Pakistan vs West Indies 1st Test Day 3, Live Score Updates© AFP

Pakistan veterans Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan laid the foundation for a convincing, series-clinching 81-run win over South Africa in the second one-day international at Newlands on Thursday. Pakistan’s total of 329 all out was set up by Babar (73) and captain Rizwan (80), who put on 115 off 142 balls for the third wicket. Heinrich Klaasen made 97 for South Africa but the hosts were bowled out for 248. Fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi (four for 47) and Naseem Shah (three for 37) were the main destroyers.

The win gave Pakistan an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan’s win on Thursday saw them become the first team in 21st century to win three ODI bilaterals in South Africa.

It was their fifth successive series win – and the third for the Champions Trophy hosts in the southern hemisphere season, following victories in Australia and Zimbabwe.

“It’s a team game, from beginning to end all of the guys are involved and contributing,” said Rizwan.  

Babar and Rizwan, whose combined 204 one-day caps exceeded the total of the rest of the team, batted soundly and sensibly before Babar was out with the total on 192 in the 33rd over.

Rizwan followed three overs later to a sensational diving catch off his own bowling by 18-year-old one-day debutant Kwena Maphaka.

But the stage had been set for some power hitting by the batsmen who followed, notably player of the match Kamran Ghulam, who hit five sixes in making 63 off 32 balls.

With a licence to go for their shots, Pakistan scored 161 runs in the last 17 overs while losing their remaining six wickets.

“Me and Babar started slowly. We were looking for 300 but we got 320-plus. I have never seen Kamran Ghulam play an innings like that,” said Rizwan.

Left-arm fast-bowler Maphaka took heavy punishment but picked up four wickets while conceding 72 runs.

South Africa scored more briskly than Pakistan for most of their innings but although all of their first six batsmen made starts, only Klaasen made a significant score.

Klaasen, who made 86 in a losing cause in the first match in Paarl on Tuesday, hit eight fours and four sixes off 74 balls. He was the last man out, caught on the deep midwicket boundary.

Right-hand batter Kamran Ghulam and left-arm seamer Shaheen Afridi’s exceptional performances guided Pakistan to victory over South Africa by 81 runs in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Newlands on Thursday. With this win, Pakistan take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the last fixture to be played at Johannesburg on Sunday. The Asian side got half-centuries from skipper Mohammad Rizwan (80), Babar Azam (73) and Kamran Ghulam (63) when compiling a total of 329 and that proved too much for the Proteas as a clinical bowling performance from Shaheen Afridi (4/47) and Naseem Shah (3/37) guided the visitors home.

It was Pakistan’s fifth bilateral ODI series victory on the trot – following previous series triumphs over Australia and Zimbabwe in recent months – and they also become the first Asian side to have won a trio of ODI series in South Africa have also tasted success in the country in 2021 and 2013.

It also helps Pakistan continue to build momentum prior to next year’s Champions Trophy event as they bid to become just the second side to defend the trophy after Australia managed to win consecutive titles in 2006 and 2009.

Pakistan defeated arch-rival India in the final of the Champions Trophy tournament at The Oval in London seven years ago in 2017 and will be considered among the favourites for next year’s event based on their current form in 50-over contests.

Rizwan was thrilled with the performance from his side, with the Pakistan captain paying special tribute to Ghulam for his Player of the Match heroics that arrived via some lofty late hitting.

“It was a fantastic team effort with everyone performing exceptionally well. As a captain, it’s always a great feeling to see such a performance. Saim Ayub’s positive start gave us a solid foundation so Babar and I decided to play a bit slower and consolidate the innings. However, Kamran Ghulam’s innings really boosted us and took the game away from South Africa. Initially, we were aiming for a target of around 300 but his knock helped us reach a 320-plus total.,” Rizwan said in the post-match presentation as quoted by the ICC.

“As a skipper, I had faith in Kamran Ghulam but I didn’t expect him to play like he did tonight. I’ve played with him in the same region KPK and Peshawar but he showed a completely different side of his game today. He’s a bright prospect for Pakistan,” the wicketkeeper-batter added.

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma was left to rue a late fadeout from his batters, who had received good innings from Heinrich Klaasen (97) and Tony de Zorzi (34) early in the chase.

“We had things under control in the first 25 overs but we let them express themselves in the last 25. We let the good work in the first 25 overs slip away,” Bavuma said.

Pakistan 329 all out (Mohammad Rizwan 80, Babar Azam 73, Kwena Maphaka 4/72) vs South Africa 247 all out (Heinrich Klaasen 97, Tony de Zorzi 34, Shaheen Afridi 4/47).

Kamran Ghulam struck a maiden one-day international century as Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 99 runs in Bulawayo on Thursday to seal a 2-1 series victory. His 103 helped Pakistan reach 303-6 in 50 overs at Queens Sports Club — a total Zimbabwe never look like bettering and the hosts were all out for 204 in 40.1 overs. It was Pakistan’s 56th victory in 65 ODIs against Zimbabwe. After losing a rain-shortened first match in the southern city by 80 runs last Sunday, the tourists bounced back to wallop the home team by 10 wickets two days later.

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan said: “I am proud because we lost the first game and expectations from the country were high.

“We came back to win the series and that has given us confidence. Away matches are always difficult, always different from home.”

Pakistan won the toss, opted to bat and after the loss of opener Saim Ayub with 58 on the scoreboard, Ghulam took centre stage.

Initially cautious, the No. 3 batter gradually accelerated the run rate and put on 54 for the second wicket with opener Abdullah Shafique.

Having posted a half century, Shafique fluffed an attempted sweep and was trapped leg before by Pakistan-born all-rounder Sikandar Raza. His 68-ball knock included a six and five fours.

– Torment -Ghulam continued to torment the Zimbabwe bowlers with various partners, striking four sixes and 10 fours off 99 deliveries before becoming the fourth Pakistani wicket to fall, caught at deep cover by Clive Madande off Richard Ngarava.

Raza and Ngarava took two wickets each for Zimbabwe, but at a heavy cost, conceding 102 runs between them. The last five overs were particularly expensive as Pakistan added 69.

Zimbabwe began disastrously in response to the formidable Pakistan total with opener Joylord Gumbie and Dion Myers out and just 10 runs on the board.

Veteran captain Craig Ervine made 51 in a 63-ball stand that included six boundaries, one a six before dragging an Aamer Jamal bouncer on to the leg stump.

Raza, often the Zimbabwe saviour, was also fell to Jamal for 16, caught at deep square leg after mistiming a short delivery from the fast medium pacer.

Zimbabwe and Pakistan begin a three-match Twenty20 international series in Bulawayo on Sunday. The tourists then head to South Africa for an eight-match all-formats tour, including two Tests.

Pakistan all-rounder Kamran Ghulam opened up about being denied his debut cap ahead of the 1st ODI against Australia in Melbourne earlier this week. Ghulam, who slammed a century on his Test debut last month, featured at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday as Pakistan lost the series opener by a narrow margin. Prior to his Test debut against England last month, where he had replaced star batter Babar Azam who was dropped from the team owing to poor form, Ghulam had only played one international match before.

For the unversed, Ghulam made his ODI debut as a concussion substitute on 13 January 2023, against New Zealand at Karachi. However, he did not get to bat or bowl in that game, having replaced Haris Sohail in the second innings as a concussion substitute.

During a freewheeling chat with fellow all-rounder Aamer Jamal, Ghulam, in a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), recalled the scenes ahead of the 1st ODI in Melbourne. He also recalled Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan’s chat, where he was told that he won’t be getting a cap at the MCG as he had already made his ODI debut last year.

“I was also waiting eagerly, hoping that I’d get my debut ODI cap. But, Rizwan told me that ‘you’ve already made your debut, so you won’t be getting a cap’. My debut was in a concussion situation, but I was neither a bowler or a batter. Haris Sohail had a concussion, although he went on to bat after that. I fielded for 50 overs,” Ghulam said in the video.

Meanwhile, Rizwan won the toss as Pakistan opted to bowl in the second ODI in Adelaide.

Pakistan named an unchanged side with fast bowler Naseem Shah declared fit after leaving the field during the first match, apparently with a cramp. 

Australia made one change with veteran Josh Hazlewood returning in place of Sean Abbott to join his long-time pace partners Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.

Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short again open the batting in the absence of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head and will be keen to make their mark after falling cheaply in the opening match.

(With AFP Inputs)

Pakistan star Kamran Ghulam, who scored a brilliant hundred on his Test debut against England, couldn’t get his ODI career off to a promising start on Monday. With Pakistan up against the mighty Australians in a 3-match series, Kamran could only score 5 runs from 6 balls in the series opener, after being dismissed to an unplayable delivery by the opponent team’s skipper Pat Cummins. Kamran tried to tease Cummins on the previous delivery, hoping to unsettle the Aussie skipper but ended up losing his wicket on the next delivery.

In a video shared by Cricket Australia, Ghulam tried to tease Cummins on the 5th delivery of the 19th over. Cummins ended up smiling at the Pakistan star’s antics. On the next delivery, the pacer bowled a stunning bouncer that Kamran had no answer for.

The ball kissed the Pakistan batter’s gloves and ended up in the hands of the wicket-keeper. Here’s the video:

Pat Cummins wins the battle #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/zSJWnriUjD

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 4, 2024

As for the innings, Australia pacer Mitchell Starc took 3-33 as Australia dismissed Pakistan for at the MCG. Newly appointed skipper Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 44 for the visitors but they struggled against some precision bowling, all out in the 47th over.

Starc broke through in the third over with Saim Ayub chopping onto his stumps, mistiming a rising ball before a subdued crowd at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground.

That brought Babar Azam to the crease, unburdened by the captaincy after quitting last month.

He upped the tempo before Starc struck again, with Abdullah Shafique caught behind for a tame 12 in a superb opening spell from the speedster.

Azam was in decent touch and put on 39 with Rizwan before spinner Adam Zampa entered the fray and broke the partnership, bowling Azam for 37 with his fourth delivery.

A patient Rizwan played himself in before opening the bat, hitting the first six of the day off Starc. But the wickets kept falling.

Salman Agha was smartly taken at square leg for 12 by Matt Short off Sean Abbott and Rizwan then departed attempting a sweep from part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne, caught by Inglis.

Shaheen Shah Afridi hit an entertaining 24, but Starc again struck, rattling his middle stump, before a flurry from the tailenders pushed Pakistan beyond 200.

Naseem Shah, coming in at nine, added 40, an innings that included four sixes, with 20 taken off one Zampa over.

With AFP Inputs

Pakistan men’s cricket team celebrate vs England in Rawalpindi.© AFP

Pakistan will field an unchanged eleven for the decisive third Test against England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, marking the first time under captain Shan Masood that the side has remained consistent across matches. The move comes in the wake of Pakistan’s resounding 152-run victory in the second Test in Multan, where their triple-spin attack outmanoeuvred England. While there had been speculation about a possible change, especially after legspinner Zahid Mahmood bowled just six ineffective overs in Multan, the team’s management, headed by Masood, decided to place their faith in the same lineup. An injury to fast bowler Mir Hamza, Pakistan’s preferred seamer option, further solidified the decision to stick with the current squad.

The unchanged lineup signals Pakistan’s confidence in the drastic efforts being made by the Rawalpindi curators to replicate the spin-friendly conditions of Multan. Historically, Rawalpindi has not been known to take much spin, with fast bowlers finding more success on its traditionally hard, bouncy surface. As recently as August, Pakistan opted for an all-pace attack against Bangladesh on this same pitch.

However, the success of the spin-heavy approach in Multan has prompted a series of unusual preparations in Rawalpindi, with the groundsmen pulling out all the stops. Days before the second Test concluded, curators were already on site, aided by the presence of selection committee members Aleem Dar and Aqib Javed.

Since then, the pitch has been subjected to industrial-sized fans, wedding-style heaters, and protective windbreakers to artificially dry out the surface and encourage spin.

Despite these efforts, questions remain about whether the Rawalpindi pitch will behave as unpredictably as the one in Multan. Some footmarks have already appeared, notably outside the left-hander’s off-stump at the media end, which could offer assistance to Pakistan’s spin trio of Nauman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, and Zahid Mahmood. Both sides, in fact, are set to field similar triple-spin attacks, with England adjusting their own bowling combination to match Pakistan’s.

With the series tied 1-1, Pakistan are aiming for their first home Test series win since a 2-0 win over South Africa in February 2021. A victory in Rawalpindi would also mark their first series win since their success in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

England, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after the setback in Multan, and their decision to match Pakistan’s spin-heavy approach indicates they are expecting another trial by spin.

Pakistan playing XI for the third Test vs England:

Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Zahid Mahmood

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has hit back at critics after Pakistan registered a thumping 152-run victory over England in the second Test at Multan. Pakistan had come under immense scrutiny following the decision to drop Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah from the Test squad ahead of the second Test. However, all three of their replacements starred. Kamran Ghulam, Babar’s replacement, notched up a century on Test debut, while spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali picked up all 20 England wickets between themselves.

“Surely not PR agencies,” controversially tweeted Hafeez after the game, in a post possibly aimed at Babar Azam and co.

Pakistan cricket need impactful performances like Kamran Ghulam , Salman Agha 50, Sajid khan 9 wickets & Noman Ali 11 wickets for winning cause. Surely not PR agencies……

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) October 18, 2024

Pakistan vs England, 2nd Test: As it happened

It was Pakistan’s first home win since February 2021 and came after they were thumped by an innings in the first Test on the same Multan pitch.

The third and final Test starts in Rawalpindi on October 24.

Noman finished with a match haul of 11-147 while Sajid had figures of 9-204, only the second time in Pakistan’s history that two bowlers took all 20 wickets in a Test.

Pakistan’s last Test win at home came against South Africa in Rawalpindi more than three years ago. It was followed by 11 home Tests without a win.

This also becomes Shan Masood‘s first win as skipper after getting the job last year, including 3-0 and 2-0 whitewashes at the hands of Australia and Bangladesh.

Pakistan’s ploy of dropping ace batsman Babar Azam in one of four changes after the first Test and playing on a reused pitch with three spinners paid off handsomely.

Azam’s replacement, debutant Kamran Ghulam, made a century to anchor Pakistan’s first-innings 366.

Masood praised his side for their character.

“The first one (win) for me and long awaited for the team is always special,” said Masood.

“This has come after some rough times and the boys stepped in after a lot has happened this past week.”

The captain, who like his team had been under fierce pressure in cricket-mad Pakistan, added: “We came up with a strategy to get 20 wickets and we made it happen.

“We were never afraid of taking risks. Three years and 11 months creates hunger, so it’s good to win at home.”

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood praised Kamran Ghulam for rising to the challenge of replacing Babar Azam amid the backlash from fans. Ghulam was one of the names that popped up when Pakistan’s historic victory was discussed across the globe. He certainly had his say in ending Pakistan’s first Test win at home since February 2021. But the journey wasn’t easy for him.

Pakistan’s selection committee took everyone by surprise after dropping the former Pakistan captain from the remaining two Tests against England.

Ghulam was handed his maiden Test cap and placed to fill Babar’s position as Pakistan hunted to level down the series. The batting all-rounder was at the receiving end of criticism from some sections of fans before and during the Test.

Despite a tough time, the 29-year-old showed grit and resilience against a fierce English bowling line-up to keep Pakistan in the thick of the action. With an array of shots, he kept the opposition on their toes and smashed 118 off 124 deliveries.

Masood, impressed by the Ghulam’s “special” century, extended his support after the backlash and admitted that the challenge of filling Babar’s shoes wasn’t going to be an easy challenge.

“For Kami (Kamran Ghulam), it’s never easy. When you are replacing one of the best batters in the world. I read some things that were horrid even before he played his first Test match. I can’t even imagine the pressure that someone can be under. But we were all behind him. From the get-go, he seemed like he belonged. To get that century, that’s special,” Masood said in the post-match presentation.

While Ghulam’s knock set the tone of the Test for Pakistan, it was Noman Ali and Sajid Khan who dictated the outcome with their spin prowess.

The duo took all 20 wickets in the second Test, leaving England completely baffled in the process. While Sajid starred with his figures of 7/111 in the first innings, the plaudits belonged to Noman in the second innings for his splendid effort of 8/46.

With a 125-run victory, Pakistan levelled the series at 1-1, taking the series decider to Rawalpindi, beginning on October 24.