Cricket

Australia's white-ball season kicks off with a three-match ODI series against Pakistan, marking the first international cricket action for both teams in nearly a year. The series serves as a crucial preparation for Australia's Champions Trophy campaign, while Pakistan aims to build a competitive squad for the home tournament.Despite the absence of Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, and Cameron Green, Australia's ODI team remains largely settled. Pat Cummins, Marnus Labuschagne, and Glenn Maxwell headline the lineup, with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short vying for Head's spot.Pakistan, on the other hand, has undergone significant changes since their last ODI outing. Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah return to the squad, while Mohammad Rizwan takes over the captaincy. The team is still searching for a stable XI, with Faisal Akram, a promising left-arm wristspinner, a potential inclusion.The series will be played on a pitch that has traditionally favored fast bowlers, and the overcast conditions could further assist the quicks. Australia holds a 10-4 win record against Pakistan at the MCG, but the visitors will be eager to break their recent losing streak.

India Falls to Pakistan in Hong Kong Sixes OpenerIndia suffered a disappointing six-wicket defeat to arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match of the Hong Kong Sixes 2024 at the Tin Kwong Road Cricket Ground on Friday.Despite a valiant effort from Bharat Chipli, who smashed 53 off 16 deliveries before retiring hurt, India could only muster 119 for 4 in their allotted six overs. Captain Robin Uthappa also contributed 31 off eight balls.Pakistan's batters, however, proved too strong for India's bowlers. Asif Ali played a pivotal role, blasting 55 off 14 balls to lay the foundation for a comprehensive victory. Muhammad Akhlaq (40 not out off 12) and Faheem Ashraf (22 not out off 5) completed the chase with one over to spare.The Hong Kong Sixes 2024 kicked off with an electrifying start, featuring explosive performances from batters across the board. Hosts Hong Kong and South Africa engaged in a thrilling encounter, with both teams showcasing aggressive batting. Hong Kong posted 92/0 in 6 overs, while South Africa chased down the target with 3 wickets in hand in just 4.4 overs.Nepal stunned England in the day's second match, clinching a 6-wicket victory after chasing down a target of 98 in just 4.2 overs. Captain Sundeep Jora led the charge with a blistering 50 off 12 balls.Pakistan continued their winning ways, edging past UAE by 13 runs. Led by Faheem Ashram, Pakistan posted 128/0 in 6 overs, with Muhammad Akhlaq and Asif Ali both retiring after half-centuries. UAE's Muhammad Zuhaib responded with a quickfire 53 off 14 balls, but Asif Ali's final over, yielding only 6 runs and taking two wickets, shifted the game in Pakistan's favor.Sri Lanka secured a comfortable 4-wicket win over Oman, while Hong Kong redeemed themselves by defeating New Zealand.

Australia's T20I squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan has been announced, with Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, and Spencer Johnson returning from injury. However, a new captain is yet to be confirmed, as Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, and Pat Cummins are all unavailable.Bartlett, Ellis, and Johnson were all ruled out of Australia's recent tour of the UK with various injuries. Johnson made his return to domestic cricket last Friday, while Bartlett and Ellis are expected to be fit for the three-match series against Pakistan, which begins on November 14.The 13-man squad is largely unchanged from the one that toured the UK in September, with Glenn Maxwell returning to the T20I fold after being rested for the T20I portion of that tour. Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk are expected to open the batting, as they likely will in the ODI series that precedes the T20Is against Pakistan.With the series finishing just four days before the opening Test against India in Perth, none of the Test players were made available. Marsh and Head are also missing the ODI series while on paternity leave.Australia will have a different coaching staff for the T20I series as well, with head coach Andrew McDonald, batting coach Michael Di Venuto, and bowling coach Daniel Vettori all resting ahead of the Test series. Assistant coach Andre Borovec will take charge, as he did for Australia's five-match T20I series against India in India last October. Former Australia batter Brad Hodge is also set to join the group as an assistant coach after touring with Australia's T20 World Cup squad as a coaching consultant in June. Matthew Wade, who is yet to retire from international cricket and captained Australia's T20I side in February, is reportedly set to join the squad as well in a coaching role.

