Babar must embrace the right mindset to achieve crowning glory
EVEN Nostradamus would not have prophesied that Pakistan would sneak into the semi-finals. It looked next to impossible. Simply because there were heaps of ifs and buts involved. But then he would certainly have felt thunderstruck like tens of millions of Pakistanis when the Dutch ousted mighty-looking South Africa in Adelaide. The reputed French seer of the 16th […]
Pakistan rediscover the magic of 1992 — for real
SOMETIMES the heavens align. Sometimes it snows in April. Sometimes the magic takes hold of Pakistan cricket, rescues it from the jaws of despair, and clears its path to the pinnacle. At times like this it is best to go with the mood, to trip the light fantastic, to savour Pakistan’s version of magical realism. […]
Pakistan ‘lost sleep’ over T20 World Cup losses but bounced back: Shan Masood
Pakistan batsman Shan Masood on Saturday praised his team’s character in battling back to stay in the hunt for a semi-finals spot after losing their first two matches at the Twenty20 World Cup. Captain Babar Azam’s side need to win their final Super 12 match against Bangladesh in Adelaide on Sunday — and for other […]
Shadab supreme as Pakistan reinvent batting tactics
THE deadly combination of rain and Shadab Khan kept Pakistan’s slender hopes alive in this year’s World T20. Shadab’s excellent two wickets before the rain break made South Africa’s stiff challenge even stiffer, and rekindled memories of the 1992 World Cup when South Africa were robbed of a semi-final place by the rain rule. Lightning […]
All-rounder Mohammad Haris replaces injured Fakhar Zaman for T20 World Cup
Pakistan on Thursday called up batting all-rounder Mohammad Haris to replace the injured Fakhar Zaman just hours before they face South Africa in Sydney with their T20 World Cup hopes on the line. Haris, who can also bowl off spin and keep wicket, was approved as a replacement by the event’s technical committee after Zaman […]
Australian hotel issues apology and fires employees who recorded Virat Kohli’s room
The Australian hotel the Indian cricket team was staying at during their T20 World Cup games, Crown Towers Perth, issued a statement after their employees invaded Virat Kohli’s privacy and filmed his hotel room. The hotel apologised and removed the perpetrators from its premises, promising to ensure such an incident is not repeated. On Monday, Kohli shared […]
Brickbats for struggling Babar as Pakistan’s World Cup exit looms
Babar Azam was supposed to lead Pakistan to Twenty20 World Cup glory but the team are on the brink of an early exit and the usually inspirational skipper is facing growing questions about his batting and leadership. Babar scored the most runs at last year’s World Cup in taking Pakistan to the semi-finals, where they […]
Pakistan face improbable path to the semi-final
PAKISTAN are alive but barely kicking in this year’s World T20 after a six-wicket victory over minnows the Netherlands. They must win their remaining matches and pray that other results go in their favour if they are to qualify for the semi-finals. The calculation grew more complex with South Africa’s unexpected win over India. That leaves South Africa […]
All to play for after Australia, England clash washed out
MELBOURNE: A highly anticipated clash between Australia and England at the Twenty20 World Cup was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of rain on Friday in Melbourne, leaving their group wide open. It was the second match of the day, after Ireland v Afghanistan, to be washed out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and […]
T20 World Cup: Babar defends move to play extra pacer after Zimbabwe loss
Captain Babar Azam defended his decision to play an extra fast bowler in Thursday’s shock Twenty20 World Cup defeat by Zimbabwe but said the 2009 champions were not up to the mark in all departments after their campaign was left in tatters. Paceman Mohammad Wasim’s inclusion at the expense of batter Asif Ali looked to have paid […]
