The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is one of the iconic cricket venues located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. 

Inaugurated in January 1992, the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium replaced Pindi Club Ground as an international stadium in the city.

With a seating capacity of 15,000, it is the home ground of Islamabad United and Northern.

The stadium staged its first international cricket match, a one-day international played between hosts Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 1992. Led by legendary Imran Khan, Pakistan won the match by 117 runs.

A year later, it hosted its first Test match that involved Pakistan and Zimbabwe. The hosts won the Test by 52 runs.

Almost three decades later, it staged its first T20 international played between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in November 2020. 

Apart from international cricket, it has hosted several T20 domestic matches in the National T20 Cup and the Pakistan Super League. Let’s have a look at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium T20 records and stats:

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium T20 records and stats

Highest team total

Multan Sultans hold the record for the highest team total at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. During a Pakistan Super clash in 2023, the Mohammad Rizwan-led Multan Sultans posted 262/3 in their 20 overs against Quetta Gladiators. Put into bat, the Sultans rode on opener Usman Khan’s 43-ball 120 along with contributions from Mohammad Rizwan (55) and Tim David (43 not out) to register a record total at the venue. In reply, the Gladiators almost pulled off an incredible run-chase as they fell short by just nine runs.

Lowest team total

Larkana Region registered the lowest team total at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in T20s. Chasing 124, Larkana were bundled out for 65 in 13.4 overs by Azad Jammu & Kashmir Region during a National T20 Cup clash in 2015. Usman Maroof scalped three wickets while Naqash Basharat and Irfan Talib picked two wickets each to help Azad Jammu & Kashmir win the game by 58 runs. Earlier, Hasan Raza slammed fifty to power Azad Jammu & Kashmir to 123/8 in their 20 overs.

Most runs

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam has scored the most runs at the venue in T20 cricket. While representing the likes of Pakistan, Central Punjab Pakistan, Islamabad Leopards, Islamabad Region, Karachi Kings, Lahore Blues and Peshawar Zalmi between 2014 and 2023, the swashbuckling right-handed batter has accumulated 1,340 runs in 31 matches at an average of 60.90 and a strike rate of 138.42. The former Pakistan captain has registered two centuries and 12 fifties in the T20 format at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal features second on the list with 1,105 runs in 34 matches.

Most wickets

Former Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz bagged the most wickets at this cricket ground in cricket’s shortest format while representing teams like Central Punjab Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Lahore Lions, Lahore Region Whites, Lahore Whites, Pakistan and Peshawar Zalmi. The left-arm pacer scalped 57 wickets in 45 matches at an average of 19.84 and an economy of 7.09 between 2012 and 2023. His best T20 bowling figures at this venue is 5/21. His former teammate Anwar Ali is second on the list with 49 wickets in 44 matches.

Highest individual score

Kamran Akmal holds the record for the highest individual score at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. Representing Lahore Whites, opener Kamran Akmal smashed an unbeaten 150 off just 71 balls to help his side post a huge total of 209/0 against Islamabad in a National T20 Cup encounter in 2017. Akmal’s magnificent knock included 14 fours and 12 maximums. In reply, Islamabad were bundled out for 100 in 18.4 overs. Lahore Whites won the game comprehensively by 109 runs.

Best bowling figures

Pakistan spinner Agha Salman registered the best bowling figures at this venue in the cricket’s format. During a National T20 Cup clash in 2022, the right-arm off-spinner recorded figures of 5/10 in his three overs for Southern Punjab. Defending 166, Agha Salman dismissed Central Punjab’s Abdullah Shafique, captain Qasim Akram, Irfan Khan, Junaid Ali and Wahab Riaz to bowl them out for 79 in 14.3 overs. Agha Salman’s incredible spell guided Southern Punjab to an 86-run victory in Rawalpindi.

