Hosts Pakistan made a winning start while tournament favourites West Indies suffered a shock defeat despite a century from captain Hayley Matthews in the opening day of the six-nation ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers held in Lahore on Wednesday. Pakistan made a flying start beating Ireland by 38 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore while Scotish Women's upset favourite West Indies beating them by 11 runs in nerve shattering match at the Lahore City Cricket Association ground.on Wednesday  Bangladesh Women’s team, which narrowly missed the direct World Cup berth losing to New Zealand due to poor  net run rate, will start their campaign in the six-nation World Cup qualifiers  taking on Thailand on Thursday for the remaining two final round spots. The Bangladesh-Thailand match will kick-off at 10:30:am on Thursday at the Lahore City Cricket Association ground. Arya's 39-ball century for Punjab sends Chennai to fourth straight loss in IPL Earlier, Bangladesh women's made a very good practices in Pakistan crushing hosts Pakistan Women's by a massive 167 runs in their second warm-up match after beating Scotland by five wickets in the first warm up match ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. In the day' s World Cup opener,  Pakistan batted first after losing the toss and were all out for 217 runs in 49 overs featuring two half centuries by Aliya Riaz (52) and Sidra Amin (51)  Chasing a target of 218 runs, the Irish Women's were bundled out for 179 runs in 44 overs featuring 44 runs each runs by captain Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter. Diana Baig of Pakistan captured four wickets for 35 runs while Nashru Sandhu took three for 41 runs. Sent into bat first In the other opening day's crucial match,  Scotland piled up moderate 244 runs for all in 44 overs featuring wicket keeper Sarah Bryce's 55 runs off 56 balls with six boundaries In reply, the Caribbeans Women's were all out for 233 runs in 46.2 overs despite a captain knock by opening batter Hayley Matthews, who hammered a century (not out 114) and was adjudged player of the match.

Pakistan has been penalized for a slow over-rate against New Zealand in their second one-day international in Hamilton this week. Match referee Jeff Crowe fined the Pakistan players 5% of their match fees after they were one over short of the target on Wednesday after the time allowances were taken into consideration. New Zealand won by 84 runs. Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan “pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the sanction, eliminating the need for a formal hearing,” the International Cricket Council said on Thursday. India reveals schedule of a packed cricket season in 2025 It was the second consecutive match after which Pakistan was fined for a slow over-rate. The visiting team was two overs short of the target and fined 10% after losing the first ODI by 73 runs at Napier last Saturday. The third and last ODI is at Mount Maunganui on Saturday.

Jacob Duffy and Zakary Foulkes shared seven wickets as New Zealand bowled out Pakistan for 105 Sunday to win the fourth Twenty20 international by 115 runs and clinch victory in the five-match series with a game remaining. Duffy took 4-20 and Foulkes 3-25 as New Zealand's pacers thrived in responsive conditions under the floodlights at Bay Oval and bowled out Pakistan in 16.2 overs. At 56-8 Pakistan was in danger of falling short of its lowest score in T20 internationals — 74 against Australia in 2012. But Abdul Samad made an unbeaten 44 to steer his team past that total and, at 91, past its lowest total against New Zealand. Earlier, Finn Allen made a half-century from 19 balls and captain Michael Bracewell made an unbeaten 46 as New Zealand posted 220-6 after being sent in. Tim Seifert made 44 from 22 balls to dominate an opening partnership with Allen that produced 59 runs in 4.1 overs. New Zealand went on to 79-1 after six overs, it’s highest power play total against Pakistan. Allen hit six fours and three sixes to accelerate the New Zealand scoring: the home team was 134-2 at the midpoint of its innings. Haris Rauf took 3-27 to curb the New Zealand scoring before Bracewell finished strongly. Heather Knight steps down as England Women’s Cricket captain after nine years “With Tim (Seifert) belting them it makes it tough to get some rhythm sometimes,” said Allen who was Player of the Match. “It's nice for me to sit at the other end and watch him go and then try to take over when he goes.” Pakistan lost three wickets in the first two overs including third match century-maker Hasan Nawaz for 1. O'Rourke and Duffy produced devastating opening spells to upset the Pakistan run chase. O'Rourke cut a ball back from outside off to bowl Mohammad Haris (2) with the second ball of the Pakistan innings. Duffy then removed Nawaz and captain Salman Ali Agha (1), both caught behind by wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay. The New Zealand pacers were able to move the ball around in conditions under floodlights that previously had seemed relatively benign. Even leg spinner Ish Sodhi found the purchase to turn the ball sharply. “We have to give them credit, they bowled really well and they outplayed us,” Ali Agha said. “It was swinging and turning as well. It did a lot in the second innings but we are an international team and we have to do better.” The final match of the series will be played at Wellington on Wednesday.

