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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Saim Ayub has become the top T20I all-rounder in the latest ICC rankings, overtaking India&rsquo;s Hardik Pandya, in the latest update released by the International Cricket Council on Wednesday. Ayub, who picked up eight wickets and scored 37 runs in the recently concluded Asia Cup, climbed&nbsp;four spots to claim the No.1 position, following a string of consistent performances. Pandya, who had long held the top ranking, dropped to second. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/8f9439db-ce72-44c7-a892-f0f721cb896b.jpg" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">&nbsp;Pakistan also saw gains from other players, with Mohammad Nawaz moving up four places to 13th among all-rounders, and Faheem Ashraf rising to 35th.&nbsp;India&rsquo;s Abhishek Sharma set a new benchmark in the batting charts, becoming the first player to reach 931 rating points in T20I history. He now leads the batting rankings.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Sahibzada Farhan jumped 11 places to 13th, while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan slipped to 37th and 41st, respectively. Fakhar Zaman climbed six positions to 60th.&nbsp;In the bowling rankings, India&rsquo;s Varun Chakaravarthy retained the top spot. Pakistan&rsquo;s Abrar Ahmed dropped three places to seventh, while Shaheen Shah Afridi surged 12 spots to 13th.&nbsp;The updated rankings reflect recent performances in bilateral series and the ongoing T20 calendar ahead of next year&rsquo;s ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup.

Cricket

Ayub climbs four spots to claim the No.1 position, displacing India's Hardik Pandya, who had long held the top ranking.

Saim Ayub becomes top T20I all-rounder in latest ICC rankings

Syed Ahmed Raza

ISLAMABAD: An arbitration may take place in case the Indian cricket team formally asks for the Asia Cup Trophy after refusing to accept it on Sunday night at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The team had decided not to accept the trophy from&nbsp;Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan&rsquo;s cricket board chief and the country&#39;s interior minister. The two South Asian neighbors fought a brief but intense war in May after India attacked Pakistan, accusing it of orchestrating a terror attack on its territory. Their cricket teams met three times amid visible tensions among players and spectators. &ldquo;I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight,&rdquo; broadcaster Simon Doull caught many by surprise when he first broke the news during a live coverage of the Pakistan-India match.&nbsp;&nbsp;Indian team&rsquo;s stand and BCCI&rsquo;s protestIndian Team captain Suryakumar Yadav said the decision not to accept the trophy was made collectively on the field and was not directed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or political authorities. Naqvi had walked away with the trophy after waiting for an hour to deliver it to the Indian team, which defeated Pakistan in the final match.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is something I&rsquo;ve never seen in cricket&mdash;a champion team being denied a trophy,&rdquo; Yadav told reporters. &ldquo;But our real trophies are the 14 players and the support staff who got us here. That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ll take home tonight,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Secretary Devajit Saikia congratulated the team and assured them&nbsp;that the board would lodge a formal complaint to get the trophy.&nbsp;&ldquo;There is an ICC conference scheduled in Dubai this November, and we will launch a very serious and strong protest against the actions of the ACC Chairman,&rdquo; Saikia said.&nbsp;&ldquo;We cannot accept a trophy from someone who represents a nation currently at odds with ours. But that does not mean the gentleman is entitled to walk away with the trophy and medals meant for our team. That is completely unacceptable.&rdquo;&nbsp;Naqvi&rsquo;s befitting response to ModiSoon after India defeated Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened the cricket victory to the military operation against Pakistan. &quot;Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same &ndash; India wins! Congrats to our cricketers,&rdquo; Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter.&nbsp;Mohsin Naqvi responded sharply, saying, &ldquo;If war is your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan&rsquo;s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.&rdquo;&nbsp;What do the rules say?A senior official familiar with ICC procedures noted, &ldquo;This is unprecedented in cricket. Unless the ACC clarifies its position, the matter could escalate further at the ICC level.&rdquo;&nbsp;With no formal statement yet from the ACC or ICC, the fate of the 2025 Asia Cup trophy remains uncertain. Whether it will eventually be handed to India or withheld pending diplomatic and administrative resolution remains to be seen.&nbsp;For now, cricket&rsquo;s biggest regional prize sits unclaimed, a symbol of deeper tensions between the two countries both on and off the field.

