manage his pacers' workload for the forthcoming Test season.  Up until January 2025, Pakistan's test schedule is packed with series against South Africa (away, two tests), England (home, three tests), Bangladesh (home, two tests), and the West Indies (home, two tests). "You must oversee the workload of their [pacers]." Similar to Shaheen Afridi in Australia, who played two straight Test matches before we had to rest him for the third due to an upcoming busy schedule. We'll continue to consider that, Masood stated.  Masood is enthusiastic about Pakistan's depth when it comes to fast bowling, pointing out that the current side has six extremely skilled pacers who can all bring so...

RAWALPINDI: On Thursday, Abrar Ahmed, a developing spinner for Pakistan, revealed his thoughts about potentially playing for his country in the forthcoming two-match home series against Bangladesh. Days before Pakistan and Bangladesh's first Test match, Abrar stressed at a press conference held here at Pindi Cricket Stadium that his job was to train hard and that the team management would decide whether or not he would be included in the playing XI.  Abrar stated, "My responsibility is to work hard; management must determine whether to field me or not." Abrar Ahmed also disclosed his intentions to become the national team's best spinner in the face of intense opposition from Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Imad Wasim.  "Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, and Muhammad Nawaz are all incredibly skilled. I had the chance to pick their brains," Abrar remarked. "I put more effort into my mystery delivery, and my goal is to lead the team in spinning," he conti...

 Shan Masood, the captain of Pakistan's Test team, has been transparent about his team's future red-ball cricket plan. The Shan Masood-led team will take on Bangladesh in a two-match Test series as part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–2025. Pak is currently ranked fifth in the WTC points standings. In this cycle, they are scheduled to play nine Test matches. Three home Test matches against England will come after the series against Bangladesh. After that, Pakistan will play two matches in South Africa before traveling back home to play two matches against the West Indies. At a press conference, Shan Masood stated that his team's goal is to play with the intention of winning matches in order to raise their ranking in the WTC. Masood stated, "We need to secure victories if we want to compete in the World Test Championship. This requires showing intent and positivity in every aspect of the game, whether it's batting, bowling, or fielding."  ...

 The second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh will not have spectators due to National Bank Stadium in Karachi being built in front of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated on Wednesday. The PCB said in a statement that it was a "difficult decision" to hold the Test without an audience. The second series is set for August 30 to September 3.   The board stated, "We recognize the vital role that our passionate spectators play in cricket, inspiring and motivating our players." "Our top goal, though, is the health and safety of our fans. We have determined that holding the second Test in front of an empty stadium is the safest course of action after carefully weighing all of the options. The PCB announced that ticket sales have been halted immediately and that those who have already bought tickets would get a complete refund. "We want to reassure our cherished fans that the ongoing stadium improvements are int...

 The PCB chairman reiterates his pledge to finish venue upgrades in time for the major event in the following year. The stadium designs for Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, which will host the Champions Trophy 2025 in February and March of next year, have been accepted by Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The permission follows his meeting with Chairman Chris Harding and other senior officials at the London headquarters of Naqvi BDP Pattern, a well-known architectural firm with headquarters in the United Kingdom. One day prior, insiders informed News channel that the board had started renovating National Stadium, one of the three locations for the major tournament that will take place the following year. Two other venues selected by the PCB to host the Champions Trophy are Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The PCB has allotted Rs12.80 billion for the three locations that would undergo renovations in advance of the ma...

 Wahab Riaz was fired as team manager by the board, which was led by Mohsin Naqvi. Wahab Riaz's replacement can be announced by PCB prior to the Bangladesh series.  The Pakistan cricket team is preparing to take on Bangladesh in a two-match Test series. On August 21, the two teams will begin their series.  The World Test Championship will continue as is with this home series. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board is about to undergo a significant transformation.   The former pacer Wahab Riaz, who was serving as the team manager, has been replaced, as PCB can announce. According to numerous reports, PCB has the ability to appoint Naveed Akram Cheema as the new manager of the Pakistan cricket team. Responsibility should only be granted to individuals who can concentrate on performance and discipline, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board.  Wahab Riaz was ousted from this position by the Mohsin Naqvi-led board in July. He was employed by the team as ...