Pakistan

Rod Marsh, a great of the Australian game, passed away at the age of 74 on Friday. The former wicketkeeper played 96 Tests for his country and famously teamed up for 95 dismissals with paceman Dennis Lillee.

Both teams observed a minute's silence in tribute to Marsh before the start of play in Rawalpindi, but Pakistan went on to impress in their first home Test against Australia in 24 years, with Imam-ul-Haq's unbeaten 132 from 271 balls leading the way.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam promised the tourists – who top the ICC Test Championship rankings after their Ashes thrashing of England – a stern challenge and so it turned out, with the hosts, who won the toss and elected to bat, reaching 245-1 at stumps. 

Openers Abdullah Shafique (44) and Imam put on a 100 partnership in the first session, though Australia got a timely wicket when the former clipped to visiting skipper Pat Cummins off Nathan Lyon's bowling just before lunch.

Yet any Australian confidence was chipped away as the day wore on and Imam's maiden Test century arrived when the 26-year-old sent a Mitchell Starc delivery through the covers for four, with Azhar (64) moving to a 35th half-century in the longest format soon after.

Australia took the new ball with Pakistan on 235-1 from 82 overs, yet there was no late slip-up from the batsmen.

Imam marks his comeback in style

Imam had not featured in a Test for Pakistan since doing so against Australia in December 2019, when he scored two and then got out for a duck in a heavy defeat in Adelaide.

Yet the opener was sensational this time out, with his tally including 15 fours and two sixes, and he will go into day two looking to build on a fantastic first Test ton.

To make matters worse for Australia, Pakistan have Babar to come in next. He has scored two centuries and a half-century in his four Tests at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where he averages 110 in the longest format. 

Reliance on Lyon backfires

The onus was on Lyon to make the difference for Australia, given he was the sole full-time spinner selected for this Test, and that decision might prove a costly one.

Lyon was hit for 87 for his one wicket, and though Marnus Labuschagne (17-0), Steve Smith (5-0) and even Travis Head (13-0) were given a go, none could make the desired impact.

Babar will take charge of his country for the first time in the 50-over format at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where all three matches will be staged, after succeeding Sarfraz Ahmed.

Chamu Chibhabha has been charged with the task of leading Zimbabwe when ODI cricket returns to Rawalpindi for the first time since 2006.

No fans will be allowed in for the first internationals to take place in Pakistan since the coronavirus outbreak ground sport to a halt. 

Pakistan have their sights set on maximum points in the ICC World Cricket Super League as they bid to secure automatic qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India.

We use Opta data to preview the series, which will see Douglas Hondo take over as head coach of the tourists after Lalchand Rajput opted against making the trip.

- This is set to be the 13th multi-game men's bilateral ODI series between the two nations. Pakistan have won 11 of those and the other was drawn.

- Pakistan have won 52 of their 57 completed ODIs versus Zimbabwe (T1 L4) and they are on a six-game winning run against them in the 50-over format.

- Zimbabwe have suffered 17 defeats in their 18 ODIs in Pakistan (W1); they have lost both contests at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

- The tourists are playing their first international in Pakistan since May 2015. They have not been victorious in any game in the country since recording a seven-wicket Test win back in 1998.

- Pakistan have put together a six-game winning ODI streak. They lost 13 times in 14 matches before this run.

- Zimbabwe are one shy of a 500th international defeat. The tourists have only managed to win 168 games, drawing 28 and securing a tie in nine.

- Fakhar Zaman has scored 515 runs in five ODI innings versus Zimbabwe, averaging 257.5. That is the best rate ever recorded by a batsman against a single opponent in men's ODI cricket (minimum 400 runs).

- No bowler claimed more wickets than Faheem Ashraf (nine) when Pakistan took on Zimbabwe in their last ODI bilateral series, picking those scalps up for just 67 runs.

