Selectors opted against a red-ball change for what will be the team's first Test series in South Africa since the infamous "Sandpapergate" ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

For Shanto, that improvement has opened the door to a T20I return, while the Asian Games provide a platform to begin building his role as a stabilising presence ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Mushtaq, who is currently working as Bangladesh's spin-bowling coach, said the lack of job security and what he described as emotional decision-making within the PCB are major concerns for him.

Bangladesh staged a spirited fightback with the ball at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, but Harshitha Samarawickrama's brilliant unbeaten 37-ball 48 carried Sri Lanka to a four-wicket win and into the Women’s Asia Cup semifinals.

Former Pakistan batting great Mohammad Yousuf has traced the national team's decline back to one of its most famous victories -- the 10-wicket demolition of India at the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai.

The defeat was Pakistan’s fifth successive loss to India in women’s T20 internationals. Yet Riaz remained optimistic about his team’s prospects.

West Indies great Brian Lara has joined a growing chorus of former cricketers and experts calling for jailed Pakistan legend Imran Khan to receive proper medical care, saying the former captain deserves “compassion and dignity” as a human being.

Pakistan’s women suffered a humiliating collapse against arch-rivals India on Saturday, being bowled out for their lowest-ever total in T20 internationals before India cruised to a seven-wicket victory in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai.

With net run rate the first tiebreaker, a victory for Bangladesh would confirm their place in the semifinals.

Hasan Mahmud made an impressive return to the County Championship, taking seven wickets across two innings as Kent secured their sixth victory of the season.

Pakistan coach for the third Test against England, Mike Hesson, has acknowledged the challenges of taking charge of the Test side at short notice but believes the focus must now be on building a balanced attack capable of restoring some of the team’s traditional strengths.

Tamim said a player completing the domestic season could earn Tk 35-40 lakh, including salary -- more than Tk 3 lakh a month when averaged over a year. But that raises a pertinent question: will all domestic cricketers have a realistic opportunity to earn that amount, or will the increase primarily benefit those who already feature regularly in the national team, ‘A’ team and top-tier domestic competitions?

Kent seamer Matt Milnes was full of praise for his bowling partner Hasan Mahmud after the Bangladesh pacer continued his merry run of form on his return to county cricket.

Interim Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson hopes his drastically revamped squad can come through some all too familiar "chaos" with a much-improved showing against England in next week's third and final Test in Birmingham.

The reigning T20 world champions India will play Japan for the first time in an international match when the teams meet at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi on September 22, the two cricket boards said on Friday.

Sooryavanshi, who became the youngest male cricketer to represent India during the T20I series in England in July, has already drawn comparisons with batting great Sachin Tendulkar.

Pakistan cricket’s latest upheaval has drawn sharp criticism from former England captain Nasser Hussain, who said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had turned a difficult situation into a laughingstock with its handling of the team’s crisis in England.

Former Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie said Friday chairman of selectors Aaqib Javed needs to "look at himself in the mirror" with the national team "playing with fear".

Mandhana scored a fiery 124 runs off 64 deliveries, a knock that included 14 fours and seven maximums, as she overtook Mithali Raj to become the all-time leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket.

Huq, who has known Imran for more than five decades, said keeping the former Pakistan captain in what his family and lawyers describe as harsh prison conditions was unacceptable and contrary to basic human rights.