Highest partnership

Former Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt hold the record for the highest partnership at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. While playing for the Lahore Whites, Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt forged an unbeaten 209-run stand for the opening wicket against Islamabad during a National T20 Cup match in 2017. Put into bat, Akmal slammed 150 not out while Salman Butt remained unbeaten on 55 to help Lahore Whites post a massive total of 209 without loss of any wicket. Lahore later bowled out Islamabad for 100 to win the game by 109 runs.

Photo credit: Alamy

Netherlands' Bas de Leede holds the unwanted record for registering the most expensive spell in ODI cricket. The Dutch all-rounder unwittingly created this record in the 24th match of the 2023 World Cup in India.

Up against an Australian team that won the toss and decided to bat first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, all the Dutch bowlers were on the receiving end of some punishment as David Warner and Glenn Maxwell, in particular, were in belligerent form and took the Netherlands' bowlers to the cleaners.

Among the Dutch bowlers, it was Bas de Leede who suffered the most as he finished 10-0-115-2 - which is the most expensive spell in ODI history. Australia went on to post 399/8 on the scoreboard en route to an easy win.

Former Australia cricketer Mick Lewis recorded the second-most expensive bowling spell in ODI cricket. 

During the fifth one-day international between hosts South Africa and Australia in  Johannesburg in 2006, fast bowler Mick Lewis gave away 113 runs in his quota of 10 overs without taking a single wicket. Mick Lewis�?figures of 10-0-113-0 is the second-most expensive bowling spell in ODI cricket history.

Electing to bat first, Australia rode on captain Ricky Ponting’s 164 off just 105 balls and Michael Hussey’s 51-ball 81 to post a mammoth score of 434/4 in their allotted 50 overs. In reply, Herschelle Gibbs smashed 175 off just 111 balls and captain Graeme Smith scored 55-ball 90 to help the hosts chase down the total in 49.5 overs.

Following his miserable bowling spell, Lewis was dropped from the Australian squad and his central contract was also not renewed.

Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan are third and fourth respectively on the list.

Wahab Riaz conceded 110 runs in his quota of 10 overs without picking a single wicket against England in an ODI in Nottingham in 2016. During the third ODI of Pakistan’s tour of England and Ireland, England rode on opener Alex Hales�?171-run knock off just 122 balls, followed by Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 90 off 51 balls to post 444/3 in their 50 overs. In response, Pakistan were bowled out for 275 as the hosts secured a massive 169-run victory.

Meanwhile, Rashid Khan also gave away 110 runs in his nine overs against England in Manchester in 2019. Rashid also failed to scalp a single wicket in his most expensive spell in ODI cricket.

England posted 397/6 in their 50 overs courtesy of captain Eoin Morgan’s 71-ball 148 and Joe Root’s 88 off 82 balls. In reply, Afghanistan could only manage to score 247/8 in their allotted 50 overs. England won the match by 150 runs.

Netherland leg-spinner Philippe Boissevain is fifth on the list of most expensive bowling spells in ODI cricket. 

Boissevain recorded figures of 10-0-108-0 against England in the first ODI of their three-match series in Amstelveen.

Phil Salt (122), Dawid Malan (125), wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 70-ball 162 and Liam Livingstone’s 66 not out off just 22 balls powered England to 498/4 in their 50 overs, recording the highest total in ODI cricket history. In reply, the Netherlands were bowled out for 266 as the visitors secured a massive 232-run victory.

Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only Indian to feature in this list of most expensive spells in ODIs.

During the fifth ODI of South Africa’s tour of India, Bhuvneshwar conceded 106 runs in his quota of 10 overs. He, however, dismissed South Africa captain Ab de Villers in the match.

South Africa rode on centuries from Quinton de Kock (109), Faf du Plessis (133) and Ab de Villers (119) to post a mammoth score of 438/4 in their 50 overs. India were bundled out for just 224 as the visitors won the series 3-2. It was South Africa's first-ever bilateral series win in India.