Batsman Babar is to lead his country in white-ball cricket for the 2020-21 season, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed on Wednesday when announcing the new list of central contracts for the upcoming campaign, which begins on July 1.

The 25-year-old averages 54.17 in his 50-over career for Pakistan and sits third in the International Cricket Council’s batsmen rankings, behind India duo Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

He had already replaced Sarfraz Ahmed in charge of the Twenty20 side but will now be skipper in the ODI format too, though it is unclear when Pakistan will next be in action.

A one-day tour to the Netherlands was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning they may not play a 50-over fixture until they take on South Africa in October.

Ali, meanwhile, is to continue in the Test job, with Pakistan scheduled to play a three-match series against England during a tour that also includes a trio of T20 games.

"I want to congratulate Azhar Ali and Babar Azam for getting captaincy extensions," Misbah-ul-Haq, chief selector and head coach, said. "This is absolutely the right decision as they also require certainty and clarity on their future roles.

"I am sure they will now start looking to the future and start planning so that they can build sides that can perform at the expected levels."

Meanwhile, Naseem Shah and Iftikhar Ahmad were the two new additions to receive central contracts – but Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz were all absent from the 18-man list.

Amir and Wahab "remain in contention", however, as Misbah is hopeful the experienced duo can help aid the development of Pakistan's up-and-coming fast bowlers.

Misbah said: "The selectors have made the tough decisions to leave out Amir, Hasan and Wahab but considering Hasan missed most of the season due to an injury and Amir and Wahab decided to focus on white-ball cricket, this was the right move.

"However, Amir and Wahab are senior and experienced bowlers and they remain in contention as we believe they can still contribute to the Pakistan men’s cricket team and also mentor our young battery of fast bowlers."

The Pakistan Cricket Board has named Butt as one of three consultants to new chief selector Wahab Riaz.

In 2011, Butt was jailed for 30 months for his part in a conspiracy to bowl deliberate no-balls during the Test against England at Lord’s the previous summer.

Butt, 39, was also handed a 10-year ban by the International Cricket Council, with five years suspended, for his role in the controversy, which also involved team-mates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

Along with former Pakistan internationals Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar, Butt, who returned to play domestic cricket in 2016, will take up his role on the selection panel with immediate effect ahead of the T20 series against New Zealand in January, which follows the conclusion of the Test tour to Australia.

All three players were part of Pakistan’s successful T20 World Cup in 2009 and look set to bring some of their experience to the current squad.

The PCB added in a statement: “When not engaged in selection duties, the consultant members may be assigned additional tasks such as conducting skills camps.”

The move follows an overhaul of Pakistan’s set-up following an early exit from the 2023 World Cup in India.

As well as new chief selector, Mohammad Hafeez has come in as team director.

Babar Azam stepped down as captain, with Shan Masood confirmed as Pakistan’s new Test skipper and Shaheen Afridi set to lead the T20 side.

The 37-year-old has announced the 97th match of his career in the longest format at the National Stadium in Karachi, which starts on Saturday, will be his last.

Azhar is Pakistan's fifth-highest Test-run scorer with 7,097 at an average of 42.49, making an outstanding 19 hundreds and 35 half-centuries after making his debut in 2010.

The classy right-hander, whose highest score was a magnificent 302 not out against West Indies in 2016, captained his country in nine Tests during two tenures.

Azhar said: "It has been a great honour and privilege for me to represent my country at the highest level. Deciding on when to call it a day is always tough, but, after contemplating deeply, I realised that this is the right time for me to retire from Test cricket.

"There are many people who I am grateful to in this strenuous, yet beautiful journey. I want to make a special mention of my family without whose sacrifices; I would not have been where I am today. My parents, wife, siblings, and children have been my strength throughout.

"I have been blessed to share a dressing room with some of the most outstanding cricketers with whom I share a strong bond. I feel much richer by calling these people my friends. I am also blessed to have played under some wonderful coaches to whom I will always remain grateful. 

