A few days after Pakistan's debacle in a white-ball tour of New Zealand, skipper Mohammad Rizwan along with star batter Babar Azam is likely to meet Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in the next few days to get clarity on his selection in the T20I format and seeking more power as captain.
The ODI rankings witnessed a major shake-up on the opening day of the ICC Champions Trophy with India’s Shubman Gill and Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana rising to the top of the batting and bowling charts, respectively in the latest update released on Wednesday.
The NOC rejections for the star trio have a lot to do with Pakistan’s packed international calendar from October 2024 to May 2025.
Babar felt that the 2022 edition finalists failed to execute their plans, which eventually cost them dear in the crucial contest.
The seasoned top-order batter spoke highly of the welcome accorded to the Pakistan cricket team during their stay in Hyderabad for their initial few games of the World Cup.
Babar achieved the landmark during his unbeaten knock of 34 off 72 balls in Pakistan's first innings against Sri Lanka during the first Test at Galle International Stadium.
Recently, legendary cricketers such as Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar have been critical of Kohli's performance, with the former saying he should be dropped from the side and the latter indicating that some senior players are getting preferential treatment by being allowed to pick and choose which series they want to play.
Imam-ul-Haq struck a run-a-ball 72 while Babar Azam scored a 93-ball 77 as Pakistan posted a par score of 275/8 in 50 overs electing to bat first at the Multan Cricket Stadium here on Friday.
Azam was brilliant, and Imam-ul-Haq kept him company as they scored 103 runs for the second wicket. He then added 108 runs for the third wicket with Rizwan before Khushdil Shah (41 not out off 23 balls) sealed victory with a late cameo as Pakistan eluded Shai Hope and the West Indies.
Karthik feels Azam has it in him to become the world No. 1 batter in all three formats, which will be a unique first in the annals of the game. Azam already has the top ICC billing in both white-ball formats