Most expensive bowling spells in ODI cricket

Player	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Team	Opposition	Ground	Year
Bas de Leede	10	115	2	Netherlands	Australia	Delhi	2023
Mick Lewis	10	113	0	Australia	South Africa	Johannesburg	2006
Wahab Riaz	10	110	0	Pakistan	England	Nottingham	2016
Rashid Khan	9	110	0	Afghanistan	England	Manchester	2019
Philippe Boissevain	10	108	0	Netherlands	England	Amstelveen	2022
Bhuvneshwar Kumar	10	106	1	India	South Africa	Wankhede	2015
Nuwan Pradeep	10	106	0	Sri Lanka	India	Mohali	2017
Martin Snedden	12	105	2	New Zealand	England	The Oval	1983
Tim Southee	10	105	0	New Zealand	India	Christchurch	2009
Brian Vitori	9	105	1	Zimbabwe	New Zealand	Napier	2012
Jason Holder	10	104	1	West Indies	South Africa	Sydney	2015

Featured photo: Alamy

Pakistan cricket team pacer Wahab Riaz feels that the Indian T20 league is the best league in the world, and that no tournament comes close to matching it. The pacer believes that commitment, adulation and quality of the international cricketers has enormously helped the Indian T20 league.

Since its inception in 2008, the high-profile T20 league has given prominence to several Indian and overseas cricketers. In fact, India’s domination on the international scene can also be ascribed to the evolution of the T20 league. 

“Indian T20 League is a league where all the top international players come and play. You can’t compare Indian T20 League with the PSL, I believe Indian T20 League is at a different level. Their commitments, the way they run things, communicate things, the way they draft the players, that is totally different. I don’t think any league can compete with the Indian T20 League, but if there is any league that stands behind it, it has to be the PSL. The League in Pakistan has proved it,�?Riaz told Pakistan Cricket. 

However, the left-arm bowler assured that the bowling standards in the Pakistan T20 league is superior to the Indian T20 league. Over the years, Pakistan has regularly produced high-quality fast bowlers. 

“The standards of bowling are quite high. The kind of bowlers you get in the PSL is not found in other leagues, not even in the Indian T20 League. This is why PSL doesn’t have many high-scoring games. The bowling attacks in PSL are the best in the world, Riaz concluded.”�?/span>

Unfortunately, cricketers from Pakistan are currently banned from participating in the Indian T20 league due to political tensions between the two nations. However, the Pakistani cricketers did show up in the debut season of the league in 2008. 

Riaz is a part of the Peshawar side in the Pakistan T20 league, but has been in and out of the national side due to erratic performances. He was also not a part of the Pakistan tour to Zimbabwe recently. 

Featured photo: MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP

The Abu Dhabi T10 league 2021 final will be played between Delhi Bulls and Northern Warriors at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

While Dwayne Bravo-led Bulls defeated the Warriors by five wickets in the Qualifier on Friday, Nicholas Pooran’s Northern Warriors side defeated Team Abu Dhabi by seven wickets in Eliminator 2 to set up a final showdown. Watch Delhi Bulls vs Northern Warriors on live streaming and on TV. 

Meanwhile, Qalandars will lock horns with Team Abu Dhabi in the third-place play-off on Saturday. The Qalandars vs Team Abu Dhabi match will be played before the much-awaited Abu Dhabi T10 final.

Delhi Bulls vs Northern Warriors full squads

Delhi Bulls squad: Dwayne Bravo (captain), Shiraz Ahmed, Nyeem Young, Fidel Edwards, Waqas Maqsood, Adam Lyth, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Evin Lewis, Ravi Bopara, Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammad Nabi, Tom Abell, Dushmantha Chameera, Dasun Shanaka, Amad Butt, Ali Khan, Waqar Salamkheil, Kashif Daud, Khalid Shah

