Alastair Cook questions selection of 'unbalanced sides' after series loss against India, New Zealand

PSL 2021 | Eliminator 1: Poor fielding costs Karachi as Hazratullah Zazai gets Zalmi one step closer to Finale

It was a night of missed chances for Karachi Kings as they dropped many chances and eventually the match to bow out of the Pakistan Super League 2021. Defending a strong total of 175, the Kings were demolished early on by a storm called Hazratullah Zazai. But when they crawled their way back and needed to defend 7 off the last ball, Sherfane Rutherford offered an easy catch at Point, he was dropped by Danish Aziz. In the 19th over, bowled by Mohammad Amir, a flying shot went near fine leg, but the fielder, Noor Ahmad did not commit himself to it. And finally, when just one run was required and the Karachi skipper Imad Wasim brought the field, another simple chance was created at mid-on, Thisara Perera wasn’t able to judge it and thus after many chances went begging, Zalmi managed to sneak through for a win by five wickets. While chasing, Zazai’s 38 balls 77 in which he hit 10 fours and five sixes had made it extremely easy for the Zalmi to sail through. However, the Kings did not give up and kept striking at the right moment to bring the equation down to 28 off 19 balls. However, Rutherford (17 off 10 balls) and Rovman Powell (1 off 3) kept their calm and saw their team through with a 13 run partnership, even as senior pro-Shoaib Malik (30 off 25 balls) fell before securing the victory for the team. Among the bowlers, Perera was the best of the lot going for just 10 runs in his two overs and also picking the crucial wickets of Zazai and Imam-ul-Haq. Other than him, Amir, Noor and Mohammad Ilyas picked one wicket each. Reacting to the loss, Karachi skipper Wasim rued missed chances but also commended his players for putting a fight every time they were asked to. “We played very good cricket but were 10-20 runs short. Bowlers bowled well, but we dropped a couple of catches. We'll come back hard next year with a different mindset,” he said. Earlier in the night, after winning the toss, Peshawar sent in Karachi to bat first. The Kings were given a cautious start by Babar Azam and Sharjeel Khan. But Sharjeel once again failed to convert his start as the first wicket fell on 41. Martin Guptill disappointed once again, getting out for a first-ball duck. Wickets kept falling even as Babar notched up yet another fifty. But much like in earlier games, just at the time of acceleration, he got out, caught by Powell off Wahab Riaz. Hadn’t it been for the 18 balls 37 run and nine-ball 16 run cameos from Perera and Imad respectively, the Kings would have been defending an even lower total. Riaz, Mohammad Irfan and Umaid Asif picked two wickets each for Zalmi. Reacting to the victory, the 36-year-old Zalmi skipper said, “The boys put in a collective performance today, put in their all on the park and it gives me great pleasure as the captain.” Courtesy of this victory, the team from Peshawar would now clash with Islamabad United in the second Eliminator on June 22 at the Shiekh Zayed Stadium. The winner of this game would then enter the Finals and olay the first time finalists Multan Sultans on June 24. Playing mind games before the all-important second Eliminator, Wahab said, “Pressure is on Islamabad I feel because of the way in which they have played all tournament. Hopefully, we can put in another good performance tomorrow.”

Mohammad Nabi removed from Afghanistan Cricket Board member in favour of a diplomat in India

Former Afghanistan captain and senior member of the national side, Mohammad Nabi has been removed from his position as a Board member of the Afghanistan Cricket Board. The decision was taken as a measure to let Nabi concentrate on the upcoming assignments of the Afghanistan team, including the T20I World Cup later this year. Afghanistan's Ambassador to New Delhi, Farid Mamundzay has taken Nabi’s place on the board. ''The decision to relieve senior player Mohammad Nabi from his duties as a Board member was taken considering Afghanistan's upcoming important and busy international calendar where he will play a vital role as the senior-most all-rounder for the national team,'' an ACB statement on Nabi’s relive said. The 36-year-old all-rounder has so far represented Afghanistan in all the three Tests that the team has been part of. Apart from that, he has played 127 ODIs and 81 T20Is. Nabi has aggregated 4246 international runs and 212 wickets. The next assignment for Afghanistan as of now is a tour to Australia. But before that, they might play a limited over series against Pakistan in UAE. The off-spinning all-rounder and six-hitter by nature, Nabi is currently playing in the T20 Blast for the Northamptonshire.