Pakistan dropped captain Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam for the T20 series against New Zealand and rewarded several domestic performers for the five-match series starting on March 16. Salman Ali Agha will lead the side with all-rounder Shadab Khan as the vice-captain. Salman also led Pakistan to a 2-1 win in the T20 series against Zimbabwe late last year. Rizwan was retained as skipper for the three ODIs against New Zealand starting March 29, and the squad also included Babar. However, selectors have rung in several changes in the ODI squad after Pakistan made an early exit from the Champions Trophy, losing to both New Zealand and India. It finished fourth in its group after its last game was washed out against Bangladesh. Fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi are part of the T20 squad, but were dropped for the ODIs. Top-order batters Kamran Ghulam and Saud Shakeel were also dropped but opener Abdullah Shafique was recalled after selectors ignored him for the Champions Trophy because he had made three successive ducks in South Africa. Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub are still recovering from injuries and neither left-handed batters was considered for the eight white-ball games in New Zealand. “We need to play fearless and aggressive cricket in the T20 format and that’s why we have brought in new players,” Pakistan interim head coach Aaqib Javed told reporters on Tuesday. “Nowadays teams are scoring over 200 in T20 cricket. We also need batters who could utilize the first six overs of the batting powerplay and play big shots.” Javed's contract initially ran until the Champions Trophy, but will continue as the Pakistan Cricket Board is still searching for a full time head coach. New Zealand “A” cricket team to travel to Bangladesh in May Batters Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz along with fast bowler Mohammad Ali are the three uncapped players in the T20 squad. Samad scored 115 runs at a strike-rate of 166.67 in the domestic T20 Champions Cup while Nawaz scored 312 runs and finished as the second highest run-getter in the tournament. Ali, a right-arm Pakistan test fast bowler, topped the bowling chart in the same tournament with 22 wickets. ___ T20 squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan. ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem and Tayyab Tahir.

Ahead of their ICC Champions Trophy clash against arc-rival India on Sunday, Pakistan suffered a big blow as their key batter Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out due to an injury he sustained during the match against New Zealand.  Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed Imam Ul Haque will be the replacement for Fakhar in their squad.  Fakhar was Pakistan’s main weapon when they beat India to win the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. Now, when they are set to face India again in the same event to defend their title, Fakhar is missing out.  ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Bangladesh in trouble  losing 5 wickets quickly  vs India He shared the sad news for Pakistan fans on his social media page.  “I have been privileged enough to represent Pakistan multiple times with pride,” Fakhar wrote on his Instagram profile. “Unfortunately I’m now out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 but surely Allah is the best planner. Grateful for the opportunity. I will be backing our boys in green from home,” he added. Fakhar played 86 ODIs for Pakistan and scored more than 3600 runs with 11 centuries and 17 half centuries.

Senior players must step aside at some point to allow the new generation to take their spot. Bangladesh's senior cricketers will most likely retire in the near future. Therefore, Bangladesh Cricket Board has planned to incorporate some fresh new faces in the national team set up following a terrible performance in the just ended T20 World Cup 2021. According to reports, six players would be rested or unavailable due to injuries for the upcoming BAN vs. PAK 2021 contest. Let's take a look at Bangladesh's potential playing XI for the T20I series.  