Team India's refusal to collect the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi leaves its fate unclear, with the ACC yet to confirm its next steps.

What happens to the Asia Cup trophy now?

ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew parallels between his country&rsquo;s triumph at the Asia Cup 2025 over Pakistan and the military conflict in May, in which India lost six fighter jets, including Rafales.&nbsp;The move prompted a sharp response from Pakistan&rsquo;s interior minister and Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi.&nbsp;After India defeated Pakistan in the final on Sunday, Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter: &ldquo;Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same &ndash; India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-6" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1972373287985401858&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5a49b7e06affe931a75395c47318369856134ebf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;"></iframe></div> Naqvi retorted that equating sport with war distorted both history and the spirit of cricket. &ldquo;If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan&rsquo;s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth,&rdquo; he wrote. &ldquo;Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.&rdquo;</div></div>&nbsp;The exchange comes after the Indian cricket team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi at the post-match ceremony.&nbsp;&ldquo;I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight,&rdquo; said Simon Doull, the presenter for the host broadcaster. &ldquo;So that does conclude the post-match presentation.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-7" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1972458690084229221&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5a49b7e06affe931a75395c47318369856134ebf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 486px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;"></iframe></div> Naqvi waited on stage for over 45 minutes before leaving with the trophy, while the Indian players celebrated with an imaginary one.</div></div>Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav insisted the decision was not politically motivated.&nbsp;&ldquo;I think this is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing cricket, started following cricket, that a champion team is denied a trophy, that too a hard-earned one. I feel we deserved it. I can&rsquo;t say anything more; I&rsquo;ve summed it up really well. If you tell me about trophies, my trophies are sitting in the dressing room, all the 14 guys with me, the support staff, those are the real trophies throughout this journey in the Asia Cup.&rdquo; Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the trophy remain unknown.<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"> </div>

Indian PM compares military conflict to 'games field'; Tweet prompts sharp response from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi; Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav insists the decision is not politically motivated.




Modi likens Asia Cup win to war, Pakistan’s Naqvi hits back

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan head into Sunday&rsquo;s Asia Cup final against India with history on their side, having won more final face-offs against their arch-rivals in multi-nation tournaments.&nbsp;The neighbors have met five times in finals of events featuring five or more teams. Pakistan emerged victorious in three, while India won two. India clinched the 1985 Benson &amp; Hedges World Championship and the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup final. Pakistan lifted the Austral-Asia Cup in 1986 and 1994, before routing India by 180 runs in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at The Oval.&nbsp;This will be their first-ever meeting in an Asia Cup final. Strengths and weaknesses India&rsquo;s batting firepower remains their strongest asset, with Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav anchoring the top order and Hardik Pandya providing balance in the middle. But questions linger over their lower-order depth, particularly against quality pace.&nbsp;Pakistan, in contrast, are banking on their fast-bowling trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf to tilt the contest. Their batting, however, has lacked consistency, with Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub under pressure to deliver alongside skipper Salman Ali Agha.&nbsp;Form and milestones India have won two of the last four Asia Cups unbeaten. Left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh recently became the first Indian bowler to reach 100 wickets in T20 internationals. Pakistan&rsquo;s Haris Rauf is the joint-leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 17 scalps.&nbsp;Likely line-ups India (probable): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.&nbsp;Pakistan (probable): Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

This is the first time the arch-rivals are meeting in the Asia Cup final.