"I retire from international cricket as a fulfilled cricketer who ticked most of the goals he had set for himself. Not many cricketers go on to lead their countries, and that I was able to captain Pakistan is a matter of great pride for me.

"From being a kid who started as a leg-spinner to becoming a mainstay in the Test batting line-up, I had the loveliest moments of my life that I will cherish forever."

The hosts were all out for 145 in 19 overs in Lahore, with Mark Wood (3-20) leading the way for England, who fell just short despite Moeen Ali's half-century off 35 balls.

Jamal claimed his maiden international wicket on just the second ball of his career and, under immense pressure, the youngster held his nerve to steer Pakistan to a tense win.

Wood's fierce pace had put England in command as he removed half of Pakistan's top six, with Babar Azam (9), Haider Ali (4) and Asif Ali (5) failing to reach double figures.

Mohammad Rizwan top-scored for Pakistan with 63 from 46 – his fourth half-century this series – but David Willey (2-23) and Sam Curran (2-23) restricted the home side's total.

Chris Woakes, making his first appearance since March, wrapped things up thanks to a swipe from Haris Rauf (8) as England were set a more-than-gettable target of 146.

However, opener Alex Hales went inside five balls for just a single run and fellow opener Phil Salt (3) pulled a short ball straight into the hands of Rauf soon after.

The tourists struggled for momentum, with Harry Brook (4) and Dawid Malan (36) trapped lbw after Ben Duckett (10) spooned Mohammad Wasim's short ball to Shan Masood.

Curran (17) sliced Jamal's second ball to Wasim as England chased boundaries, with Woakes (10) close behind, but Moeen kept his side ticking along.

England required 15 from the final six balls and would have forced a super over had David Willey cleared the boundary off the last ball, but it was not to be as Jamal held his nerve.

The 29-year-old stepped on the ball while fielding during the hosts' 74-run defeat in Rawalpindi and did not bowl in the second innings.

Now, having undergone MRI scans, Rauf – who made his Test debut in the match – has been a confirmed absentee for his side's next match, in what is a significant blow.

Despite an underwhelming performance against England, his departure - and potential unavailability - for the rest of three-game tour could throw a spanner in their selections.

With Shaheen Afridi already unavailable, Pakistan may have to call upon a name from outside their original 18-man squad, with Mohammed Wasim Jr their only other specialist quick currently in their party.

Hasan Ali and Mohammed Abbas are both among those who could be drafted in, though whether Babar Azam would wish to call upon them at short notice remains to be seen.

Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz both offer all-rounder experience and are in the squad already, though their inclusion would require a reshuffle in the batting order.

Pakistan will start their second Test on Friday, as they look to bounce back from just a third red-ball defeat on home soil against England, and first since 2000, upon the tourists' return to the country.

An aggressive encounter with the bat saw the two sides rack up the third-highest aggregate score in a match in Test history, in a record-shattering encounter.

Excellent Pakistan bowling meant the tourists were restricted to just 84-9 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

Shemaine Campbelle (26), Zaida James (19) and Jannilea Glasgow (10) were the only West Indian batters to get double-figures as Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar dominated with 3-18 from four overs and 3-19 from four overs, respectively.

Pakistan then needed only 16.3 overs to reach 87-2 and secure their first win of the series. Ayesha Zafar led the way with 42* off 48 balls while Gull Feroza finished 21* off 24 balls.

Afy Fletcher and Shamilia Connell took a wicket, each, for the Windies.

Full Scores: West Indies Women 84-9 (Shemaine Campbelle 26, Sadia Iqbal 3-18, Nida Dar 3-19)

Pakistan Women 87-2 (Ayesha Zafar 42*, Gull Feroza 21*, Afy Fletcher 1-6, Shamilia Connell 1-8)

A 20-man squad travelled to England on Sunday for the tour, which begins with three Tests, with 18 of Pakistan's initial 29-man group having been given the all-clear following the latest coronavirus tests.

