T20I | Pakistan

Pakistan’s brittle batting line-up imploded once again as South Africa romped to a comprehensive 55-run victory in the first Twenty20 International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night, bowling the hosts out for a paltry 139 in 18.1 overs while chasing 195. Corbin Bosch, the 30-year-old seamer, produced a masterclass in death bowling to finish with career-best figures of 4-14, while left-arm spinner George Linde chipped in with 3-31 as Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for just 58 runs after a sedate powerplay. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, promoted to set the tone, managed a cautious 31 before Lizaad Williams shattered Farhan’s stumps with a nip-backer for 24 off 19 balls. The dismissal brought Babar Azam to the crease for his much-anticipated T20I comeback, but the former skipper lasted just two deliveries, chipping a short-of-length ball from Bosch straight to cover for a golden duck. Skipper Salman Ali Agha’s wretched night continued when he was trapped plumb in front by Bosch...

Pakistan is set to host a T20 International (T20I) tri-series for the first time from November 17 to 29, according to a press release issued by the country’s cricket board on Sunday. Apart from Pakistan, the “three-nation tournament” would feature Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the press release said. It added that the series was organised to “provide all teams with valuable preparation” ahead of next year’s International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka. Detailing its schedule, it further stated that the hosts would take on Afghanistan on November 17, marking the beginning of the series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. It also mentioned that “will be Afghanistan’s first-ever T20I in Pakistan”. “On November 19, Sri Lanka will face Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, while the remaining five T20Is of the tri-series, including the final on November 29, will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore,” the press release said. Tri-series schedule Nov 17: P...

Player of the match Muneeba Ali’s hundred helped propel Pakistan women to a consolation win over Ireland on Sunday in the final Twenty20 International of the series that was won 2-1 by the Irish team. Coming into this encounter, the Green Shirts were 2-0 down in the series, with Ireland winning the first T20I by 11 runs on Wednesday and four wickets on Friday. Batting first at Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin, the Irish side got to a respectable 155-4 before centurion Muneeba and Aliya Riaz combined for an unbeaten 101 run partnership to make easy work of the Irish total — chasing it down with 14 balls to spare. In the first innings, Irish allrounder Orla Prendergast continued with her good form in the series, scoring 64 runs not out of 46 balls. Wicketkeeper Amy Hunter and Irish captain Gaby Lewis scored 29 and 36, respectively. Muneeba started the Pakistani chase with three back-to-back boundaries off the bowling of Prendergast, the player of the match of the first encounter and winner of the player o...

The hosts defeated Proteas by 17 runs to register their ninth straight T20I win

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has expressed hope to carry the winning momentum from the T20I series into the upcoming Pakistan vs West Indies ODIs. The three-match ODI series between the two sides is set to begin on August 8 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad. The national team will then face the […]

Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram has called for the return of star batter Babar Azam to the T20I side ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. While the former Pakistan captain has been out of the T20I squad for some time, reports about his potential return began making rounds after Fakhar Zaman was ruled of the […]

Bangladesh survived a late onslaught by Faheem Ashraf and Ahmed Daniyal to pull off a narrow eight-run victory in the second T20I match on Tuesday, winning a first-ever series in the format against Pakistan. Ashraf hit an aggressive 32-ball 51 while debutant Daniyal smashed an 11-ball 17 but holed out off the second ball of the final over as Pakistan were all out for 125 in their chase of 134 to win in Dhaka. Earlier, Jaker Ali struck a 48-ball 55 as Bangladesh — sent in to bat — were bowled out for 133 in 20 overs, with Salman Mirza taking 2-17 and Daniyal close behind on 2-23. Left-arm Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam picked up his best T20I figures of 3-17 on a slow-paced Mirpur pitch as Pakistan lost their first five wickets for just 15 runs by the fifth over. Ashraf cracked four sixes and as many boundaries to raise hopes of a comeback win, but spinner Rishad Hossain bowled him in the penultimate over. Ashraf and Abbas Afridi, who scored a 13-ball 19, had revived the innings from 47-7 with a 41-run stand,...

Pakistan men’s three-match T20 International series against Bangladesh will begin on Sunday with the remaining two games to be staged on May 22 and 24 at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday. Last month, Pakistan had whitewashed Bangladesh in a home three-match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium. Litton Das-led Bangladesh will take the field on the back of an away 2-1 T20I series triumph over Sri Lanka last week. Pakistan are visiting Bangladesh for the first time since December 2021 as they arrived in the country on Wednesday, after taking part in an extensive training camp in Karachi, the PCB said. “Pakistan and Bangladesh will lock horns in a three-match T20I series beginning on Sunday, May 20,” the press release issued on Saturday said. “Salman Ali Agha, who has so far led Pakistan in 12 T20Is, will marshal the side in fourth T20I series,” it added. The pace duo of Ahmed Daniyal and Mohammad Salman Mirza are the two uncapped players in Pakistan’s squad ...

Pakistan women’s left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal took the top spot in the International Cricket Council Women’s Twenty-20 International (T20I) Bowler Rankings once again, cricket’s governing body announced on Tuesday. Sadia was pivotal to Pakistan’s win in the recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Lahore and was named in the team of the tournament for her nine scalps for an average of 16. “Pakistan spinner Sadia Iqbal remains at the top of the list for T20I bowlers, but it’s tight at the top with just 44 rating point separating the top 10 players,” the ICC statement said. The statement also said that England pacer Lauren Bell climbed two spots to a career-best place of fourth on the latest rankings. Today’s announcement follows her ranking in May, where she also reclaimed the top position in ICC Women’s T20I Bowler Rankings. Last year in the T20 World Cup, Sadia claimed three wickets for Pakistan as the Green Team beat Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka in their opening encounter of that tournament. O...

Pakistan women’s left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal reclaimed her position at the top of the ICC Women’s Twenty-20 International (T20I) Bowler Rankings, Cricket’s governing body announced on Tuesday. Sadia was also pivotal to Pakistan’s win in the recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Lahore and was named in the team of the tournament for her nine scalps for an average of 16. Her economy, like her spin twin Nashra Sandhu, was under four, and this meant that the duo provided the hosts the stranglehold during the middle overs and helped them maintain an unbeaten run throughout the tournament. “[Sadia] was one of the leading performers at last year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and rises one spot on the rankings for T20I bowlers to claim top billing”, the ICC statement said. She replaces England spinner Sophie Ecclestone at the top spot who sat out her side’s recent T20I series at home against the West Indies. Her team-mate Lauren Bell however, rose 13 places to jump to sixth overall on the back of her ...