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After a somewhat off-colour performance where Pakistan allowed New Zealand to get close to them, this was back to business for the hosts. A century from  Babar Azam  - his 18th in ODIs - helped Pakistan post an intimidating 334 for 6 after being put in to bat. It was then up to the bowlers, who were at their ruthless best, to shut New Zealand out. The game as a contest was over well before the final wicket fell and New Zealand folded for 232, putting  Pakistan up 4-0  in the five-match series and at the top of the ICC rankings for ODI teams in the process. From the moment the chase began, it was apparent that keeping up with the asking rate would be a problem for New Zealand.  Shaheen Shah Afridi  and  Haris Rauf  were metronomically accurate and fearsomely fast in the powerplay, and Will Young and Tom Blundell are not natural aggressors. The two fell within two overs of each other after a sedate start. Both were, to their credit, dismissed seeking boundaries their side d...

Dubai News On Saturday night in the second T20 International at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, Pakistan's cricket team captain Babar Azam played an exceptional innings, scoring his ninth T20 century, which places him second on the list behind Chris Gayle. His efforts, along with Mohammad Rizwan's half-century and Iftikhar Ahmed's unbeaten 33 off 19 balls, propelled Pakistan to a total of 192, which was well above average. Babar and Rizwan made up for their lackluster performance in the previous match with a remarkable opening partnership, scoring at a rate of around ten runs per over during their 99-run stand. Although New Zealand picked up a cluster of wickets after that, Babar and Iftikhar's unbeaten partnership of 87 runs in 43 balls kept Pakistan in control. New Zealand put up a better fight in response, with Mark Chapman's stylish half-century as the highlight of their innings. Despite his valiant efforts, Haris Rauf's excellent bowling, which earned him...