Bangladesh's Prospective T20I playing XI for the Pakistan series According to various reports, Shakib Al Hasan (hamstring injury), Mohammad Saifuddin (back injury), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Rubel Hossain are the six players who are expected to miss the Pakistan T20I series. Neither of these players has been spotted practicing in Mirpur. The selectors may choose six or seven players in their replacement. Parvez Hossain Emon, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Yasir Ali, Saif Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Aminul Islam Biplob, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, and Shohidul Islam are among the likely candidates for a place in the Twenty20 squad. Read: Pakistani cricket team arrives in Dhaka Probable Bangladesh’s Playing XI (for the first T20I) Batting/Top Order Parvez Hossain Emon T20: 24 | Runs: 563 | HS: 100* | SR: 123.73 Parvez Hossain is a gifted cricketer who was a part of the U19 World Cup 2020 winning team. Parvez is now Bangladesh's fastest T20 centurion. Mohammad Naim T20: 74 | Runs: 1828 | HS: 105 | SR: 113.39 Mohammad Naim was the highest scorer for Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He will most likely play the anchor role in the forthcoming BAN vs. PAK 2021 series.   Najmul Hossain Shanto T20: 78 | Runs: 1584 | HS: 115* | SR: 128.99 Read: Four Nations Football: Hosts Sri Lanka stand between Bangladesh and final Najmul Hossain will most likely play at number 3 in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan. Najmul has shown promise in Test cricket, but his white-ball career on the international stage has been far from good.   Batting/Middle Orders Mahmudullah Riyad T20: 260 | Runs: 4,820 | HS: 70* | SR: 119.27 | Wkts: 123 | BBI: 3/6 | Econ: 7.02 Mahmudullah Riyad had a difficult time as captain in the T20 World Cup. He made several mistakes when it came to making decisions. Riyad needs to bounce back both as a captain and as a batter. Afif Hossain T20: 106 | Runs: 1719 | HS: 76 | SR: 126.58 | Wkts: 28 | BBI: 5/21 | Econ: 8.73 Afif Hossain could be promoted to the top of the order. He would have to shoulder extra responsibilities in the absence of Mushfiqur Rahim.   Shamim Hossain T20: 39 | Runs: 538 | HS: 52* | SR: 139.37  U19 World Cup winner Shamim Hossain is a hard-hitting batter. He has the potential to be a vital player in the death overs. Read Women’s ODI: Bangladesh whitewash Zimbabwe 3-0 Nurul Hasan T20: 132 | Runs: 1807 | HS: 79* | SR: 128.61 Nurul Hasan is Bangladesh's best wicketkeeper, and he will play in the next T20I series against Pakistan. Mahedi Hasan T20: 91 | Runs: 1017 | HS: 92 | SR: 126.65 | Wkts: 81 | BBI: 4/22 | Econ: 6.99 Mahedi Hasan played fairly well with the ball in the T20 World Cup, but he struggled with the bat. Mahedi's off-spin could be very useful in the series against Pakistan. Read: Cricketer Nasir, wife Tamima get bail Bowling Taskin Ahmed T20: 100 | Wkts: 112 | BBI: 5/31 | Econ: 8.31 Taskin Ahmed has been exceptional with the ball since returning to international cricket earlier this year. He was Bangladesh's most impressive bowler during the T20 World Cup 2021. Mustafizur Rahman T20: 167 | Wkts: 219 | BBI: 5/22 | Econ: 7.31 Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman was a complete disappointment at the World Cup due to the unfavorable UAE conditions. However, he will be an effective bowler in this condition at home. Nasum Ahmed T20: 60 | Wkts: 50 | BBI: 4/10 | Econ: 6.50 Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed could be Mahmudullah's best weapon in this series. He will lead Bangladesh's spin attack in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan. Read Rizwan reveals secrets of Pakistan’s strength in T20 WC Bottom Line  There is no shortage of talented cricketers in Bangladesh. A significant number of high-quality cricketers will develop in the future if properly nurtured. Some of the players that won the U19 World Cup 2020 will be given the opportunity to exhibit their abilities in the upcoming BAN vs. PAK T20I series. Many cricket analysts think that if these players are properly groomed, they would take Bangladesh cricket to the next level.  Read Taskin eyes a Tigers’ fresh start in series vs Pakistan

