Fast bowler Afridi back in Pakistan squad for white-ball series against West Indies in US
The three Twenty20 matches in the US — on July 31, Aug. 2 and 3 — will be followed by three ODI games in Trinidad and Tobago.
Afridi, who is also in the ODI squad, was surprisingly excluded from Pakistan's last two T20 series against Bangladesh despite leading Lahore Qalandars to its third Pakistan Super League title in the last four years with a rich haul of 19 wickets this year.
In Afridi's absence, Pakistan routed Bangladesh 3-0 at home but lost 2-1 to Bangladesh at Dhaka in a series which ended Thursday.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf, who was forced to miss the series against Bangladesh because of a hamstring injury he sustained during Major League Cricket (MLC) in the US, has recovered and was named in the T20 squad.
Pakistan's pace attack was further strengthened Friday with the return of Hasan Ali for both T20s and ODIs against West Indies.
The selectors dropped pace bowlers Abbas Afridi and Salman Mirza, who both participated in the T20 series in Bangladesh, and retained all-rounders Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz.
Middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz is the only uncapped player named in the ODI squad. Nawaz scored Pakistan's fastest-ever T20 century against New Zealand in March this year.
Salman Ali Agha will continue to lead the T20 side while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was named skipper for the ODI series.
Twenty20 squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan PM grants Rs5 million cheque for MMA fighter Shahzaib Rind after payment controversy
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted a cheque for Rs5 million [$17,655] for Pakistani mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Shahzaib Rind on Tuesday, the premier's office said days after the athlete criticized the government for not fulfilling its commitment of providing him monetary reward and support. Rind took to social media platform X on July 23 to say that Sharif had promised him a sum of Rs5 million [$17,630] and Rs80 million [$282,080] to support the athlete's training camp and upcoming fights last year. In a video message, the MMA fighter had said Sharif promised him the rewards after he beat Indian fighter Rana Singh at the Karate Combat 45 competition in Dubai last year. However, the Pakistani fighter said the government did not fulfill its promise to him. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar apologized to Rind on Twitter last week, promising him that the prime minister would resolve the issue soon. Sharif met Rind's father Khair Muhammad at the Prime Minister's House on Tuesday during which he presented the cheque to him, Sharif's office said. 'During the meeting, the prime minister expressed his best wishes for Shahzaib Rind in his upcoming competitions,' the statement said. Rind, who hails from the impoverished southwestern Balochistan province, won his first martial arts title in 2011 after claiming victory in a provincial-level competition. His first national title came in 2019 when he triumphed at the National Games in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. During the two-and-a-half years of an undefeated Karate Combat career, Rind has fought fighters from North America, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, France and India.
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Arab News
West Indies suffer Test, T20 humiliation against Australia ahead of Pakistan series
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: Australia completed a sweep of the Twenty20 international cricket series with a three-wicket victory over West Indies on Monday to finish its Caribbean tour with an 8-0 record. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Australia went into the last game on a 7-match winning streak following the 3-0 test series sweep and victories in the first four of the T20 internationals. It was Australia's first sweep of a five-game T20 series and only the second at the most elite level after India's in New Zealand in 2019-20. 'To be honest, I didn't expect 5-0,' Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said. The sweep 'was something we spoke about after the fourth game. We knew no Australian team had done it. 'It'll be something we're very proud of. Across the board over the five games, we played some really good cricket.' After winning the toss for the eighth straight time, Australia sent the home team in to bat and dismissed West Indies for 170 two balls short of the allotted 20 overs. Shimron Hitmyer's 52 from 31 balls and Sherfane Rutherford's 35 off 17 propped up the innings but the target wasn't big enough to put genuine pressure on the Australian batters. Ben Dharshuis took 3-41 and Nathan Ellis finished with 2-32, while spinner Adam Zampa returned 1-20 in his 100th T20 international after taking a wicket and having a chance dropped off his bowling in the penultimate over. The Australians reached 173-7 with 18 balls to spare, with a 63-run fifth-wicket partnership between Mitchell Owen (37 off 17 deliveries) and Cameron Green (32 off 18) stabilizing the innings. Aaron Hardie finished not out on 28. West Indies had Australia in trouble in the opening powerplay with Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph taking two wickets apiece, but the runs kept flowing. Holder dismissed Glenn Maxwell for a golden duck, the first ball of the second over, when the Australian allrounder swung at a ball that shaped away and edged to short third-man where Jediah Blades juggled the catch but held the second grab. Holder also removed Josh Inglis (10) at the end of the second over. Joseph bowled Marsh (14) as Australia slipped to 29-3 after 2.2 overs and, after on onslaught of sixes, he had Tim David (30 from 12 balls) caught in the deep as Australia slipped to 60-4 in the fifth over. From there, Owen and Green dominated with a succession of sixes, including one by Owen that landed on the roof on a pavilion. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein was finally introduced to the attack to change the pace, and had an immediate impact with his second delivery to dismiss Owen and break up the important partnership. Hosein also dismissed Green and Ben Dwarshuis to return 3-17. Australia had a three-wicket win to open the T20 series before Josh Inglis and Cameron Green spearheaded an eight-wicket victory that spoiled Andre Russell's last game for West Indies in the second game at Kingston, Jamaica. The tourists then clinched the series on the back of a 37-ball century by Tim David in St. Kitts on Friday before Inglis and Green again combined to help them win the fourth game. 'A lot of guys had great series,' Green, who batted at No. 4 and was voted player of the series, said. 'We've got about half a team who're allrounders. That's the beauty of what we're trying to build here. A lot of depth.' The sweep, he said, was a 'massive' boost ahead of next year's T20 World Cup. 'You always want to win every game you can. T20 can be a bit of a lottery at times, so to build a bit of consistency is important,' he said. 'Good signs.' The Australians will host South Africa in a T20 series next month, and West Indies takes on Pakistan in another home series involving three T20s and three one-day internationals.
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Minkah Fitzpatrick looking for long-term future with Dolphins after trade from Steelers
It has been about a month since Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dolphins team that drafted him, and the All-Pro safety hopes to remain in Miami long term. Fitzpatrick spoke to reporters Monday for the first time since he returned to Miami, which drafted him in 2018 and traded him away at his request in 2019. He said his lack of public comment was not an expression of frustration with returning to the Dolphins. 'My silence was not a reflection of how I felt about this team or this organization,' Fitzpatrick said, adding that he would not take any questions about Pittsburgh or previous coaches or anything like that. Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins agreed to a restructured contract on Sunday that moved $2 million from his 2026 salary to this upcoming season and converted some of his salary into a $16.2 million signing bonus. It gave him a raise to $17.5 million this season as his agent and the Dolphins continue to work toward a long-term deal. 'I know it was reported that I wanted a new contract,' Fitzpatrick said, 'but I just wanted to know that I was going to be here for more than a season, and I got that. And now I'm going to go out there, play All-Pro, Pro Bowl level, and hopefully earn the respect of my teammates and the organization to have that long-term contract.' The Dolphins selected Fitzpatrick 11th overall in 2018, but the safety became displeased with his role under then-coach Brian Flores, requested a trade, and was dealt to the Steelers a year after being drafted. Fitzpatrick quickly became one of the NFL's top safeties in Pittsburgh, making five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams during his time there. His new Dolphins teammates have praised his leadership in the short time he's been in Miami. He came up with the first interception of training camp on Saturday with an athletic pick of quarterback Zach Wilson. 'Minkah is very quiet, but when he does talk, everybody listens,' receiver Jaylen Waddle said. 'He's got one of those personalities when he gets on the field – just got that dog, brings that energy. He's been here a couple days, but it's just like the defense gravitates toward him. He made a crazy play today, so everybody got hyped. It's great.' Dolphins sign another cornerback The Dolphins added more experience to their secondary Monday when they signed former Bengals and Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton. Hilton has made 56 starts in eight seasons with Pittsburgh (2017-20) and Cincinnati (2021-24), making 520 tackles (386 solo), 11 1/2 sacks, and 13 interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. The 31-year-old had 73 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and an interception as one of the leaders of the Bengals' defense last season. 'Playing against him in years past, he was the one guy in the defensive backfield that realistically and from a physicality standpoint, you're like, 'I wish they wouldn't be in nickel,'' Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. 'I wish he wouldn't be on the field. I wish they would have a linebacker on the field.' That's how convicted he would play and how physical he plays the game from the defensive back position.' The Dolphins had already signed Jack Jones and Cornell Armstrong for depth after cornerback Artie Burns suffered a torn ACL on the first day of camp.
