CENTURION: Chennai Super Kings have crushed Kings XI Punjab by 12 runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) Dosra Twenty20 match here at Centurion Super Sports Park cricket stadium on late Thursday.The match was cut-short to 18 overs due to rain and cloudy overcast. Mathew Hayden hit magnificent 89 runs to lead Chennai to 185 for the loss of three wickets in allotted 18 overs while Dhoni and Raina hit 56 and 32 each.Kings XI Punjab could manage to mount 174 in reply while they had lost their three wickets. Simon Katech and Yuvraj Singh were the leading run-scorers from their side with 50 and 58 runs respectively.
More: continued here
The United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan will hold a trilateral summit after the Afghan presidential election in August, the special U.S. envoy for the region said on Thursday, citing progress in getting often fractious American allies to work together.
More: continued here
DUBAI: Pakistan cricket team thrashed Australia by seven wickets with 22 balls to spare in the one-off Twenty20 international at Dubai Stadium here on Thursday, Geo news reported.Paceman Umar Gul recorded the second best figures in international Twenty20 cricket to help fire Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over Australia in the one-off match at Dubai Stadium here on Thursday. The 25-year-old fast bowler took 4-8 in his four-over spell, combining with leg-spinner Shahid Afridi (3-14) to restrict Australia to a modest 108 in 19.5 overs after Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and fielded. In Pakistan’’s reply, Kamran Akmal hit a rapid-fire unbeaten 59 while Haq scored 24.They shared an 85-run stand for the third wicket after Pakistan lost openers Ahmed Shahzad (four) and Salman Butt (16). Akmal’’s maiden Twenty20 fifty included five boundaries and three towering sixes off 42 balls and enabled Pakistan to reach their target with 3.4 overs to spare. Earlier, Gul provided Pakistan with a crucial breakthrough, dismissing the dangerous-looking Shane Watson (33) with his first delivery to put the brakes on Australia, who had reached 42 without loss. Watson had struck three successive boundaries off paceman Sohail Tanvir in the fourth over. Australia then suffered a severe jolt when four wickets fell for 12 runs in the space of 21 deliveries to leave them in trouble at 73-5. Afridi trapped James Hopes (six) and Andrew Symonds (nought) leg-before off successive deliveries, before bowling David Hussey (four). Gul returned for his second spell to dismiss Nathan Hauritz (two), Brett Lee (nought) and Marcus North (20) to improve on his own Pakistan record of 4-13 in a Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka last year. They were the second best figures ever in a Twenty20 international, behind New Zealand paceman Mark Gillespie’’s 4-7 against Kenya at Durban in 2007. Brad Haddin made 24 before becoming one of Shoaib Malik’’s two victims. Pakistan were forced to leave out regular captain Younus Khan, who was suffering from a fever. Australia won the preceding five-match one-day series 3-2 — a series moved to neutral venues here over security fears in Pakistan.
More: continued here
Pakistan’s prime minister formally renounced a peace agreement with Taliban militants Thursday night and announced “decisive steps” to expand the battle in the country’s northwest.
More: continued here
DUBAI: Australia were bowled out for 108 in 19.5 overs in the one-off Twenty20 international against Pakistan at Dubai Stadium here on Thursday.Misbah, the skipper of Pakistan side, decided to bowl first having won the toss, which resulted in favour of green shirts as the pacer Umer Gul resisted Australians considerably early in the innings followed by tricky Afridi and steady Malik ripped through Kangaroos batting line-up.Both spinners Afridi and Malik got out five players together with three and two wickets respectively and paceman Gul claimed four wickets while newcomer Ajmal sent a batsman back towards pavilion.Afridi took two wickets off successive deliveries, while Gul recorded the best figures for Pakistan in a Twenty20 match after stand-in captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and decided to field. Shane Watson, who top-scored with a 14-ball 33, gave his team a solid start, hitting three successive boundaries off paceman Sohail Tanvir in the fourth over, but Gul trapped him leg-before with his first delivery. Australia then suffered a severe jolt when four wickets fell for 12 runs in the space of 21 deliveries to leave them in trouble at 73-5. Afridi trapped James Hopes (six) and Andrew Symonds (nought) leg-before off successive deliveries, before bowling David Hussey (four) to put the brakes on the Australian innings.Gul came back for his second spell to dismiss Nathan Hauritz (two), Brett Lee (nought) and Marcus North (20) to improve on his own Pakistan record of 4-13 in a Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka last year. Brad Haddin made 24. Pakistan were forced to leave out regular captain Younus Khan, who suffered flu and fever.
More: continued here
The US Congress will urgently complete an aid bill to stabilize Pakistan, Senator John Kerry promised Thursday after talks with the Pakistani and Afghan presidents.
More: continued here
Pakistan’s government ordered the army to eliminate militants on Thursday, setting the stage for a major offensive against Taliban fighters battling security forces in a northwestern valley.
More: continued here
Pakistan News
DUBAI: Pakistan cricket team thrashed Australia by seven wickets with 22 balls to spare in the one-off Twenty20 international at Dubai Stadium here on Thursday, Geo news reported.
More: continued here
A key US senator on Thursday pledged quick action on a multibillion-dollar package to stabilize Islamabad, after the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan made urgent appeals for aid.
More: continued here
Pakistan’s army has a rare window of support for its latest campaign against Taliban militants near the Afghan border, and U.S. hopes are pinned on the military for bringing stability to both countries.
More: continued here