Pakistan cricket team had put in a strong performance before losing to Australia in the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Pakistan's team spirit is quite high and they will make things difficult for Bangladesh in the upcoming BAN vs. PAK 2021 T20I series. In contrast, Bangladesh had a really bland T20 World Cup. They only won two games in the qualifiers and failed to win a single match in the Super 12 Round. Let's take a look at head-to-head T20I records between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Read:Top 10 Memorable Moments from T20 World Cup 2021 Bangladesh vs. Pakistan: Head-to-head Bilateral T20I series record Bangladesh and Pakistan will play a three-match T20I series starting November 19. The Pakistan Cricket Board has sent a full-strength national team for the bilateral series. On the other hand, the Bangladesh team can undergo a lot of changes. The fifth bilateral T20I series (BAN vs. PAK) This will be the fifth T20I series between these two sides. Both teams had previously played four bilateral Twenty20 series. Two series were hosted by each cricket board. Pakistan won three series, while Bangladesh only won one series at home in 2015. Noteworthy Twenty20 Internationals records between Bangladesh and Pakistan The following are some of the most notable T20I records between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Read: T20WC Final: Wonderful Williamson propels NZ to 172/4 Significant T20I Records: Bangladesh vs. Pakistan   Bangladesh Pakistan Matches Played (12) 2 10 Most Runs Shakib Al Hasan (292 runs in 9 innings) Mohammad Hafez (277 runs in 9 innings) Highest Score Shakib Al Hasan (84) Ahmed Shehzad (111*) Most Fifty plus score Shakib Al Hasan (3) Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafez (2) Most Wickets Abdur Razzak (7) Shahid Afridi (10) Best Bowling Figures Al Amin Hossain (3/25) Mansoor Amjad (3/3) Most Matches Mahmudullah Riyad (12) Mohammad Hafez (10) Highest Partnership Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman (105*) Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt (142) Most Catches Mahmudullah Riyad (5) Umar Akmal (4) Most Dismissals Mushfiqur Rahim (11) Kamran Akmal (8)  Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ BAN vs. PAK 2021 T20I series: Venue Stats The Sher-e-Bangla national cricket stadium in Mirpur will host all of the matches in the upcoming Twenty20 International bilateral series between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Venue: Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur   Read:Thumb injury rules Tamim out of Pakistan series T20I Matches Played: 54 | Bat-first (won): 28 | Bat-Second (won): 26 | Highest Individual Innings: 111* (Ahmed Shehzad) | Best Bowling Figure: 5/15 (Keemo Paul) | Highest Team innings: 211/4 | Lowest Team Innings: 60   Bangladesh’s T20I record (SBNCS): Win: 18 | Lost: 18 Pakistan’s T20I record (SBNCS): Win: 5 | Lost: 5  Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ 2021 BAN vs. PAK T20I Series: Players to watch Bangladesh There will be some changes In Bangladesh's squad. This series may feature a host of new faces. Here are the T20I stats of three Bangladeshi players who can make a difference in the series. Shakib Al Hasan: M: 94 | Runs: 1894 | HS: 84 | SR: 120.48 | Wkts: 117 | BBI: 5/20 | Econ: 6.66 Mustafizur Rahman: M: 59 | Wkts: 84 | BBI: 5/22 | Econ: 7.68 Mohammad Naim: M: 29 | Runs: 744 | HS: 81 | SR: 107.05  Pakistan  The Pakistan squad contains a number of talented players who can change the outcome of the match on any given day. Here are the T20I stats for three Pakistani players who can make an impact in the series.  Babar Azam: M: 67 | Runs: 2507 | HS: 122 | SR: 130.09 Shaheen Shah Afridi: M: 36 | Wkts: 39 | BBI: 3/20 | Econ: 7.96 Shadab Khan: M: 59 | Wkts: 67 | BBI: 4/14 | Econ: 7.24 | Runs: 226 | HS: 42 | SR: 126.25 Bottom Line  Pakistan hold the upper hand against Bangladesh in the head-to-head clash. A full-strength Pakistan team will face a wounded Bangladesh side in the bilateral T20I series. Because team Tigers had a disappointing performance in the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and they are currently in a negative state of mind.  Read:T20WC Final: Australia bowl first in quest for maiden title Though Bangladesh have the potential to surprise Pakistan in the forthcoming series, as they have a strong home record in recent years. Therefore, the 2021 BAN vs. PAK T20I series is anticipated to be a close contest between these two national teams.

