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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Television (PTV), led by captain Shamyl Hussain, produced one of the most extraordinary results in the 232-year history of first-class cricket by successfully defending a target of just 40 runs against Shan Masood&rsquo;s Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in the President&rsquo;s Trophy Grade I in Karachi.&nbsp;According to ESPNcricinfo, no team has ever defended a smaller total in first-class cricket. The previous record dated back to 1794, when Oldfield defended 41 against MCC at Lord&rsquo;s Old Ground.&nbsp;Chasing 40 for victory at the National Bank Stadium, SNGPL collapsed for 37 in 19.4 overs, handing PTV a dramatic two-run win. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman delivered a match-defining spell of 6 for 9, while fast bowler Amad Butt claimed the remaining four wickets, sealing a historic finish.&nbsp;The result defied the match narrative. PTV were dismissed for 166 in the first innings before SNGPL responded with 238, securing a 72-run lead. Although the pitch deteriorated rapidly, PTV&rsquo;s second-innings total of 111 appeared insufficient, setting SNGPL a modest target that ultimately proved unreachable.&nbsp;Reacting to the achievement, digital creator Shahzaib Ali wrote on X:&nbsp;&ldquo;Unbelievable scenes at National Bank Stadium, Karachi, as PTV successfully defended a target of just 40 runs against a strong SNGPL batting lineup. Ali Usman once again showcased his brilliance, producing a sensational spell of six wickets for just nine runs.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also praised the side, singling out leadership and merit-based selection.&nbsp;&ldquo;Immense pride in watching PTV create history by defending 40 runs in the fourth innings. Ali Usman and Amad Butt were outstanding under pressure, complemented by a superb display of captaincy from Shamyl Hussain,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The victory was PTV&rsquo;s third in four matches, reinforcing their emergence as one of the tournament&rsquo;s strongest teams. In a season marked by low-scoring encounters, this match has etched itself into cricket&rsquo;s global record books.&nbsp;More than two centuries after the last such feat, PTV&rsquo;s extraordinary defense stands as a reminder that in red-ball cricket, no target is too small, and no result is ever certain.

Cricket

PTV, led by Shamyl Hussain, stunned cricket by defending 40 runs against SNGPL in Karachi, breaking a 232-year-old first-class record through Ali Usman’s 6/9 spell with historic two-run victory overall

Shamyl-led PTV shatter 232-year record with historic 40-run defense

Syed Ahmed Raza

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will begin its 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) journey on Sunday when they take on defending champions South Africa in the first of two Test matches at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. This will also be the first occasion since the inception of the ICC World Test Championship in 2019 that Pakistan will be playing their opening series of a WTC cycle at home. In the 2019-21 WTC, they began the cycle with a tour to Australia, while in 2021-23, with a championship tour of the West Indies. In the previous 2023-25 cycle, Pakistan started their campaign with a tour of Sri Lanka. Golden opportunityIn earlier WTC cycles, Pakistan finished fifth, seventh, and ninth, failing to win more than five matches in a single campaign. The team never came close to qualifying for the final. However, the upcoming cycle offers a favorable mix of opponents and venues, presenting a realistic chance for Pakistan to turn the tide.&nbsp;One of Pakistan&rsquo;s biggest advantages is the fixture list. Under the WTC format, each team plays six series, three at home and three away, while missing two opponents. For Pakistan, those two are India and Australia, two of the strongest sides in WTC history.&nbsp;Australia, the 2023 champions and 2025 runners-up, hold the best win/loss ratio at 2.750, followed by India at 1.631. Avoiding both significantly boosts Pakistan&rsquo;s chances of staying competitive on the points table.&nbsp;Home advantageAt home, Pakistan will host South Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand &mdash; six Tests in total. The series against South Africa marks a tough opening challenge, but also a golden opportunity to build early momentum. Pakistan&rsquo;s record against both South Africa and New Zealand is stronger on home soil, and victories here could set the tone for the entire cycle.&nbsp;Away fixturesTheir away fixtures, against England, Bangladesh, and West Indies, pose varying levels of difficulty.&nbsp;The three-Test series in England is expected to be the toughest, but Pakistan have historically performed well there, with five Test wins since 2010, their best record among SENA countries.&nbsp;Bangladesh remains a favorable venue, with Pakistan having won eight of the nine Tests, while the West Indies could offer a balanced contest.&nbsp;Masood for maximizing home advantagePakistan captain Shan Masood, speaking to the PCB Digital, ahead of the South Africa series, emphasized a strong start to the new WTC cycle.&nbsp;&ldquo;The main goal is always to win the championship, but for us, it&rsquo;s about starting well &mdash; and facing the defending champions at home is a great opportunity,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Masood noted that the WTC serves as a true test of progress. &ldquo;It allows us to measure ourselves against the best. If we perform well, we&rsquo;ll know we&rsquo;re right up there.&rdquo;&nbsp;Highlighting the value of home advantage, he added, &ldquo;Teams that reach the final have always dominated at home. For us, it&rsquo;s about finding that blueprint and beginning strongly.&rdquo;&nbsp;Final wordWith a relatively shorter schedule of 13 Tests, the second lowest after Sri Lanka, Pakistan&rsquo;s unpredictability could turn into an asset. Fewer games mean less room for prolonged slumps, provided the team maintains consistency.

This is the first occasion since the inception of the ICC World Test Championship in 2019 that Pakistan will be playing their opening series of a WTC cycle at home.

Pakistan eye final as WTC 2025-27 campaign begins against South Africa

LAHORE: Pakistan on Monday named an 18-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series against ICC World Test Championship holders South Africa, with uncapped players Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram, and Rohail Nazir earning call-ups.&nbsp;According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shan Masood will continue as Test captain, while red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood will oversee the training camp ahead of the first match, scheduled to begin on October 12 at Lahore&rsquo;s Gaddafi Stadium. The squad will be trimmed before the opening Test. <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-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" 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=1972897984963924030&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=6cdb1328fb38e24c07de98462bc72ed22043ca73&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1972897984963924030" style="width: 550px; height: 878px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;"></iframe></div></div></div>&nbsp;The second match of the series will take place in Rawalpindi from October 20 to 24.&nbsp;Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, former captain Babar Azam, and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi are among the senior players retained from Pakistan&rsquo;s recent Test campaigns.&nbsp;Players returning from the recently concluded ACC Men&rsquo;s T20 Asia Cup will join the red-ball camp on October 4. The training camp will run until October 8.&nbsp;The Test series marks the start of Pakistan&rsquo;s 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship campaign and will be followed by three T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals, running from October 28 to November 8. The white-ball squad will be announced at a later date.&nbsp;Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.&nbsp;South Africa tour of Pakistan 2025 fixtures:Oct. 12&ndash;16 &ndash; 1st Test, Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreOct. 20&ndash;24 &ndash; 2nd Test, Rawalpindi Cricket StadiumOct. 28 &ndash; 1st T20I, RawalpindiOct. 31 &ndash; 2nd T20I, LahoreNov. 1 &ndash; 3rd T20I, LahoreNov. 4 &ndash; 1st ODI, FaisalabadNov. 6 &ndash; 2nd ODI, FaisalabadNov. 8 &ndash; 3rd ODI, Faisalabad

Shan Masood continues as Test captain, while uncapped players Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram, and Rohail Nazir earn call-ups.

Articles tagged with "Shan Masood"

Shamyl-led PTV shatter 232-year record with historic 40-run defense

Pakistan eye final as WTC 2025-27 campaign begins against South Africa

Pakistan announce 18-men squad for South Africa Test series