Tag: Team Pakistan

  • History of Pakistan vs India matches at Asia Cup

    History of Pakistan vs India matches at Asia Cup

    The cricket rivalry between Pakistan and India is known as the greatest rivalry in the world of cricket. Today, the two sides will meet once again at Asia Cup 2022.

    Pakistan and India have played 14 matches in Asia Cup since 1984. India won 8 out of the 14 matches played in total while Pakistan won five. One match ended without a result as it was rained out.

    Here is the list of Pakistan vs India matches in Asia Cup.

    1984:

    India beat Pakistan by 54 runs while Surinder Khanna was the Man of the Match; he scored 56 runs on 72 balls.

    1988:

    India once again beat Pakistan by 4 wickets. Pakistan scored 142 while India chased the target in 40.4 overs with 4 wickets in hand. Arshad Ayub was Man of the Match.

    1995:

    Pakistan broke its losing streak and defeated India by 97 runs. Aqib Javed was Man of the Match with his magical bowling spell with five wickets to his name.

    1997:

    Match was abandoned because of rain.

    2000:

    Pakistan maintained its wining streak and beat India by 44 runs. Mouhammad Yousuf became Man of the Match by scoring a century on 112 balls. Pakistan scored 295 for the loss of 7 while India managed to score 251 in chase.

    2004:

    Pakistan won the match by 59 runs. Shoaib Malik was Man of the Match. He scored 143 on 127 with 2 wickets.

    2008 Group Stage:

    India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets. Suresh Raina became Man of the Match by scoring 84 runs on 69 balls with 2 wickets to his name. Virender Sehwag also played an outstanding innings of 119 on 95 balls.

    2008 Super 4s:

    Pakistan won by 8 wickets with Younis Khan getting Player of the Match award. His outstanding knock of 123 on 117 helped Pakistan achieve a huge target of 308.

    2010:

    India beat Pakistan by 3 wickets with 1 ball remaining. India chased 267 while Gautam Gambhir became Man of the Match by scoring 83 on 97 balls.

    2012:

    India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets. Pakistan scored 329 while India managed to chase in 47.5 overs. Kohli got the Player of the Match award by scoring 183 on 148 balls.

    2014:

    Pakistan won by 1 wicket. This match took a lot of turns. In the final over, Pakistan needed 9 runs in the last over with 2 wickets in hand. Pakistan lost their ninth wicket on Ashwin’s first ball. On the next ball, Junaid khan took a single followed by two maximums by Afridi. Hafeez became Man of the Match with 75 runs and two wickets to his name.

    2016:

    India beat Pakistan by five wickets. This was the first T20I edition of Asia Cup. India defeated Pakistan with Kohli scoring 49 on 51 balls.

    2018 Group Stage:

    India won with eight wickets in hand. Pakistan scored 162 while India achieved that target in 29 overs.

    2018 Super 4s:

    India once again defeated Pakistan with a tremendous knock of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma of 114 and 111 respectively.

  • Babar Azam named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year

    Babar Azam named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year

    Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam has been named the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for his achievements as a captain of Pakistan cricket team and his individual performances.

    Babar scored 405 runs in six matches at an average of 67.50 with two centuries. He played only six ODIs in 2021, but he made vital contributions in the two series that Pakistan played this year.

    He was the second-highest run-scorer with 228 runs and was the Player of the Match in both of Pakistan’s wins in the 2-1 series victory against South Africa. The architect of Pakistan’s chase of 274 in the first ODI, Babar made a century and laid the foundation with an 82-ball 94 in the final ODI where the visitors posted 320 batting first.

    He was the lone warrior for Pakistan when they were swept by England 3-0. He accumulated 177 runs in three games but found no support as none of the other batters managed to score more than 100 in the series.

    Azam’s best performance this year came in a losing cause in the final ODI against England.

    With the series already lost, Pakistan were playing for pride as well as crucial ICC Cricket World Cup Super League points in the third ODI at Birmingham. Put in to bat first, Pakistan posted 331, with Babar scoring close to half of the team’s runs.

    Read More – ICC receives criticism for not naming Babar Azam T20 World Cup ‘Player of the Tournament’

    Not only in ODIs but Babar was also good with the bat in the ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Azam registered the most number of runs in a maiden T20 world cup with 303, which makes him the first batsman to score 300 runs in the T20 World Cup 2021.

    Twitter is flooded with congratulatory notes for the 27-year-old skipper. We have collected a few, have a look:

    https://twitter.com/mdk_gul/status/1485513152708157443?s=20

    https://twitter.com/AhmadDaniyal33/status/1485514895932248067?s=20
  • Misbah speaks out against haters saying team doing better without him

    Misbah speaks out against haters saying team doing better without him

    Former Pakistan Captain and Coach Misbah-ul-Haq has blasted haters for saying that the Pakistan cricket team is performing better after he resigned as the head coach just before the T20 World Cup.