Pakistan's hopes of reaching the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final next year have been revived after a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes. Despite a historic series defeat to Bangladesh and a subsequent loss in the opening Test against England, Pakistan's chances appeared all but over. However, a 2-1 series win over England at home has pushed them back into contention.India's dominance at home was shattered by a visiting New Zealand side, who secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series. This result shook up the WTC standings and made the race for the final more open.Currently, India and Australia remain in the top two positions in the standings. However, India's lead has been reduced to just 0.32 PCT, while New Zealand's strong performance has lifted them to fourth place with a 50.00 PCT. Pakistan, though still in seventh with 33.33 PCT, is now mathematically back in the race.For Pakistan to qualify for the WTC final, they must win all four of their remaining matches – two away games against South Africa and two against the West Indies at home. Doing so would raise their PCT to 52.38. However, this alone will not be enough. Pakistan will need other results to go their way, with teams like India, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and South Africa needing to lose key matches to allow Pakistan to climb into the top two spots.While Pakistan's chances of reaching the final remain slim, the series victory over England and the shake-up caused by India's surprise defeat have ensured that they are still in the conversation. The road ahead is difficult, but Pakistan's qualification hopes are not over yet.

Pakistan's seasoned off-spinner Sajid Khan has employed a unique strategy to unsettle England players during the ongoing third Test in Rawalpindi. Beyond his trademark mustache twirling and thigh thumping, Sajid has leveraged his bilingualism to gain an edge.While Sajid's bowling prowess stems from his spin angle and delivery flight, his batting exploits are a different tale. During the 86th over, Sajid engaged in a conversation with vice-captain Saud Shakeel, oblivious to the stump mic capturing their exchange.Sajid's subsequent six over midwicket into the Javed Miandad stand was a deliberate ploy, as he revealed. The intended targets were Pakistan-origin spinners Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir."We were only doing that [speaking loudly in Urdu] to deceive the bowlers. Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu, so to fool them, we wanted them to hear we were only looking for the single. When we did that, they brought the field up, and the bowlers flighted it. Saud told me once they do, no half measures: just go for the big shot as hard as you can," Sajid explained.In the following over, Sajid unleashed two sixes and a four against Bashir, again targeting the midwicket region. His unbeaten 48 off 48 balls propelled Pakistan to 344.Rehan acknowledged Sajid's impressive batting but denied being misled by the Urdu conversation."He didn't fool me at all. He just said it for the media. I didn't even hear him. He said something like he's going to run down this ball, and I knew he was going to try and scoop me, and it didn't really work. I think he batted well, and he hit some big blows, but he didn't really fool me or Bash," Rehan said.Sajid's tactics have added an intriguing dimension to the Test match, showcasing his ability to influence the game both on and off the field.

England's Test series against Pakistan ended in disappointment as they suffered a 2-1 defeat, with a humiliating 112-all out in the second innings of the third Test. Captain Ben Stokes, who returned from injury in the second Test, endured a dismal series, culminating in an embarrassing dismissal in the final innings.Stokes, batting on three runs, opted to leave a delivery from Noman Ali in the 22nd over. However, the ball kept low and turned back in, trapping Stokes plumb on the pads. The dismissal left England reeling at 70/5, and they proceeded to lose their remaining wickets for just 42 runs.Pakistan's spinners, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, proved to be England's undoing, claiming 39 of the 40 English wickets in the second and third Tests. England's successive defeats have severely dented their hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle final.Stokes's return from injury has been far from impressive, with the all-rounder managing only 53 runs in four innings. Apart from a knock of 37 in the second Test, he has failed to cross 15 in an innings.England's batting woes have been compounded by the absence of key players such as Jonny Bairstow and Jofra Archer. The team's inability to adapt to the spin-friendly conditions in Pakistan has been a major factor in their downfall.Pakistan, on the other hand, have been buoyed by the performances of their spinners. Noman Ali and Sajid Khan have been virtually unplayable at times, and their ability to extract turn and bounce from the pitches has been a major advantage.The series win is a significant boost for Pakistan, who have been struggling in Test cricket in recent years. It also marks a disappointing end to England's tour of Pakistan, which began with a dramatic victory in the first Test in Multan.