Fast bowler Musa Khan and wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir have joined those 18 in making the trip.

Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Wahab Riaz were among those to test positive for COVID-19 and those who have been infected must return two negative tests before they can travel to England.

Pakistan are set to face an England side who have struggled to replace Alastair Cook since his retirement from international duty in 2018.

Excluding nightwatchman Jack Leach, England have used five different opening pairings and found consistency hard to come by.

The obdurate Rory Burns displayed promise in the Ashes, while Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Joe Denly will be in contention to open alongside him when England face West Indies in a three-match series starting on July 8, prior to the Pakistan games.

"Their bowling attack is brilliant in their own conditions and there is no doubt about it," Azhar said prior to Pakistan's departure for England.

"Other than Jofra Archer we have faced all of them - [Stuart] Broad, [James] Anderson, [Chris] Woakes, [Ben] Stokes and even [Mark] Wood was there, but we have still won against them.

"Looking at their batting, their top order has been fragile for some time since Alastair Cook retired.

"They have tried a lot of combinations lately and might be looking a bit more settled, but they haven't been really confident with it. So there is something for us in it to look at."

Fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi might be lacking in experience of English conditions, but Azhar has confidence in their ability to overcome a lack of practice on the surfaces they will encounter.

"In terms of number of games, of course England have tons of experience in their bowling," Azhar added. "But we have the skills: they [our bowlers] are young and have a lot to offer. They can give trouble to any team in the world. In a very short time, they have achieved a lot and that is a good sign.

"You can't buy experience immediately, and for that you obviously have to play more, but then we have a very experienced coaching staff with Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed.

"Their expertise and knowledge can be utilised and they will be helping them. So I believe, when this combo of experience and skill is brought together, that we can produce a great result. I am confident about this."

After openers Brandon King and Shai Hope got off to a comfortable 17-0 at the start by the third over, Hope lost his wicket for one, caught at mid-wicket off the bowling of Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Shamarh Brooks got out lbw for 10 attempting to sweep a straight delivery off left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz the leave the West Indies 31-2.

The West Indies reached 50-2 at the end of the first powerplay with King on 30 and captain Nicholas Pooran on four.

Rotating the strike well, the West Indies got to 71-2 at the end of 10 overs with King and Pooran still at the wicket on 42 and 13, respectively.

The 11^th over was a bittersweet one for the West Indies as Pooran hit a four and a six to bring up the 50-run partnership but then hit the final ball of the over to Haris Rauf at long-on to fall for 26 and become Mohammed Nawaz’s second victim. The visitors were then 86-3.

King brought up his maiden T20 International 50 with a boundary off Mohammed Nawaz in the 13^th over.

A rot would set into the West Indies batting soon after as Rovman Powell was caught at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Wasim Jr for four to leave the Windies at 102-4 at the start of the 15th over with the visitors needing a further 71 from 35 balls for victory.

King went in the next over for 67. The West Indies were then 118-5 needing 55 off 28.

Wickets fell regularly after that as Odean Smith (12), Dominic Drakes (0) and Hayden Walsh Jr (0) all fell in the 17th to Shaheen Shah Afridi as the West Indies slumped to 131-7, still needing 42 from the last three overs.

Romario Shepherd gave it a good try scoring 35 from 19 but when Akeal Hosein was run out for two in the 19^th over, the game was all but lost.

With the West Indies needing 23 from the final over, Shepherd hit Haris Rauf for a six and a four a six and a four but that would be as close as the visitors would get as Rauf bowled Thomas for a duck to wrap up the match and the series.

Shaheen Shah Afridi was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with 3-26 from his four overs. Shadab Khan followed up his cameo in the first innings with a 0-22 from four overs bowling performance and was voted Man of the Match.

Earlier, a late cameo of 28 from 12 balls by Khan propelled Pakistan to a respectable 172-8 off their 20 overs.