Pakistan boast better finals record against India before Asia Cup decider

DUBAI: Pakistan will face India in the Asia Cup final for the first time after their bowlers made amends for batting to upstage Bangladesh in an 11-run victory on Thursday.&nbsp;Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed grabbed 3-28 as Pakistan batters were sloppy on a sticky Dubai stadium pitch in their last Super Four match, managing a modest 135-8 in 20 overs.&nbsp;But Pakistan staged a fightback through pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-17) and Haris Rauf (3-33) to keep Bangladesh down to 124-9 in 20 overs and book their place in Sunday&#39;s showpiece against India.&nbsp;Shamim Hossain top-scored for Bangladesh with a 25-ball 30 and Saif Hassan scored 18.&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s second win in the Super Four stage set them up for a third encounter against archrivals India.&nbsp;They lost both previous meetings with their neighbours so far in the tournament, with the two matches marred by a no-handshake controversy.&nbsp;India players refused to shake hands with Pakistan after the first game and the two sides also did not shake hands after the second.&nbsp;Earlier, Taskin was well supported by spinners Rishad Hossain (2-18) and Mahedi Hasan (2-28) to keep Pakistan in check after they were sent in to bat.&nbsp;Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals as Taskin removed opener Sahibzada Farhan off the fourth ball of the match for four while Hasan had Saim Ayub for his fourth duck of the tournament.&nbsp;Fakhar Zaman scored 13 and captain Salman Agha 19 as Pakistan tottered at 49-5.&nbsp;It was a seventh-wicket stand of 38 between Mohammad Haris (31) and Mohammad Nawaz (25) that helped Pakistan add 52 in the last five overs.&nbsp;Haris hit two boundaries and a six while Nawaz&#39;s 15-ball knock had two sixes and a boundary.&nbsp;Shaheen, dropped twice by Bangladesh fielders, hit two sixes in his rapid 13-ball 19.

Pakistan defended 135 with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf sharing six wickets, sealing an 11-run win over Bangladesh in Dubai to book an Asia Cup final clash against India.

Pakistan down Bangladesh to set up Asia Cup final with India

ABU DHABI: Pakistan kept their Asia Cup campaign alive with a hard-fought five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a Super Four clash in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. With both teams having lost their opening fixtures of the second round, defeat was not an option and Pakistan&#39;s bowlers rose to the occasion tying Sri Lanka down to 133-8 on a featherbed of a pitch. Chasing what looked a modest target, Pakistan made heavy weather of it. After a brisk opening stand of 45, their innings went into free fall at 80-5. But a cool-headed 58-run partnership off 41 balls for the sixth wicket between Mohammad Nawaz and Hussain Talat steadied the ship and saw them home with 12 deliveries in hand. Nawaz struck a breezy 38 off 24 balls, while Talat anchored the innings with an unbeaten 32 off 30. Shaheen sets the tone&nbsp;Earlier, Shaheen Shah Afridi set the tone with the new ball, nipping out Sri Lanka&#39;s in-form openers inside his first two overs. The left-arm quick returned at the death to dismiss top-scorer Kamindu Mendis and closed with figures of three for 28 -- a spell that put Pakistan on the front foot. Talat and Haris Rauf chipped in with two wickets apiece, while leggie Abrar Ahmed bowled with miserly precision, giving away just eight runs in his four overs and dismissing fellow leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. Sri Lanka, unbeaten in the first round with three wins on the trot, have hit a brick wall in the Super Four, losing to Bangladesh on Saturday and now to Pakistan. With only India left to play, their chances of making the final are hanging by a thread. Sri Lanka slump to 58-5Put in to bat, Sri Lanka slumped to 58-5 and looked set to be bundled out inside 20 overs. But Kamindu Mendis dug in, compiling a fighting 50 off 44 balls with three fours and two sixes, his third half-century in T20Is. He stitched together a 43-run stand with Chamika Karunaratne for the seventh wicket, but the former champions were still left high and dry.

Pakistan stayed alive in the Asia Cup with a tense five-wicket win over Sri Lanka, chasing 134 after strong bowling displays by Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed. Nawaz and Talat’s partnership sealed the victory. 

