Babar takes Pakistan home off last ball

You get a chance to play international cricket at 34, becoming the second-oldest debutant for your country. You are hit for six second ball. What do you do? You dismiss three key batsmen for just 23 runs. You are then called on to finish the game. With the bat. Understandably, you are tied down. But with six needed off six, you loft over extra cover for four. You think you have more than pulled your weight as a debutant. You have, but it is not...

Read More

South Africa beat Sri Lankaby 56 runs

What a difference two overs can make. That was all it took for South Africa to stay alive in the series, have their confidence restored and beat Sri Lanka at home for the first time in close to 20 years. The 49th and 50th over of their nnings produced 38 runs and took their total from middling to challenging. David Miller scored 35 of them himself - prior to this match no South African batsman had managed a score greater than 29 in the...

Read More

West Indies v Pakistan, 1st T20, St Vincent

In what has been a disappointing home season for West Indies, with the twin failures in the tri-series and a 3-1 defeat in the one-day series to Pakistan, the hosts have a chance to salvage pride in a format that hasn't let them down in recent months - Twenty20. Since winning the World T20 in Sri Lanka last year, West Indies have not dropped a single game, and with history on their side, nothing less than a 2-0 triumph will be enough to bring...

Read More

Pakistan win Series 3-1 Against Westindies

With his fourth half-century in five games this series, the world's leading ODI run-getter of 2013 shepherded his volatile band of batsmen home in another tricky chase. Misbah-ul-Haq battled falling wickets at the other end, a charged up Tino Best, and a rain interruption as late as the 98th over of the game to take Pakistan to their third successive away bilateral series win over West Indies. Yet again this series, Umar Akmal was called...

Read More

South Africa hope for respite in Pallekele

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium was modeled on Supersport Park in Pretoria. The grass banks and open spaces are similar, the stands bear the same minimalistic, angular roof and even the floodlight towers seem like carbon copies. Unlike Supersport Park, the Pallekele ground is nestled in the hills and closeted by heavy vegetation, but having struggled with adapting to Sri Lankan conditions, the South Africa team will hope it is more...

Read More

Misbah to play in Caribbean Premier League

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, will replace Australia's Luke Pomersbach in the St Lucia Zouks side for the inaugural Caribbean Premier League season. Pomersbach has been forced to pull out of the tournament, which begins next week, on compassionate leave. Misbah will enter the competition fresh from a Man-of-the-Series performance in the one-day series against West Indies, which ended on Wednesday. "Although it is unfortunate that...

Read More

Zimbabwe bowl, Vitori in

Zimbabwe won what has been a crucial toss at Harare Sports Club, asking India to bat in an early morning start. After losing the toss and being inserted in bowler-friendly conditions in the first game, Brendan Taylor's luck improved second time around, and Zimbabwe will hope that gives them a much better chance of competing with India. The hosts made one change, beefing up their seam attack with the inclusion of Brian Vitori in place of...

Read More