 After getting to 14 without loss in the second over, Mohammed Rizwan and captain Babar Azam inexplicably went for a single that resulted in the Pakistan captain being run out for seven.

Rizwan and new batsman Fakhar Zaman attempted to steady the ship with a 19-run fourth over off Oshane Thomas to take the score to 38-1. The partnership was broken by Akeal Hosein, who had Zaman stumped for 10.

That wicket brought together, Rizwan and Haider Ali, who on Monday scored half-centuries in Pakistan's 63-run win over the visitors. Together, they guided the hosts to 50-2 at the end of the first powerplay.

Hosein bowled his four overs within the first seven and was once again excellent with figures of 1-16 to follow up his 1-19 performance Monday.

Pakistan were still only 2 wickets down at the halfway mark as Rizwan and Ali played sensibly to take the score to 73-2. The partnership was broken in the 12th over when Odean Smith had Rizwan caught at short cover for 38 from 30 balls. Smith got his second wicket of the day when Haider was caught at deep point by Shamarh Brooks for 31 on the last ball of the 14^th over.

Hayden Walsh Jr got his first wicket in the very next over, removing Mohammad Nawaz, who was caught at deep mid-wicket for one.

Pakistan ended the 15^th over 113-5 with Iftikhar Ahmed at the crease on 14 and Asif Ali on two.

Rovman Powell took an excellent catch off the bowling of Romario Shepherd to remove Ali for nine off the second ball of the 17^th over to reduce Pakistan to 124-6.

Iftikhar hit two sixes off Thomas in the 18^th over but was then dismissed caught behind off the last ball for a well-played 32 from 19 balls.

Shadab Khan brought up Pakistan’s 150 with a straight six off Dominic Drakes off the second ball of the 19^th over.

Mohammad Wasim Jr was run out on the second to last ball of the innings for five.

Pakistan finished their 20 overs 172-8 with Mohammad Rizwan top-scoring with 38 and Iftikhar Ahmed getting 32.

Odean Smith and Akeal Hosein were the best performers for the West Indies with the ball with 2-24 from 3 overs and 1-16 from four overs, respectively.

The two are set to meet in their first red-ball match in Pakistan since 2005 this week, beginning a three-match series in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

But an infection has swept through England's party, disrupting their preparations, with only a handful of the squad training on Wednesday.

Now, the Pakistan Cricket Board is in dialogue with the England and Wales Cricket Board over delaying the fixture.

"The PCB and ECB are in discussions regarding the commencement of the first Test as some England players are down with [a] viral infection," said the PCB.

"The PCB continues to monitor the situation, is in contact with the ECB and will provide further updates in due course."

England batsman Joe Root, one of a handful of players who trained on Wednesday, suggested a postponement was the right decision to make, stating the tourists did not wish to shortchange the occasion.

"It's such a monumental tour and important series for so many reasons," he told BBC Sport. "We've waited 17 years to come to Pakistan to play a Test match.

"If it means waiting another day, is that the worst thing in the world? We're all desperate to play this game, and we know how important it is to the fans of Pakistan and their team as well."

Root was succeeded by Ben Stokes as captain earlier this year and ruled out leading the side if the latter was indisposed, suggesting Ollie Pope should instead deputise.

"I don't think that's going to be the case," he added when asked if he would skipper England. "Last week Popey did a great job in the warm-up game. I think that might be a better way for the group moving forward."

Shaheen's career-best bowling figures of 6-51 helped put the balance firmly in Pakistan's favour heading into the final day, and he was on point again with another four wickets to round off the triumph.

The Windies needed 280 runs at the start of the day's play, with nine wickets remaining, but after meeting initial resistance, Shaheen struck to get the ball rolling.

He finished with figures of 4-43 for the innings, taking his match haul to 10 wickets.