Pakistan stay alive in Asia Cup with win over Sri Lanka

Reuters

BENGALURU: India&#39;s players need to block out the noise as they prepare to again face rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup amid controversy over their previous clash, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Saturday.&nbsp;The eight-team tournament has been dominated by headlines about India and Pakistan&#39;s first meetings on the pitch since the military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May this year.&nbsp;India prevailed in the politically-charged Group A match last week but their players refused to shake hands with their Pakistan opponents after the match.&nbsp;Yadav dedicated India&#39;s seven-wicket victory to their armed forces, while several of his teammates took to social media to express similar thoughts.&nbsp;Pakistan considered withdrawing from the tournament to protest against the match referee, who they say condoned unsportsmanlike behavior by India, before going ahead with their match against the United Arab Emirates.&nbsp;With the controversy likely to rumble on in the build-up to Sunday&#39;s clash, Suryakumar offered some blunt advice for teammates struggling to cope with external pressure.&nbsp;&quot;Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep. I think that&#39;s the best. It&#39;s easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult,&quot; he told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s on you, what you want to listen to, what you want to have in your mind.&rdquo;&nbsp;&quot;I have been very clear with all the boys. I think it&#39;s very important if you want to do well in this tournament and going forward. We will have to shut a lot of noise from outside and take what is good for you.&quot;&nbsp;Despite India&#39;s triumph in their previous encounter, Yadav insisted past results would count for nothing when the rivals meet again in the super four match.&nbsp;&quot;I feel our preparation has been really good leading into the tournament. We have also had three good games, so we are actually focusing on what we can do best,&quot; he added.&nbsp;&quot;We want to follow all the good habits that we have been doing from the last two or three games. We take it one game at a time. It doesn&#39;t give us an edge that we have played them once and we had a good game. We have to start from scratch.&quot;&nbsp;

Pakistan has considered withdrawing from tournament; Yadav insists past results will count for nothing when the two sides meet again.



'Switch off your phones and sleep,' India captain tells team before Pakistan clash

ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan will face off in the 14th match of the Men&rsquo;s T20 Asia Cup 2025 Super Four stage on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.&nbsp;&nbsp;The match will start at 7:30 p.m. local time.&nbsp;Recent resultsIndia is leading Group A after winning all three group matches, earning six points with a net run rate of 3.547, including defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Pakistan.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Pakistan holds second place with four points, winning two of three games; their only loss was to India. Pakistan won against the UAE and Oman.&nbsp;Possible squadIndia&rsquo;s squad is captained by Suryakumar Yadav, with vice-captain Shubman Gill. Batters include Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, and Rinku Singh while bowlers include Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Kuldeep Yadav.&nbsp; Axar Patel is part of the squad but may miss the game due to a recent head injury. The Pakistani side will be captained by Salman Agha, supported by batters Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan. The bowling line-up features Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and Hasan Nawaz.&nbsp;VenueUmpires Asif Yaqoob and Rohan Pandit will officiate, with Virender Sharma as TV umpire. Andy Pycroft will serve as match referee.&nbsp;The game will be played under floodlights in a 20-over format, with an interval between innings.&nbsp;Political context and rivalry Historically, India-Pakistan cricket matches carry political and emotional significance beyond the sport. The rivalry has been marked by tension in recent years, with incidents such as India&rsquo;s players not shaking hands with Pakistan&rsquo;s team after their group match this tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spoke about breaches in conduct and governance by the Indian side. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) found no protocol violations in the disputed incidents.&nbsp;Group A points table<table id="isPasted"><thead><tr><td style="width: 30.5383%;">Team</td><td style="width: 22.2561%;">Matches Played</td><td style="width: 8.6877%;">Wins</td><td style="width: 10.428%;">Losses</td><td style="width: 9.6581%;">Points</td><td style="width: 18.3812%;">Net Run Rate</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="width: 30.5383%;">India</td><td style="width: 22.2561%;">3</td><td style="width: 8.6877%;">3</td><td style="width: 10.428%;">0</td><td style="width: 9.6581%;">6</td><td style="width: 18.3812%;">3.547</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 30.5383%;">Pakistan</td><td style="width: 22.2561%;">3</td><td style="width: 8.6877%;">2</td><td style="width: 10.428%;">1</td><td style="width: 9.6581%;">4</td><td style="width: 18.3812%;">1.790</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 30.5383%;">United Arab Emirates</td><td style="width: 22.2561%;">3</td><td style="width: 8.6877%;">1</td><td style="width: 10.428%;">2</td><td style="width: 9.6581%;">2</td><td style="width: 18.3812%;">-1.984</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 30.5383%;">Oman</td><td style="width: 22.2561%;">3</td><td style="width: 8.6877%;">0</td><td style="width: 10.428%;">3</td><td style="width: 9.6581%;">0</td><td style="width: 18.3812%;">-2.600</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;The Asia Cup final is scheduled for September 28.

