In this interview, Desert Vipers' Luke Wood, who has played in the Indian Premier League for the Mumbai Indians, talks about the ongoing debate on the best Test batter in the modern era. While acknowledging the greatness of Virat Kohli and Babar Azam as multi-format players, Wood believes that Joe Root's consistent performance in the Test format makes him the best. He also shares his experience of playing in the IPL and how the Twenty20 format presents a unique challenge for bowlers.
Australia secured a 3-0 T20 series whitewash against Pakistan with an explosive unbeaten 61 from Marcus Stoinis. This victory comes after Pakistan won the preceding ODI series 2-1, showing the unpredictable and exciting nature of cricket. With Babar Azam achieving the second spot in the list of highest run-scorers in T20Is, the competition for top rankings in the batting department is heating up. Australia's skipper, Josh Inglis, praised Stoinis' extraordinary performance, saying that it's hard to stop him when he's hitting like that. Pakistan, once again, struggled with their batting as they fell to 117 all out, with Aaron Hardie taking three wickets.
Marcus Stoinis' unbeaten 61 off 27 balls led Australia to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the third T20 International, securing a clean sweep of the series. Pakistan's collapse after a good start was triggered by Adam Zampa, who took crucial wickets including that of top-scorer Babar Azam. Australia's Aaron Hardie and Spencer Johnson also played key roles in the bowling attack, with Johnson even securing a run out with a direct throw from midwicket.
Fans at the second T20I match between Australia and Pakistan in Sydney made their disappointment known to Babar Azam, as the Pakistani captain struggled with his performance in the series. Despite the tense 13-run victory for Australia, fans were seen shouting and insulting Babar, even telling him to return to his hometown of Lahore. However, in the face of this rude behavior, Babar remained calm and even greeted the fans who were chanting his name in support.
Shaheen Afridi's dominant performance in the recent series against Australia has propelled him back to the top spot in the ICC ODI Bowler Rankings. He is joined by his compatriot and team captain Babar Azam, who remains at the top of the ODI batting rankings. Pakistan's bowlers Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah also saw significant improvements in their rankings, while other players from England, Bangladesh, and India have also made strides in the T20I rankings.
It was a thrilling game at the Adelaide Oval as Pakistan scripted a dominant 9-wicket win over Australia to level the series 1-1. Haris Rauf's five-wicket haul and a brilliant opening partnership between Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique set the stage for a quick victory. However, it was former skipper Babar Azam's unbeaten 15 and a stunning six to finish the match that stole the show and silenced the Australian commentators' attempts at commentary banter. With this win, Pakistan proved that they are not just here to participate, but to compete and win against the hosts.
Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi has reclaimed the top spot in ICC ODI rankings after his impressive showing in the recent series against Australia. Along with Afridi, teammate Haris Rauf also jumped to a career-high 13th position in the rankings. Despite being demoted in their central contracts, Afridi and Rauf have proved their worth on the field, with Rauf also earning the Player of the Series award. Afridi's journey to the top has not been without setbacks, including a controversy during the T20 World Cup and losing the captaincy after one series loss. Rauf, on the other hand, had refused to play for Pakistan and his central contract was terminated before being restored.
After a year-long gap, Pakistani bowler Shaheen Afridi has re-emerged as the top-ranked ODI bowler in the world. This achievement comes as no surprise after his outstanding showing against Australia, where he claimed eight wickets at an impressive average of 12.62. This latest triumph further cements Pakistan's current dominance in ODI cricket, with both Afridi and Babar Azam holding the top rankings for bowling and batting, respectively. The recent series also proved to be a major boost for Afridi's teammates, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, who climbed up the rankings to 13th and 55th place, respectively, after their stellar performances.
The Pakistan Cricket Team is set to make their comeback to the One-Day International format after their last appearance at the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup. However, the team has undergone significant changes in the past year, with Babar Azam resigning and resuming as captain multiple times. Under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan, the team is looking to gain momentum for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, the Australians are ready to face them before their five-Test series against India. The 1st ODI will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 4.
After being dropped for the England Tests, former captain Babar Azam and pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah return to the Pakistan team for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia. The selectors have also announced many new faces in the squads, while senior players like Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan have been left out. The PCB is also set to announce new captains for the limited-overs formats, with wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha expected to lead the team. Additionally, bold steps have been taken as the selectors plan to use the ODIs and T20s in Zimbabwe to test new players.