Alzarri Joseph (17) was the first Windies batsman to fall, with Nkrumah Bonner and Roston Chase swiftly following suit, both to Hasan Ali (2-37).

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who scored 39 from 147 deliveries (and 250 minutes at the crease), was dismissed early in the afternoon session, leaving Pakistan on the verge of victory before tea, yet the Windies fought back again, with a rain delay then threatening to halt their procession.

Thankfully for the tourists, the inclement weather did not hold, and when they returned for the final session, it was Shaheen who offered the inspiration, drawing an edge from the impressive Kyle Mayers (32), with Jason Holder's subsequent dismissal on 47 leaving the Windies with little chance.

Shaheen finished things off, sending Kemar Roach and Joshua Da Silva packing in the space of two overs to ensure the series ended on level terms.

West Indies' wait goes on

In 2005, 2011 and now 2021, the Windies have taken the lead in a two-match home Test series against Pakistan, only for the tourists to hit them back on each occasion.

The Windies have now not beaten Pakistan in a Test series – home or away – since 2000.

Both sides were already out of the competition before the match, but Pakistan clearly wanted to go out on a high as they came out of the blocks quickly.

Ireland got off to a nightmare start, slumping to 4-3 in just the second over. Shaheen Afridi (3-22) and Imad Wasim (3-8) impressed as Pakistan smothered their opponents, though Gareth Delany managed to gain some momentum with 31 off 19 balls.

Ireland eventually stumbled to 106-9 and looked out of sorts while bowling as well as Pakistan raced to 52-2 by the end of the eighth over.

Barry McCarthy (3-15) set up a nervy finish though as his intervention saw Pakistan lose four wickets during the next three overs.

Ireland could not hold onto their dominance though as Afridi scored two sixes in the 19th over to reach 111-7 and ensure a Pakistan win with seven balls remaining.

Pakistan are left to rue their slow start to the tournament, while Ireland finish their T20 World Cup campaign without registering a single win, with both sides now heading home.

Data Debrief: Too little, too late?

It is the second time in the tournament that Pakistan have had two bowlers take three wickets each after Naseem Shah (3-21) and Haris Rauf (3-21) in their defeat to India.

Overall, this is the lowest match aggregate (217) involving Pakistan and Ireland in T20Is.

Mohammad Rizwan starred as Pakistan won a thrilling Twenty20 series at the start of the tour, the in-form opener moving into the top 10 in the batting rankings as a result of his heroics in a 2-1 triumph.

The tourists whitewashed South Africa 2-0 in their last Test series earlier this year too, yet they have gone 11 games without a victory away from home in the longest format.

You have to go back to the first Test against England at Lord's three years ago for their previous Test win on tour, but Babar Azam's side will be expected to put that right at the Harare Sports Club - where both matches will be played.

Pakistan will have to do without star spinner Yasir Shah, who is absent due to a knee injury, at a venue where they have won four out of six Tests.

Zimbabwe have included the uncapped Luke Jongwe, Richard Ngarava, Roy Kaia, Milton Shumba, and Tanaka Chivanga in a youthful squad.

Sikandar Raza misses out against his country of birth as he receives treatment for a bone marrow infection, while Craig Ervine and Wesley Madhevere are ruled out due to injury.

The outcome was a 1-1 draw the last time Pakistan played a Test series in Zimbabwe eight years ago.

Zimbabwe's only Test series success against Pakistan came back in 1998 and it would be a big surprise if they can repeat that feat against a side needing a whitewash to retain fifth place in the rankings.

Rizwan the man

Rizwan starred in the T20 fixtures between the nations, smashing an unbeaten 91 in the decider after cracking a rapid 82 not out in the opening game.

He was also player of the Test series in the triumph over South Africa, the highlight for the wicketkeeper-batsman being a maiden hundred in the longest format in Rawalpindi to help raise his average to 44.35.