WI vs SA | 2nd Test: Keshav Maharaj’s historic hattrick plunders Windies to a 0-2 whitewash at home

When Wiaan Mulder held on to knick by Joshua da Silva at the leg slip, Keshav Maharaj, the bowler off whose delivery all that action unfolded, ran off like a man possessed, he was sprinting around the park at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, diving like a football player, who had just hit the best goal of his career and the rest of the South African players were chasing him, trying to catch him and hug him down to the ground, because Maharaj was literally flying. And why shouldn’t have he been? After all the spinner had achieved something that none of the South African bowlers in the last 81 years of the team’s history were able to. With the wicket of da silva, Maharaj became only the second Proteas Men’s player and first spinner ever to take a Test hat-trick in the country’s cricketing history. Prior to Maharaj, only Geoff Griffin, a fast bowler had taken a hat-trick in Test cricket for South Africa. He took it in 1960 at Lord’s against England. Bowling in the 37th over, the 31-year-old left-arm spinner removed Kieran Powell on the third delivery where the half centurion was caught by Anrich Nortje at deep square leg. On the very next ball, Jason Holder got an arm ball that hit his bat and pad at the same time and was grabbed by Keegan Petersen at short leg. And then there was the da Silva dismissal. Eventually, Maharaj ended up with a five-wicket haul, his 7th in only his 36th Test. With the help of this five-wicket haul, he was able to reduce the hosts West Indies to 165-9 and crushed them to a 158 run defeat as their last man Shanon Gabriel didn’t come out to bat, as he was absent hurt. With this win, South Africa claimed the two-Test series 2-0 having already won the first game by an innings and 63 runs. Earlier in the day, Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite and Powell, the two overnight openers started from the score of 15. But it didn’t take too long for Kagiso Rabada to break the partnership as he removed Brathwaite and Shai Hope in quick succession. Kyle Mayers then joined Powell and tried building a partnership as the duo 74 for the fourth wicket. It was also the highest partnership in the entire innings for the men from the Caribbean. Later on, Jermaine Blackwood and Kemar Roach added 40 for the seventh wicket, but could not delay the Proteas wicket much. Apart from Maharaj, Rabada picked three wickets while one wicket went to Lungi Ngidi. After winning the toss on the first day, Windies skipper Brathwaite had decided to bowl first. South Africa scored 298 in their first innings courtesy of Quinton de Kock’s 96. In its reply, even after Blackwood’s half-century, the maroon capped team fell for 149 in their first innings. They came back well with the ball removing seven Proteas batters with just 73 on the board. However, Rassie van der Dussen in partnership with Rabada sailed the ship as far as it could have been. With the help of van der Dussen’s 75*, the men from the cape of good hope posted a target of 323 for the West Indies. Rabada was named Man of the Match while de Kock for his 237 runs in three innings was declared Man of the Series. As the Test series has concluded, the caravan would now move from St. Lucia to Grenada, where the five T20Is would take place, starting with the first one on June 26.

PSL 2021 | Qualifier: Khushdil Shah’s cameo, Sohail Tanvir’s magical spell send Multan Sultans to their first-ever Final

Cometh the hour, cometh the man they said and Sohail Tanvir, the veteran Multan Sultans bowler actually lived up to it, pulling out his best performance of Pakistan Super League 2021 to send his team to its first-ever Final in the history of the PSL. His 3-17 in the four overs spell at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium consisted of the wickets of the most dangerous Islamabad United men Colin Munro, Usman Khawaja and their skipper Shadab Khan. Khushdil Shah and Sohaib Maqsood were the heroes with the bat for Multan Sultans. While Maqsood scored a 41 ball 59 in his usual attacking style with the help of seven fours and three sixes, it was Khushidl’s cameo at the end which really got the team an advantage over the United. The 26-year-old left-hander smacked a 22 ball 42 which included 29 runs in one over, in which he smacked youngster Akif Javed all over the park for four sixes and a four. It took Sultans to 180, a never before achieved total for the team in the Abu Dhabi leg. Chasing 181, United, the most successful team of the tournament in the league stage were rattled by Tanvir who removed Munro in the very first over. Soon Mohammad Akhlaq and Shadab too departed, leaving Islamabad reeling at 14-3 in the first three overs. Khawaja tried his level best to take United close to the chase, but never find any partner to partner him long and well enough. He became the last of the three scalps of the 36-year-old. The Australian scored a 40 ball 70. Tanvir was awarded Man of the Match for this performance of his. Post his wicket, mere formalities were left which were completed by Blessing Muzarabani as he picked up three wickets as well. United were eventually bowled out for 149 in 19 overs. Earlier in the day, Multan skipper Mohammad Rizwan decided to bat after winning the toss. However, the decision wasn’t well backed by himself as an opener as he went out for a duck. Shan Masood and Maqsood then joined hands to add 53 for the second wicket before Masood too was removed. Johnson Charles then gave company to Maqsood before getting out on 41 from 21. And after the departure of Masood, the Khushdil Shah show began. Even after losing this game, Islamabad would have a shot at the Final once again when they face the winner of the first Eliminator between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings. Sultans on the other hand would now have a proper two days of rest before they would face their opponent in the Final on June 24.