    Read More – Pakistan wins T20 series in Bangladesh

    Misbah, while talking to the media on Muslim Gymkhana’s annual match occasion said: “Well done to those who think that the team has started to perform better after my departure. I am also happy to see the Pakistan team winning.”

    “We all want Pakistan to perform better,” he added.

    About Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez’s future, he said: “The cricketers themselves can make a better decision regarding their future. They know better how long they can play for the national team and play their part in victories.”

    As Pakistan started their two-match test series against Bangladesh today, Misbah stated that Pakistan’s Test side is strong and can beat the Tigers at their home.

    “The team is performing well under Babar Azam’s captaincy, the credit goes to him. While Saqlain Mushtaq is managing the players really well,” Misbah added.

    To replace Misbah and bowling coach Waqar Younis, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Saqlain Mushtaq as interim head coach and Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander as consultant coaches for the mega event.

  • Babar Azam is ‘confident’ ahead of Bangladesh Test series

    Babar Azam is ‘confident’ ahead of Bangladesh Test series

    Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam is confident that they will be performing well in the Test Championship after playing against Bangladesh in the two-match Test series. He said that in a virtual press conference from Chittagong ahead of the first Test.

    The skipper was a bit worried about the unavailability of a batting coach with the side, saying that the Men in Green should have had one but the decision to appoint a batting coach rests with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    Veteran Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden was appointed by the PCB as batting consultant for the T20 World Cup. He was hired after Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis stepped down from their coaching roles in September.

    Babar Azam spoke about the team’s performance, saying that he expected them to perform well in the series.

    “The batting line-up includes senior players who play spinners well. The players joining the Test squad were playing domestic cricket and we will benefit from this,” he stated.

    He said that this Test series is also important for Pakistan, adding that the team will try to keep up the winning momentum [from the T20 series].

    Babar Azam praised the Test team, saying that he was confident they will perform well in the Test Championship as “there are more matches at home grounds”.

    He said that the Bangladesh team is a dangerous side even in the absence of senior players. Azam said they cannot be taken lightly as conditions are difficult in Bangladesh.

    “It is not easy to play here. We have to focus and play with patience, we will also try to stay on the wicket.”

    The first Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh starts tomorrow, November 26, in Chittagong.

  • Muhammad Rizwan moves up, leaving KL Rahul behind in ICC men’s T20I rankings

    Muhammad Rizwan moves up, leaving KL Rahul behind in ICC men’s T20I rankings

    Pakistan’s wicket keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan’s outstanding performance in the three-match series against Bangladesh has lifted him another place to 4th position in the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings.

    The opener has left Indian cricketer KL Rahul behind, who is now standing at number 5th position.

    Pakistan’s captain and star player Babar Azam retained the top position in the list and still stands the best batsman in the world in 20-overs cricket format with 809 points followed by Englands’s Dawid Malan and Proteas player Aiden Markram.

    Fakhar Zaman also moves up from 40th to 35th while, pacer Hassan Ali has advanced 16 spots to Number 44 and Shadab Khan has climbed two spots to Number 14.

    Earlier, Babar Azam and Rizwan surpassed India’s Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan to become the duo with the most century partnerships in T20I cricket.

  • Why did Bangladesh not give the T20I series trophy to Pakistan?

    Why did Bangladesh not give the T20I series trophy to Pakistan?

    Pakistan beat Bangladesh with a clean sweep in the three-match T20I series on Monday, November 22 but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not give the winning trophy to the team.

    Read More – ‘We are on the right track’: Babar Azam after Pakistan whitewashed Bangladesh in T20I series

    According to Geo Super, the Pakistan squad was left “surprised” after they did not get a trophy despite winning the series.

    However, a spokesperson of the BCB told the management of the Pakistan team that they would hand over the trophy after the conclusion of the Test series.

    The BCB further added that the head of the board was supposed to hand over the trophy to the Pakistani squad but it could not be done due to his unavailability.

    The spokesperson said that officials of the board and sponsoring companies were not part of the bio-secure bubble, therefore, the trophy awarding ceremony could not take place in line with the Covid-19 protocols.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to play a two-match Test Series starting from November 26. The Second Test match will be played during December 4-8.

  • Pakistan seals victory against Bangladesh in first T20I

    Pakistan seals victory against Bangladesh in first T20I

    Pakistan has sealed their first victory against Bangladesh after Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah and Shadab Khan contributed in clinching the match from the home team.

    Bangladesh posted a total of 127 runs but it became tense in the middle after Pakistan lost Fakhar’s wicket on his 36-balls’ 34. But with the vital hits from Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, they sealed the game for Pakistan with four balls to spare.

    Captain Babar Azam posted 7 runs, while Mohammad Rizwan could only score 11 runs. Khushdil Shah also posted 34 runs off 35 balls, contributing a decent share in the total.

    Pakistan needed 2 runs in the last over and Shadab hit a six to seal the deal for the Men in Green.

    Hassan Ali, with a comeback performance, took 3 wickets while giving just 22 runs in his 4 overs and bagged Player of the Match award.

    Pakistan will be playing their next match of the series tomorrow, November 20.