Where there's a Will, there's a way

Zimbabwe will be counting on captain Sean Williams to lead by example with the bat once again. He has averaged 96.2 in seven Test innings since the start of 2020, scoring three centuries in his past five knocks.

Williams was named player of the series against Afghanistan this month, but an unbeaten 151 in the second Test was not enough to prevent his side from having to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Key match facts

- Zimbabwe have only managed to record one multi-game bilateral Test series victory over Pakistan (D1 L5); this will be the first such series between the two nations since 2013, however.

- Zimbabwe ended an eight-match winless streak on home soil against Pakistan when they last faced each other in Tests, doing so by a margin of 24 runs.

- Pakistan come into this match having logged back-to-back Test victories - they have not managed to register three wins on the spin since 2016.

- No side has a lower catching success rate than Pakistan in Tests since 2020 (70 per cent - level with West Indies); only Afghanistan (83 per cent ) and Bangladesh (81 per cent) have held on to a better share of their catching opportunities than Zimbabwe in that time (80 per cent).

- Shaheen Afridi requires two wickets to bring up 50 in Test cricket; he returned figures of 4-51 in his most recent innings (v South Africa, February 2021).

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held talks with Arthur with a view to appointing him as successor to Saqlain Mushtaq, whose contract expires at the end of next month.

Arthur only signed a new three-year deal to extend his tenure as Derbyshire head of cricket last month and the vastly experienced 53-year-old will not be returning for another spell with Pakistan.

A PCB statement released on Tuesday said: "The Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed it has been in talks with former national team head coach Mickey Arthur with a view to appointing him as the head coach to guide the side through to the ACC Asia Cup, ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

"However, owing to his long-term contract with Derbyshire, we have also discussed a proposal to act as a consultant to the PCB on a time-sharing basis with Derbyshire.

"Unfortunately, however, this option is proving difficult to materialise for various reasons on both sides.

"Under the circumstances, the PCB will continue its search for the right person to fit the slot of the national team head coach and some top names are already under consideration."

Arthur masterminded Pakistan's 2017 Champions Trophy triumph in England and also took the team to the top of the Test and Twenty20 International rankings before leaving the role in 2019.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja delivered another classy century on Thursday, remarkably his fourth of the calendar year, as Australia posted 227-3 declared to set Pakistan a target of 351 for victory in the third and final Test.

The tourists would have wanted to make inroads into their opponents' top order before the close, but instead Pakistan reached 73 without loss from the 27 overs they faced after Australia's post-tea declaration.

It means Pakistan require a further 278 runs for victory and Australia need 10 wickets on day five at the Gaddafi Stadium, where something surely has to give.

Australia's men are unbeaten in their last seven Tests (W4 D3), and Pakistan have not lost any of their last five (W3 D2).

The Australians have been beaten only once by Pakistan in the last nine Tests between the sides, yet Pakistan have just a single defeat in their last 12 Tests at this ground, and that was against Sri Lanka all the way back in March 2002.

After draws in Rawalpindi and Karachi, this match looks ripe to produce a victory for one of the teams, but it could easily go either way.

Australia were 11-0 at the start of play and reached 96 without any loss when Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled David Warner for 51 with a sensationally good delivery. Khawaja kept going and anchored the innings with 104 not out, Marnus Labuschagne weighing in with 36 and Steve Smith passing 8,000 career Test runs in making 17.

Captain Pat Cummins declared early in the late-afternoon session, once the lead passed 350, but Abdullah Shafique (27 not out) and Imam-ul-Haq (42 not out) helped Pakistan to the close without any damage.

Shafique used up a life moments before the close when he edged spinner Labuschagne past the left hand of Smith at first slip, potentially a highly costly miss by the fielder.

Khawaja does it again

Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan, did not play a Test between matches against England in August 2019 and January of this year. It is testament to Australia's resources that they could afford to leave out a batter of his quality. The 35-year-old made 91 in the first innings of this match and surpassed that second time around.