The Pakistan T20I team will play a three-match series against Bangladesh starting November 19. Pakistan will play Bangladesh for the first time in six years in a bilateral series. Their last visit to Bangladesh was in 2015 when they were defeated in both the ODI and T20I series. PCB has already announced an 18-man Twenty20 squad for the forthcoming BAN vs. PAK 2021 series. Veteran cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has withdrawn from the competition. Apart from that, the team contains all of the expected names. Let's have a look at Pakistan's squad for the T20 series against Bangladesh. Read: India bow out of T20 World Cup beating Namibia by 9 wickets Pakistan's T20 Team for the Bangladesh Series 2021 The Pakistan Cricket Board announced their T20I lineup for the next series against Bangladesh on Monday (November 8). The visitors will play three T20 matches and two Test matches against the hosts. Pakistan's selectors picked all of the players of the 2021 World Cup squad except for all-rounder Mohammad Hafez. He dropped out of the 2021 World Cup team to create room for the younger players. Batting all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed, leg-spinner Usman Qadir, and medium-pacer Shahnawaz Dahani were named in the team by the selectors. Read NCL: Joy guides Chattagram to big lead over Barishal Iftikhar Ahmed last played for Pakistan against South Africa in February of this year. He is a solid middle-order batsman who can also bowl. It's no surprise that he was chosen in place of Mohammad Hafeez. Iftekhar has 212 runs and a 130.86 strike rate in 11 innings thus far. Leg-spinner Usman Qadir has played 16 T20Is for Pakistan. He has 20 wickets at a strike rate of 13.2. He played the West Indies series in August but was left out of Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2021 squad. On the other hand, Pacer Dahani has impressed everyone with his extreme accuracy during the PSL 2021. He has 29 wickets in 18 T20 matches but has yet to play for Pakistan national team. Read Meet the Semi-Finalists of ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Pakistan Squad:  Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Usman Qadir, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani   Probable Pakistan XI (first match)  Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Usman Qadir BAN vs. PAK 2021: T20I Series Fixture BCB has opted to hold the T20 series in the SBNCS, Mirpur, in order to maintain a better covid-19 health protocol. However, one of the Test matches will be held at ZACS in Chattogram. All the T20I matches will begin at 6.30 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).   Read:A World Cup Bangladesh prefer to forget T20I Fixtures 1st Match: 19/11/2021 | 2nd Match: 20/11/2021 | 3rd Match: 22/11/2021   Verdict Bangladesh have faced Pakistan in a total of 12 matches in the T20 format. However, they have only won twice against them and have lost the remaining ten matches. Bangladesh won both the games at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur. Team Tigers will be looking to deploy all of their strength during the BAN vs. PAK 2021 series despite their dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh recently won two bilateral series at home, one against Australia and the other against New Zealand. Therefore, the squad will be more confident in their ability to play better against a strong Pakistan national team. Given the current form of both sides, this will be a huge challenge for Bangladesh. Read:T20 World Cup 2021: Top Three Individual Performances by Bangladesh Players

India and Pakistan will begin their ICC T20 World Cup 2021 journey on Sunday (October 24). The match between these two teams will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium at 8 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). This match always brings an extra level of excitement among the fans. This time will be no different. Both teams feature world-class cricketers on their squads. On any given day, these players might put the opponent in peril. The match preview of India vs. Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2021 is discussed in this article.   Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka Match Preview Notable T20I Record between India and Pakistan   The following are the most significant T20I records between India and Pakistan.   India Pakistan Matches Played (8) 7 1 Most Runs Virat Kohli (254 runs in 6 innings) Shoaib Malik (164 runs in 8 innings) Highest Score Virat Kohli (78*) Mohammad Hafez (61) Most Fifties Virat Kohli (2) Mohammad Hafez (2) Most Wickets Irfan Pathan (6) Umar Gul (11) Best Bowling Figures Hardik Pandya (3/8) Mohammad Asif (4/18) Most Matches MS Dhoni (8) Shahid Afridi (8) Highest Partnership Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni (97) Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik (106) Most Catches Suresh Raina (7) Shoaib Malik (4) Most Dismissals MS Dhoni (11) Kamran Akmal (3) Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ India Team   India's main strength is its well-balanced team. There are some top Indian players in each category who are capable of helping their team win big games. The batting order of India is among the strongest in the world. On the other hand, bowling offers a wide range of options. Read T20 World Cup: Super 12 stage begins today The most vital factor is that each player has sufficient experience and is well aware of their role in the team. Indian cricketers may be exhausted after playing so much cricket in recent days. However, there is no doubt that led by Virat Kohli, they would want to shine in their own glory in the match against Pakistan.   Three impactful players of India    Rohit Sharma: T20I: 111 | Runs: 2,864 | HS: 118 | 50s: 22 | SR: 138.96 Virat Kohli: T20I: 90 | Runs: 3,159 | HS: 94* | 50s: 28 | SR: 139.04 Jasprit Bumrah: T20I: 50 | Wkts: 59 | BBI: 3/11 | Econ: 6.66 | SR: 18.20 Read Namibia reaches main draw at T20 World Cup for 1st time Predicted Playing XI: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishab Pant (Wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Rahul Chahar Pakistan Team There are a handful of aggressive batters in Pakistan. They are assisting Pakistan in winning games against big teams by exhibiting consistency in their play. Furthermore, as expected, the Pakistani have a formidable bowling attack. The opponent must find a strategy to resist Pakistan's bowling threat. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is one of the top batters in the world now. Read Scotland and Bangladesh qualify for T20 World Cup Super 12 However, Babar has yet to find considerable success as a captain. So, he wants to do something exceptional at the Twenty20 World Cup 2021. Pakistan will want to overcome India to start the mission. Three impactful players of Pakistan Babar Azam: T20I: 61 | Runs: 2.204 | HS: 122 | 50s: 20 | SR: 130.64 Shoaib Malik: T20I: 116 | Runs: 2,335 | HS: 75 | SR: 124.20 | Wkts: 28 | BBI: 2/7 | SR: 19.90 Hasan Ali: T20I: 41 | Wkts: 52 | BBI: 4/18 | Econ: 8.29 | SR: 15.70   Read T20 WC: Bangladesh advance to Super 12s as Group B runners up Predicted Playing XI: Mohammad Rizwan (Wicket-keeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (Captain), Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf Verdict  There will be a three-way battle in group 2 of the Super 12 round for a place in the semifinals of ICC T20 World Cup 2021. India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are the favorites of this group. So, the winner of the India-Pakistan match will surely get an advantage in the group. There won't be any margin for error in the race for the first knockout round. Read Shakib takes most wickets in T20 WC to equal Afridi’s record Both teams will be trying to get off to a strong start. India have a good record against Pakistan in T20Is and they will begin the contest as favorites. On the other hand, Pakistan performed well in its recent Twenty20 series. They will be ready to go all-out against their arch-rival India. There will surely be a massive battle on Sunday. 