Northern Warriors squad: Nicholas Pooran (captain and wicket-keeper), Rovman Powell, Lendl Simmons, Fabian Allen, Waheed Ahmed, Rayad Emrit, Wahab Riaz, Wayne Parnell, Junaid Siddique, Aamer Yamin, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ansh Tandon, Kjorn Ottley, Maheesh Theekshana, Sujeet Parbatani, Brandon King, Waseem Muhammad

Delhi Bulls vs Northern Warriors predicted XI

Delhi Bulls predicted playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Ravi Bopara, Mohammad Nabi, Dwayne Bravo (captain), Tom Abell, Shiraz Ahmad, Nyeem Young, Waqas Maqsood, Fidel Edwards

Northern Warriors playing XI: Lendl Simmons, Waseem Muhammad, Nicholas Pooran (captain and wicket-keeper), Rovman Powell, Fabian Allen, Brandon King, Wayne Parnell, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Maheesh Theekshana, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Siddique

Where to watch Abu Dhabi T10 live in India?

The Delhi Bulls vs Northern Warriors Abu Dhabi T10 final will be telecast live at 9:30 PM IST on Sony SIX and Sony TEN 3 TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Abu Dhabi T10 final in India will be available on the SonyLiv app.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter/DelhiBullsT10

Cricket matches between England and Pakistan have often been a fraught affair, with rows over umpiring, ball-tampering, abandoned fixtures and a spot-fixing scandal all contributing to a tense relationship.

Below we look back at five of the biggest rows ahead of the first Test between the two sides at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday:

1956: The umpire and the bucket of water

Pakistani umpire Idris Baig was 'kidnapped' by England players, taken to the team hotel in Peshawar and doused with two buckets of water.

• Even the PM's a fast bowler: Pakistan cricket's need for speed

The late Donald Carr, the England captain, dismissed the incident as a prank after some questionable decisions against the tourists.

But what was intended as a joke has often been cited as the root cause of many subsequent rows.

1987: Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana

The Faisalabad Test of 1987 became infamous for perhaps the most heated of all on-field arguments when Pakistani umpire Shakoor Rana accused the visitors' captain Mike Gatting of illegally moving a fielder late on the second day.

Gatting, who was adamant he had done nothing wrong, responded to being a called a "cheat" by Rana by confronting the square-leg umpire and the two men were soon pointing fingers at each other's chests.

Rana refused to stand on the third day, meaning there was no play, but after a rest day and shortly ahead of the fourth day's play, Gatting presented the umpire with a scribbled apology.

1992: Swing suspicions

Reverse swing was still a relatively new concept in English cricket at the time but it was used to great effect by touring Pakistan pacemen Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

• England wary of slow start against Pakistan

But their success, which the England bowlers failed to match, attracted suspicions of illegal ball-tampering and matters came to a head during a one-day international at Lord's.

Bad weather meant the game went into a second day when a trio of English officials -- on-field umpires Ken Palmer and John Hampshire together with third umpire Don Oslear -- ordered the ball be changed under Law 42, which deals with the condition of the ball.

Administrators, horrified by a possible scandal, refused to announce publicly why the ball had been changed -- something that angered Pakistan, who then had to confront numerous allegations.

Meanwhile home batsman Allan Lamb gave an interview to the Daily Mirror headlined "How Pakistan Cheat at Cricket".

2006: Forfeit at the Oval

England were bystanders as Pakistan became the first team in 129 years and 1,814 fixtures to forfeit a Test match.

The incident began on the fourth afternoon at the Oval when experienced Australian umpire Darrell Hair tapped his shoulder to indicate five penalty runs, signalling he had found the Pakistanis guilty of ball-tampering.

The angry tourists refused to take the field after tea and Hair, together with West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove took that to mean they had forfeited the match which, after hours of confusion,was awarded to England.

• All you need to know about the 1st Test between England and Pakistan

This match marked the beginning of the end of Hair's time as a top umpire after it later emerged he had offered to resign in exchange for $500,000.