The Asia Cup final is scheduled for September 28.

India-Pakistan Asia Cup showdown: Politics fuels drama 

DUBAI:&nbsp;Pakistan set up another charged showdown with arch-rivals India at the Asia Cup after defeating the United Arab Emirates by 41 runs in Dubai on Wednesday.The match began an hour late as the fallout rumbled on from a handshake row with India.The Pakistan Cricket Board was considering pulling out from the tournament after their demand to remove Andy Pycroft who oversaw Sunday&#39;s game, after which the India team refused to shake hands with their rivals, AFP reported.A statement issued today by the PCB shortly before the toss between Pakistan and UAE said: &ldquo;The ICC&rsquo;s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team.&rdquo;It said he termed the Sunday incident &ldquo;a result of miscommunication and apologised&rdquo;. The PCB also added that the ICC expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the match.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1968337164342821208&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c8d159cbf5620995ea7e46194d9b20427d0819bc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 697px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Fakhar Zaman scored 50 off 36 balls and Shaheen Shah Afridi added a brisk 29 not out as Pakistan made a modest 146-9 batting first, AFP reported.Pakistan&#39;s bowling chargeSpinner Abrar Ahmed led Pakistan&#39;s bowling charge with 2-13 as the UAE were dismissed for 105 in 17.4 overs. Shaheen took 2-16 and fellow paceman Haris Rauf 2-19.The win means Pakistan join India in the Super Four from Group A. They will meet again in Dubai on Sunday.Rahul Chopra top-scored for the hosts with run-a-ball 35.Pakistan got off to a shaky start as Saim Ayub fell for a second-ball duck while Sahibzada Farhan made five, both falling to pace bowler Junaid Siddique.Siddique finished with an impressive 4-18 in his four overs.Zaman and Salman Agha added 61 for the third wicket. Agha made 20.Three sixes Zaman hit three sixes and two fours before he fell to left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh, who took 3-26.It was left to Shaheen to help Pakistan add 51 in the last five overs.Sri Lanka meet Afghanistan in Abdu Dhabi to decide who goes through to the next round from Group B. Bangladesh are also in the running with two wins in three matches.

Pakistan defeated UAE by 41 runs in the Asia Cup, with Fakhar Zaman scoring 50. The win sets up a rematch with India after a match delay due to a handshake controversy.

Pakistan beat UAE to set up another India clash in Asia Cup

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not yet made a final decision regarding the national team&#39;s continued participation in the Asia Cup, PCB spokesperson Aamir Mir confirmed on Tuesday.&nbsp; However, Mir said that consultations are ongoing, and a final decision will be made soon.&nbsp;&quot;The decision will be made keeping Pakistan&#39;s interests in view,&quot; Mir said, amid growing tensions following a controversial incident during Pakistan&rsquo;s group-stage match against India on Sunday. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1968026870185857313&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3aa1dd5d669953a0a4395babb647158f4d8a5102&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 417px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;The PCB recently filed an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of violating the &ldquo;Spirit of Cricket&rdquo; by allegedly instructing the captains of Pakistan and India not to shake hands at the toss, a gesture widely regarded as a symbol of sportsmanship.&nbsp;In a related move, the PCB cancelled the team&rsquo;s scheduled pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday&rsquo;s crucial fixture against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Tournament organizers later confirmed the cancellation, saying: &ldquo;Pakistan will not be holding their pre-match press conference today.&rdquo;&nbsp;The incident has sparked strong reactions from fans and former players across Pakistan. While some fans have urged the team to continue in the tournament, others have demanded a boycott in protest of what they allege to be biased officiating.&nbsp;Despite the ongoing controversy, the PCB released footage of the team attending practice sessions, suggesting that, for now, Pakistan is still preparing to play its next match.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1967973643348263279&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3aa1dd5d669953a0a4395babb647158f4d8a5102&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 578px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Having lost to India by six wickets in a rain-affected encounter, Pakistan must now win against the UAE to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the Super Four stage of the continental tournament.

Team still training ahead of must-win match against UAE, amid consultations.

Articles tagged with "Asia Cup"