  • Indian government has apprehensions about participation in 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan

    Indian government has apprehensions about participation in 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan

    Pakistan has recently been awarded the rights to hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. Just a day has passed and the Indian government expressed apprehensions about participation in the international tournament. India’s Sports Minister and Former BCCI President, Anurag Thakur on Wednesday, said that the Indian government will monitor the security situation at the time in Pakistan before taking a decision on whether the India team will travel for the eight-team global tournament.

    “The Indian government had earlier also made its decision,” Thakur said while talking to reporters in Delhi on Wednesday. “When such global tournaments happen several factors are considered.”

    He added: “Even in the past, you would have seen many countries have pulled out to go there (Pakistan) and play because the situation there is not normal. Security is the main challenge there, like teams have been attacked in the past, which is a concern. So when the time comes, the Indian government will take a decision depending on the circumstances then.”

    Read More – Threatening e-mail was sent to New Zealand cricket team from India: Fawad

    The Champions Trophy is the first ICC tournament that will be hosted in Pakistan since the 1996 men’s ODI World Cup which was co-hosted by two other countries: India and Sri Lanka. No Indian team has played cricket in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.

    The two neighbours have not played any bilateral cricket in Pakistan since Rahul Dravid’s side travelled to Pakistan in 2005-06 for a full tour comprising three Tests and five ODIs. Pakistan toured India for a reciprocal tour in 2007-08 but the strained political equation between their governments since then has restricted ties to one white-ball bilateral series in 2012-13 in India and games between the two in ICC tournaments. Pakistan traveled to India to play in the 2011 ODI World Cup semi-final and later to participate in the 2016 T20 World Cup.

    The 2023 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in India during October and November. Earlier, the global tournament was shifted from India to UAE and Oman citing fears of the second wave of Covid-19 in the country.

  • Pakistan to host 2025 Champions Trophy as ICC announces 8 tournaments, Ramiz cheers

    Pakistan to host 2025 Champions Trophy as ICC announces 8 tournaments, Ramiz cheers

    Pakistan will host the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, which means that the Pakistan cricket team will defend its title in its own home ground. Pakistan won the last Champions Trophy in 2017.

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday confirmed the 14 host countries of the ICC men’s white ball events from 2024-2031. Eleven Full Members and three Associate Members have been selected to host two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, four ICC Men’s T20 World Cups and two ICC Men’s Champions Trophy events.

    The USA and Namibia will host an ICC World Cup event for the first time. While Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe have previously staged major events and will do so again over the next decade.

    The hosts were selected via a competitive bidding process overseen by a Board sub-committee chaired by Martin Snedden along with Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Skerritt. The ICC Board accepted the recommendations of the committee who conducted a thorough review of each bid along with the ICC management. A similar process to identify the hosts for ICC Women’s and U19s events for the next cycle will be undertaken early next year.

    Reacting to the development, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja said, “It’s a matter of great pride and delight that Pakistan will be hosting ICC Champions Trophy 2025.”

    ICC Chair Greg Barclay said: “We are delighted to have concluded this competitive bidding process for the first time for ICC events. To have 14 Members hosting 8 events is a reflection of the truly global nature of our sport and I’d like to thank every Member that submitted a bid and offer our congratulations to the successful bidders.”

    “It is fantastic to be returning to so many previous hosts, but what is really exciting about this process is the countries who will stage ICC events for the first time including the USA which is a strategic growth market for us. This gives us the opportunity to deepen our connection with fans in traditional cricket nations and also reach new fans around the world.”

    2024 T20 World Cup: USA and West Indies

    2025 Champions Trophy: Pakistan

    2026 T20 World Cup: India and Sri Lanka

    2027 ODI World Cup: Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa

    2028 T20 World Cup: Australia and New Zealand

    2029 Champions Trophy: India

    2030 T20 World Cup: England, Ireland and Scotland

    2031 ODI World Cup: India and Bangladesh

    It should be noted that Pakistan is set to host Australia in 2022 and England will be visiting Pakistan next year with additional two T20Is that will be played in Pakistan after England’s chief Tom Harrison visited Pakistan.

  • Pakistan names 20-member squad for Bangladesh Tests, including Imam

    Pakistan names 20-member squad for Bangladesh Tests, including Imam

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 20-member squad for Bangladesh Test match series. Opener Imam-ul-Haq is making a comeback to the national team.

    The opener has been recalled on the back of a blistering form in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he has so far amassed 488 runs in five innings. Middle-order hitter Kamran Ghulam and off-spinner Bilal Asif likewise track down a spot in the 20-part crew.

    Bilal Asif has replaced leg-spinner Yasir Shah who is yet to fully recover from the thumb injury he suffered while playing in the domestic T20 tournament. Kamran also returns to the squad after being left out during Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies. Pacers Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani have been left out and will be allowed to travel back to Pakistan after the T20I leg of the tour.

    The first Test will take place in Chittagong from November 26 with the second match taking place in Dhaka between December 4-8.

    Pakistan squad:

    Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood