Pakistan notched a memorable win against South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday. Chasing a humongous target of 353, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha played two memorable innings of 122 and 134 ad Pakistan win with one over to spare. However, those were not the only aspects of the match which had everyone’s focus. In the first innings, several Pakistan players like Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel and substitute fielder Kamran Ghulam celebrated aggressively against South African batters. 

The acts were termed as ‘shameless’ by social media users.

Shaheen shah Afridi is so immature even after playing international cricket for almost 5 years. pic.twitter.com/YzemYxn6Hb

— Cricket stan (@Cricobserver21) February 12, 2025

This kind of behaviour and that too against THE TEMBA BAVUMA?

What kind of shameless you guys are PCT?

pic.twitter.com/7RvsBRobCQ

— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) February 12, 2025

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken note of the acts and punished the trio. “ICC has imposed fines on the three players for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during their tri-nation series match against South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday,” the ICC said in a release.

“Pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.12 of the Code, which pertains to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match.”

The incident occurred in the 28th over of South Africa’s innings when Shaheen deliberately obstructed batter Matthew Breetzke as he ran a single, resulting in physical contact and a heated exchange between the two players.

In another incident, Saud Shakeel and substitute fielder Kamran Ghulam were fined 10 percent of their match fees for celebrating too closely to batter Temba Bavuma following his run-out in the 29th over.

“Both players were found guilty of breaching Article 2.5 of the Code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match,” the ICC said.

In addition to the financial penalties, all three players have received one demerit point each on their disciplinary records. None of the players had any prior offences in the last 24 months.

All players have accepted the sanctions imposed and there will be no formal hearings regarding the incidents.

Kevin Sinclair led a West Indian spin trio to give the tourists a sniff of a series-levelling win in the second Test Sunday with Pakistan on the ropes at 76-4 after day two in Multan. The gutsy West Indies scored 244 in their second innings to set the hosts a daunting 254-run target on a spinning Multan Stadium pitch. At stumps, Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 13 and nightwatchman Kashif Ali on one. The West Indies need only six more wickets to draw the series 1-1.

Pakistan need a demanding 178 runs for victory. They won the first Test by 127 runs, also in Multan.

Sinclair (2-41) opened the floodgates by trapping Pakistan skipper Shan Masood leg before for two and then had the prized wicket of Babar Azam caught for a dour 31.

Azam had added 43 with Kamran Ghulam, who was dropped twice, on two and six, but the lapses did not prove costly to the West Indies.

Gudakesh Motie had Muhammad Hurraira for two and Jomel Warrican dismissed Ghulam for 19.

The day saw 14 wickets fall, after 20 on day one.

In the morning West Indian skipper and opener Kraigg Brathwaite led the fight for the visitors with a gritty 52.

The last four wickets added an invaluable 99 runs before the tourists were dismissed for 244 in their second innings at tea.

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali finished with 4-80 — 10 wickets in the match — while partner Sajid Khan took 4-76, six in the match.

The West Indies were 129-5 at lunch when Noman dismissed Alick Athanaze for six, before the tourists put up a fight that could prove decisive.

Tevin Imlach scored 35 and Sinclair 28 to boost their team’s lead during a stubborn stand of 51 for the seventh wicket, before Sajid accounted for Sinclair and Motie for 18.

Pacer Kashif had Imlach but the last pair of Warrican and Kemar Roach took the total past 240, before Sajid had Warrican caught for 18.

Earlier, Brathwaite led the way with two sixes and four boundaries in his 31st Test half-century.

Noman broke a solid 50-run opening stand by dismissing Mikyle Louis for seven after the tourists started their second innings in the morning.

Brathwaite overturned two leg-before decisions against him before he was stumped by Mohammad Rizwan off Noman.

Debutant Amir Jangoo also batted well for his 30 with three boundaries, before Sajid had him caught in the slips by Salman Agha.

Kavem Hodge was stumped by Rizwan off Noman for 15 as the West Indies slumped from 92-1 to 129-5.

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

Pakistan vs West Indies 1st Test Day 2, LIVE Scorecard Updates© AFP

Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan hit unbeaten half-centuries to lead a Pakistan fightback in the first Test against the West Indies on Friday as the hosts reached 143-4 at the close of a fog-hit opening day. When bad light in Multan ended play with just 41.3 overs bowled, Shakeel was on 56 for his ninth half- century and Rizwan was 51 not out for his 11th. The pair added 97 after coming together with Pakistan in real trouble at 46-4. The left-right combination of Shakeel and Rizwan negotiated the three-spinner West Indies attack with aplomb after fast bowler Jayden Seales initially left the home team struggling.

“This pitch is tough to bat on,” said Rizwan.

“We batted with caution and just took advantage of loose balls. It’s tough to judge what should be a good total, but we will target 300 plus.”

Sensing the dry and grassless Multan Stadium pitch will be tricky for batting on the last two days — and with spin set to play a major role — the home team opted to bat after winning the toss.

But play was delayed because of early morning fog compounded by poor air quality, resulting in limited visibility and wiping out the first session.

Shakeel has so far cracked four boundaries while Rizwan has seven hits to the fence.

Seales finished with 3-21 off 10 overs.

“My aim was to build pressure and get wickets,” he said. “I sense spin will play a major role on this pitch going forward.”

Both teams started with three spinners and just one frontline fast bowler, and the tourists opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie alongside Seales.

It was Seales who provided the breakthrough, forcing an edge off debutant Muhammad Hurraira to wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach in the sixth over. Hurraira scored six.

Three overs later, Motie dismissed skipper Shan Masood off a faint edge to the wicketkeeper for 11, before Seales trapped Kamran Ghulam leg-before with a sharp incoming delivery for five.

It became 46-4 when Babar Azam edged Seales behind the wicket for eight, continuing a poor run of scores at home for Pakistan’s premier batter.

The two-match series is part of the World Test Championship. Pakistan currently rank eighth and the West Indies ninth and last.

South Africa vs Pakistan 2nd Test Day 3 Live Score Updates© AFP

After losing the first Test in Multan, Pakistan completed a sensational turnaround to win the three-match home Test series against England. Riding on the performances of spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, Pakistan won the final two Tests to clinch the series 2-1. This helped Pakistan register a feat for the first time in nearly 30 years. This is the first time Pakistan have won a three-match Test series after losing the first Test since they beat Zimbabwe in similar fashion in 1995.

Pakistan vs England, 3rd Test: As it happened

Noman and Sajid knocked over all 10 England wickets to dismiss the visitors for 112 as Pakistan raced to victory in Rawalpindi before lunch on day three of the third Test.

Captain Shan Masood hammered five boundaries in six balls, launching Shoaib Bashir over the ropes to complete a resounding victory, Pakistan’s first home Test series win since beating South Africa in February 2021.

“We’d like to dedicate this to the people of Pakistan, who’ve been through a lot,” said Masood, who had lost his previous two series — 3-0 to Australia and 2-0 to Bangladesh — since taking charge last year.

“Hopefully this will put a smile on people’s faces, and hopefully we can have full houses during matches.”

The 2-1 series win appeared improbable after England destroyed the hosts in the first Test in Multan by an innings and 47 runs, leading to the axing of superstars Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, as well as pacer Naseem Shah.

Replacements Noman and Sajid turned the series on its head, knocking over 39 wickets between them in the subsequent two Tests. Pakistan took the second match by 152 runs, also in Multan.

“The first win came after a long time and it was backed up by a series win. It’s special,” Masood said.

“For everyone, to stand up and give their best, it means a lot. It’s about character. To be here and standing as the winning team, it’s the most special thing for us.”

Noman finished with figures of 6-42 and Sajid 4-69 after England resumed the day on 24-3 but were dismissed in 37.2 overs for their lowest total in Pakistan.

England’s previous lowest total was 130 in Lahore in 1987.

(With AFP Inputs)

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

Pakistan batsman Saud Shakeel plays a shot during the third Test against England in Rawalpindi on October 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali left England reeling at 24-3 after Saud Shakeel’s fighting hundred put Pakistan in control of the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday (October 25, 2024).

England came in looking to erase a deficit of 77 but had no answers for the Pakistan spinners on a turning pitch.

Sajid dismissed Ben Duckett for 12 and Noman Ali removed Zak Crawley (two) and Ollie Pope (one) in the space of five runs.

When bad light ended the second day’s play with five overs remaining, Joe Root and Harry Brook were at the crease on five and three respectively.

England still need 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat with seven wickets in hand and three days left to play.

The series is tied at 1-1 after England won the first Test by an innings and 47 runs while Pakistan took the second by 152 runs, both in Multan.

On another day dominated by spin, Shakeel’s brilliant 134 was the highlight, pulling Pakistan within touching distance of a first home Test series win since they defeated South Africa in February 2021.

Shakeel anchored Pakistan’s innings, lifting them from a precarious 177-7 to 344 all out.

“We had an idea that this pitch will help spinners so with that in mind I prepared myself,” said Shakeel, admitting it was one of his best knocks.

The left-hander held Pakistan’s innings together with a gritty knock spread over 322 minutes and 223 balls, hitting just five boundaries.

“A hundred is a hundred and it’s the best feeling and now we are in the best stage of the match.”

But leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who was the pick of the England bowlers, said his team had plenty of fight left.

“I think we are still quite positive with so much batting to come so we are still very positive in the changing room come tomorrow,” he said.

Ahmed took 4-66 while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir finished with 3-129.

Defiant Shakeel

The 29-year-old Shakeel defied England with an eighth wicket stand of 88 alongside Noman who made 45 before falling in the final over ahead of the tea break to spinner Bashir.

Shakeel added another 72 for the ninth wicket with Sajid who scored an unbeaten career-best 48.

Shakeel was finally caught off a miscued pull off pacer Gus Atkinson while Ahmed dismissed the last man Zahid Mahmood for nought.

The visitors looked to be in control when young spinner Ahmed bagged three quick wickets to leave Pakistan teetering at the end of the first session.

England were eyeing a lead after Ahmed’s burst left Pakistan on 187-7 at lunch but the Shakeel-Noman stand turned those expectations into frustration.

Shakeel batted with composure and reached his fourth Test hundred with a single off Rehan in a resistance-packed innings.

Noman — surviving a leg-before decision on review and a dropped catch off Root — assisted Shakeel admirably, hitting a six and two fours as the duo helped Pakistan add 80 in the second session.

Rehan sent Mohammad Rizwan (25), Salman Agha (one) and Aamer Jamal (14) back to the pavilion and threatened to derail Pakistan.

England’s frontline spinners Jack Leach and Bashir could not extract the same sharp turn from the pitch as rival Sajid Khan, who took 6-128 on Thursday.

Pakistan resumed the day at 73-3 in search of a sizeable lead to press for a series win.

But Shakeel was the only top=order batter able to build a meaningful innings after reaching double figures.

Pakistan vs England 3rd Test Day 2 Live Score Updates© AFP