2010: Trott and Riaz clash at Lord's

Pakistan's tour was already mired in controversy following the spot-fixing scandal in that year's Lord's Test when in a newspaper sting operation then captain Salman Butt instructed pacemen Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asid to bowl deliberate no-balls.

The trio were all later banned and jailed.

When the teams returned to the 'Home of Cricket' for a one-day international, England's Jonathan Trott and Pakistan's Wahab Riaz had to be separated in the nets after exchanging angry words.

Wahab is in Pakistan's squad for the upcoming series, with the now-retired Trott an England batting consultant.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk

Seven more Pakistan players due to tour England in August have tested positive for the global virus, the country's cricket board said Tuesday, taking the total to 10 since the first results were announced this week.

Pakistan are due to depart for England on Sunday ahead of a series that will see them play three Tests and three Twenty20 internationals against England, starting in August.

Despite the new cases, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s chief executive Wasim Khan insisted the tour would still go ahead.

"The tour is very much on the track and the squad will depart as per schedule on June 28th," said Khan.

"Fortunately, all first-choice Test players, barring wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, are negative which means they can start training immediately after they are tested and given all clear when they arrive in UK," he added.

Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Kashif Bhatti are the latest to be diagnosed with the virus.

It comes after three cricketers Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Haider Ali tested positive on Monday.

The team’s massage therapist has also tested positive.

Pakistan is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases, with more than 180,000 so far, including 3,590 deaths, while cases are falling in Britain.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Saeed Khan

Pakistan fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz have lost their central contracts after the pair decided to focus on white-ball cricket, officials said Wednesday, as selectors promote younger pacemen.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also confirmed Azhar Ali as Test captain and Babar Azam as one-day and Twenty20 captain for the upcoming season starting in July.

Eighteen players in three categories received central contracts guaranteeing their monthly salaries and benefits for 12 months.

The exclusion of Amir and Riaz comes as young fast bowlers are given a chance, with 17-year-old pace sensation Naseem Shah included in the 'C' category for the first time.

Naseem became the youngest Test bowler in history to take a five-wicket haul in an innings and a hat-trick in consecutive Tests against Sri Lanka (December 2019) and Bangladesh (February 2020) in Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Another young pacer Shaheen Shah was bumped up to the "A" group after he featured in all three formats for Pakistan in the past 12 months.

"The selectors have made the tough decisions to leave out Amir and Wahab but considering Amir and Wahab decided to focus on white-ball cricket this was the right move," chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said.

The move by the PCB comes after Amir announced his retirement from Test cricket at the age of 28, and after Riaz took an indefinite break from Tests to focus on Twenty20 matches.

Former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed and leg-spinner Yasir Shah were demoted from 'A' to 'B' category after lacklustre performances, while injured fast bowler Hasan Ali also lost his contract.

Pakistan is scheduled to play nine Tests, six one-day internationals and 20 T20Is, besides the Asia Cup and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2020, but that will depend on the coronavirus outbreak.

The PCB has also created a new Emerging Players' Category. The first inductees are Haider Ali and fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain.

PCB Men's Central Contract List for 2020-21:

Category A: Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Category B: Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

Category C: Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Naseem Shah, Usman Shinwari
Emerging Players' Category: Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Munir Uz Zaman

Not since the first few seasons of the Indian T20 League has Pakistan players been a part of the league. With the constant tension between the two nations, it seems rather unlikely that they will ever be a  part of the tournament. But, hypothetically, if they were to be a part of the league, we take a glance at three players who would likely kill it at the auctions.

Babar Azam

The ever-reliable Babar Azam has 4861 runs in 142 T20s at an average of 43.01 and a strike rate in the mid-120s. He has three hundreds in the format and for any franchise that doesn't have Virat Kohli - that's seven if you are keeping count - Babar Azam is a great buy. The Pakistani batsman had a great season in the English T20 league, proving his versatility in the format as an opener. A few franchises that could be interested in him include Kolkata, Chennai and Rajasthan.

