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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to shift its tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa to Karachi and Lahore. Originally, the series was slated to be played in its entirety at the Multan Cricket Stadium. However, the four-match tri-series will be now played at the National Bank Cricket Stadium, Karachi, and Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore instead.  The decision to relocate the games was made to demonstrate confidence that ongoing renovation and construction projects at the stadiums for the upcoming Champions Trophy will be completed in time for the eight-team tournament.  Both stadiums in Karachi and Lahore have been undergoing…

Fakhar Zaman well and truly rose through the ranks in the last Champions Trophy played in 2017. With another approaching in roughly a month, can he find a place in the team this time? The answer is yes; if you ask Fakhar himself, at least. He believes his (enforced) sabbatical is nearing an end and he will be seen playing for Pakistan again soon. “A 100%, I will play for Pakistan (again),” Fakhar said while speaking on a podcast. “Actually, many people do not know about that, but after the T20 World Cup I got sick and because of my…

SA20 is starting its third season, and many eyes are waiting to see how the tournament will fare. The tournament will be played between six teams including Sunrisers Eastern Cape, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals, Durban Giants, Pretoria Capitals, and Joburg Super Kings. As the names show, all six teams are owned by IPL-based franchises. The opening match will be played between MI Cape Town and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who also happen to be the side that has won two of the two SA20 seasons played so far. Each side will play two fixtures against each other in the SA20…

Australia have successfully joined South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. This means they will not have to rely on the one-off Test match versus Sri Lanka, which was added late into the WTC schedule. This also means that the senior players who have already put in the hard yards can opt to miss the series, or as Pat Cummins said, to go ‘back as full-time Dad and husband’. He is also expecting his second child around the same time as the Sri Lanka tour, which makes it more likely for him to rest. “In terms of Sri…

Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises have announced their retained players ahead of the draft which is due to take place on January 11. All six franchises were allowed to retain a maximum of eight players for the upcoming PSL edition. Three franchises including Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars, and Quetta Gladiators maximized all eight of their retention options, while Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Karachi Kings retained seven players each. The retained players are spread across five categories starting from Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Emerging. Interestingly, no trades between franchises have taken place this year.  Islamabad United: The defending champions…

If there ever has been a forgettable point in Rohit Sharma’s career, it pales compared to what he is going through right now. He has just capped a year where his batting touched rock bottom as he averaged a lowly 24.76 in the previous year, his worst since his debut. Things went further south during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.  Across six innings he batted in this series, his highest score is 10. He currently finds himself at a point in his career where even the shortest of slumps are magnified, leading to speculations that retirement might be the only solution…

10 points and some parchments to scribble tirades on, for anyone who can guess which team has the best win-to-loss ratio in ODIs this year. Here’s a hint, that team is not featuring in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy next month. It’s Sri Lanka, the team who has been on fire ever since their dismal ODI World Cup in 2023, which also ousted them from the Champions Trophy. But now, that decision seems a little too rushed and unfair. Out of 18 ODI games the Islanders have played this year, they lost only 3. And mind you, among those they…

Indian pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah was seen leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on day two along with the team doctor and a security officer. Bumrah, who had bowled eight overs on the second day, stayed off the field for three of the last five overs bowled in the morning session. Although he returned for the final two before Lunch, he did not roll his arm over.  Following lunch, Bumrah bowled only one over but his struggles were clearly reflected in his bowling, with his speeds taking a dip. The quickest ball he bowled in that over was clocked in…

Pakistan’s fiery opener, Saim Ayub, has been ruled out of the ongoing Pakistan vs South Africa Test at Newlands, Cape Town. The left-handed batter was stretchered off the field after he twisted his ankle while fielding at deep third on the first day of the Test.  It happened in the seventh over on day one when Ayub ran chasing the ball after Ryan Rickleton edged it past the slip cordon. Aamer Jamal joined him in the chase and threw the ball in, with Saim standing as a backup fielder. It was right then that he twisted his right ankle and…

Pakistan lost the first Test match the way only they are capable of losing. They knew the victory would not do them any good, except better their dismal record in the country, which when one comes to think of it, is more than just good. But the point stands, Pakistan had almost no chance of making it to the WTC final but they made the Proteas experience, albeit momentarily, how that feels.  Regardless of how close the victory was, South Africa have become the first team to qualify for the WTC final. They will be happy that a must-win game…