England's head coach Brendon McCullum has expressed disappointment over his team's 2-1 series defeat to Pakistan, acknowledging that they "had an opportunity to have been better than that." After a dominant victory in the first Test, England succumbed to back-to-back losses in Multan and Rawalpindi, where Pakistan's spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali wreaked havoc.McCullum admitted that he was surprised it took Pakistan until the second Test to prepare spinning pitches, a tactic that has been England's undoing on recent tours of the subcontinent. He praised the Pakistani spinners for their exceptional bowling, but emphasized that England's batsmen failed to adapt to the challenging conditions.Despite the defeat, McCullum remains confident in his team's batting group, which he believes is the best England has. However, he acknowledged that they need to improve their ability to handle spin-friendly surfaces. The focus will also fall on England's spinners, who were outperformed by their Pakistani counterparts.McCullum emphasized that England will learn from their mistakes and use the lessons from this series to improve their performance in future matches on spinning pitches. He stressed the importance of holding firm during difficult periods and seeking continuous improvement.

Pakistan's offspinner Sajid Khan has emerged as a thorn in England's side, not only with his on-field antics but also with his cunning tactics. Beyond his signature mustache twirls and thigh thumps, Khan has found a novel way to unsettle the English: exploiting the bilingualism of their spin bowlers.During the fourth ball of the 86th over, Khan and teammate Saud Shakeel engaged in a seemingly innocuous conversation in Urdu, unaware that the stump mic was capturing their words. However, Khan's true intentions were far from innocent."We were only doing that [speaking loudly in Urdu] to deceive the bowlers," Khan revealed. "Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu, so to fool them, we wanted them to hear we were only looking for the single."The strategy worked to perfection. The English bowlers, assuming Pakistan was playing defensively, adjusted their field accordingly. This gave Khan the opportunity to unleash his power, launching Shoaib Bashir over midwicket for a six.Khan's deception continued in the following over, where he plundered two more sixes and a boundary off Bashir. The English bowlers, now thoroughly bamboozled, spread the field out, only to see Khan clear the rope with ease.England's spin bowler Rehan Ahmed, while acknowledging Khan's impressive innings, dismissed the claims of deception. "He didn't fool me at all, he just said it for the media," Ahmed said. "I didn't even hear him."Despite Ahmed's denial, Khan's tactics have undoubtedly played a role in Pakistan's growing lead. By exploiting the language barrier, Khan has created confusion and doubt in the minds of the English bowlers, giving Pakistan a significant advantage.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka LIVE Updates: India-Pakistan Final Looms in ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia CupThe stage is set for a potential India vs Pakistan final in the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup on Sunday. However, both teams must first overcome their respective semi-final opponents, Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan, on Saturday.Pakistan Shaheens, the defending champions, will face Sri Lanka A in the first semi-final at the Al-Amerat Ground in Oman. The two teams have met twice in the tournament so far, with Pakistan winning both encounters.Sri Lanka A, led by Charith Asalanka, will be looking to avenge those defeats and reach their first final in the competition. They have been in impressive form throughout the tournament, winning four of their five matches.Pakistan Shaheens, captained by Mohammad Haris, will be confident of continuing their winning streak. They have a well-balanced team with a strong batting lineup and a potent bowling attack.The second semi-final will see India A take on Afghanistan. India A, led by Yash Dhull, have been the most dominant team in the tournament, winning all five of their matches. They will be the favorites to reach the final.Afghanistan, led by Noor Ahmad, will be hoping to cause an upset. They have shown glimpses of their potential in the tournament, but they will need to play their best cricket to beat India A.The winner of the two semi-finals will meet in the final on Sunday. A repeat of last year's final, when Pakistan beat India to win the Emerging Asia Cup title, is a possibility.