Wahab Riaz

Wahab Riaz is an under-appreciated T20 bowler with his death bowling skills and ability to hit the yorkers relentlessly. Possessing good variations, the left-arm pacer is an excellent purchase just for his pace and reliability in the format. He has 296 wickets in the format in 252 matches at an average of 21.55 and a handy economy of 7.15. Few franchises that might be interested in him include Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata.

Mohammad Amir

The reliable Mohammad Amir is a destructive force with the new ball and has 199 wickets in 164 T20s at an average of 20.93 and a terrific economy of 6.93. In the PSL, Amir has 49 wickets in 44 games while in the English T20 league and BPL, he has 24 and 38 wickets respectively. The left-arm seamer would have been a great buy for Delhi, Punjab and Bangalore. 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Asif Hassan

Athletes going against the stereotypes isn’t something very new in the sporting industry. Remember Anil Kumble defying the odds with a broken jaw against West Indies in 2002? On Saturday, June 29, it was the Pakistan paceman, Wahab Riaz, who demonstrated his lionheart by delivering what was promised despite coming on the field with a fractured finger against Afghanistan.

It was just a day before Pakistan’s crucial tie against their western neighbours that Riaz hurt his finger during a field practice session. And on the matchday, it was discovered that he has actually broken his finger. However, after a brief discussion with his captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, it was decided that Riaz would be included in the team.

“See, I already knew that I had a fractured finger. It’s all about will power. I am here to give whatever my team requires,�?the 34-year-old said.

“I told the captain (Sarfaraz Ahmed) that I would give 100 per cent in bowling, but might come up short in other departments. ‘If you can bowl, that’s enough�?was his reply. That was a big boost and I was ready for the game.�?/p>

Read | No talk of 1992 parallels, says Wahab Riaz

As it turned out, Riaz not only picked two wickets in his eight overs but also played a crucial knock with the bat (15 off just nine deliveries including a six and a four) as the Men in Green defeated Afghanistan by three runs with two balls left.

“I shouldn’t be saying this, but there was a lot of debate on this issue. Wahab bhai played with a broken finger today. With that broken finger, he bowled today. He hit a six and a four, which was crucial for us. I salute him for doing this for Pakistan,�?said Imad Wasim, who played an important 24-run partnership with the pacer.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Lindsey Parnaby

Wahab Riaz insists Pakistan already have enough motivation to win the World Cup without the remarkable parallels to their 1992 title triumph.

Cricketer-turned-prime minister Imran Khan led Pakistan to their first and only World Cup victory 27 years ago and the exact pattern of wins, losses and washouts is being followed in this year's tournament.

Sarfaraz Ahmed's side looked down and out after defeat to arch-rivals India but bounced back with three successive victories in the group stage.

Pakistan have won four, lost three in their eight group matches with one washout.

Riaz played his part in the team's narrow win over minnows Afghanistan on Saturday with his bowling figures of 2-29 and an unbeaten 15 with the bat.

Asked if the players talked about emulating the 1992 champions, Riaz said: "We don't really talk about 1992 that much.

"The turnaround is due to the motivation and the ambition of the team to win this World Cup. Everybody is giving their 100 per cent"

The 34-year-old Riaz has combined with fellow pacemen Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Afridi to form one of the most potent bowling attacks in the tournament.

Afridi has taken seven wickets in his team's last three wins and the senior partner is all praise for the 19-year-old.

"Shaheen was under pressure after his first game against Australia but he has come back and taken some important wickets for us," Riaz said.

"Amir we already know is one of the best bowlers in the world who swings the ball both ways. That puts pressure on the batsmen to play him.

"It's a good combination right now, we are trying to take wickets and that is putting the team in a great position."

Pakistan need to win their final group game against Bangladesh on Friday to have a chance of making the semi-finals.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Lindsey Parnaby