The world's best Test batsman Joe Root has been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for August. In the recent Test series against India, Joe Root has been in superb form. The right-hand batsman’s magnificent first-innings century aided England's huge victory over India at Leeds. The England captain will be a strong contender for the award. Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi and India's Jasprit Bumrah are the other two candidates. Both of the fast bowlers have performed well for their respective national teams. Let's have a look at the ICC Men's Player of the Month Nominees for August 2021. Who are the Finalists for the August ICC Men's Player of the Month award? Shaheen Shah Afridi, Joe Root, and Jasprit Bumrah were all performed well in the longer version format in the last month. That's why they have been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for August. Let's take a look at how they did in August. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan) Test: 2 | Wkts: 18 | BBI: 6/51 | Econ: 2.76 | Ave: 11.27 Left-arm bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi was on fire during Pakistan's Test series against the Windies last month. He grabbed 18 wickets in four innings with an incredible 11.27 average. Pakistan needed to win the second match of the two-match series to level the series. Shaheen Afridi rose to the occasion and took ten wickets for his team. Pakistan won by 109 runs and drew the Test series against the Windies at 1-1. Shaheen was named player of the match as well as player of the series. Shaheen Shah Afridi is a strong contender for the ICC Player of the Month award after his impressive showing with the ball against the Caribbean side. Read Right man, right decision, right time   Joe Root (England) Test: 3 | Runs: 507 | HS: 180* | 100s: 3 | Ave: 126.75 England's captain Joe Root has been in excellent form this year. He has continued to impress with the bat in the ongoing Test series against India. Last month, the right-handed middle-order batsman hammered three hundred against India. Root was crucial to England's victory in the third match, as his 121-run first-innings knock helped England to a big lead over India. England finally won by an innings and 76 runs, bringing the series to a 1-1 draw. Joe Root is without a doubt one of the leading contenders for the award since his individual performance is absolutely remarkable. Read BAN vs. NZ 2021: Fourth Match Preview Jasprit Bumrah (India) Test: 3 | Wkts: 14 | BBI: 5/64 | Econ:2.60 | Ave:20.07 Right-handed medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been India's key strike bowler in recent years. He has the ability to make important breakthroughs. Bumrah can disrupt the opposition batting order with his accuracy and swinging deliveries. Bumrah is leading India's bowling arsenal in the present series against England. He got 14 wickets in five innings in the month of August. Bumrah took the most wickets for India in the series-opening match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. He got 9 wickets in the match. Overall, Jasprit Bumrah's performance for India in August was impressive, and he is a strong candidate for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award. Read ENG vs. IND 2021: English Openers Set Up Final Day Thriller Against India Verdict Shaheen Shah Afridi is the frontrunner to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for August following his fantastic bowling performance against the Windies in the longer-version bilateral contest. The left-arm bowler made the most noteworthy contribution to Pakistan's national team in the Test series against the Windies. Meanwhile, English skipper Joe Root has been the standout player for the host in the series against India. On the other side, Jasprit Bumrah has been spearheading the Indian bowling attack in the crucial Test series against England. Overall, it will be a difficult decision to make. Hopefully, the award will go to the most worthy contender.