He now has 751 runs in five Tests this year, far and away the most of anyone in Tests. Shafique is second on that list, with 397 runs and counting.

Record for Smith, but dropped catch sours his day

Australia would have ended the day on a high if Smith had clung on to the sharp chance from the penultimate delivery of the day. Shafique drove aggressively at Labuschagne, who drew the edge but saw the ball race away to the boundary rather than stick in Smith's claw.

Smith earlier reached his runs landmark in his 151st Test innings, the fewest of any batsman to have reached 8,000 Test runs.

Mir, 34, played 226 times for Pakistan across one-day internationals and Twenty20s, leading her country on 137 occasions.

The spinner retires as Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in ODIs having claimed 151 dismissals, the joint fourth-most of all-time, while she scored 1,630 runs in the format.

Mir's last ODI was in November 2019 and she did not play in the Women's T20 World Cup in Australia earlier this year.

"The last few months have provided me with an opportunity to contemplate," she said in a statement released on the Pakistan Cricket Board's website.

"I feel it is the right time for me to move on. I believe I have contributed to the best of my ability for my country and the sport."

Hasan (5-54) claimed the second five-wicket haul of his Test career as the Proteas were bundled out for 201, giving Pakistan a first-innings lead of 71 on day three of the second Test.

Keshav Maharaj (2-74) and George Linde then shared five wickets to prevent the hosts from pulling away, although Faheem Ashraf (29) and Mohammad Rizwan (28 not out) combined for a vital sixth-wicket stand of 52.

Slow left-armer Linde (3-12) persuaded Faheem to slice to Anrich Nortje at backward point in the penultimate over, but a score of 129-6 at stumps means Pakistan's lead is 200 on a surface already displaying variable bounce.

South Africa resumed on 106-4 in their first innings, with plenty of their hopes pinned on Quinton de Kock. Unfortunately, the captain could only add five to his overnight 24 before being bowled when driving at Shaheen Afridi.

Afridi was also responsible for running out Wiaan Mulder, who pushed for two down to fine leg and departed for 33, ending a 49-run stand with Temba Bavuma, who was left high and dry on 44 not out.

That was largely down to Hasan, who bowled Linde for 21 before rearranging Maharaj and Nortje's stumps.

Kagiso Rabada became the fourth South African run out in the series but made amends by trapping Imran Butt lbw for a duck. That was part of a masterful new-ball spell with Nortje as the South Africa pacemen began the innings with 25 dot balls.

Maharaj still came into the attack early and wheeled through 21 of the 51 overs bowled, having Abid Ali caught behind sweeping for 13 and pinning Babar Azam lbw for eight - the third time in four innings the Pakistan captain has fallen to South Africa's premier spinner.

Linde was able to offer Maharaj far more effective support this time around, having lacerated the little finger on his bowling hand during the first innings, and had Azhar Ali leg before for 33 and Fawad Alam pouched at short leg.

PROFLIGATE PROTEAS

After Nortje - operating at a blistering pace just shy of 150 km/h - and Rabada put the shackles on Pakistan and Maharaj and Linde got among the wickets, a route to a series-levelling victory was starting to open up in Rawalpindi. However, Faheem was dropped on nought by Dean Elgar at slip off Linde and next ball Rizwan edged Maharaj to Rassie van der Dussen at silly point, only to be similarly spared. In the final analysis of a low-scoring contest, those mistakes might look absolutely dire.

TOUGH START AT THE TOP FOR BUTT

Butt's exit without troubling the scorers continued a meagre start to the 25-year-old's Test career. A first-innings 15 here is his best effort in four attempts. There are few sterner examinations to be had for Test openers as when Rabada and Nortje are in the mood; however, Butt must earn the right to sail in less choppy waters.

The tourists had started the day strongly, but their momentum slowly fizzled out through the day as they struggled to cope with Shakeel.

England took three late wickets on Thursday and picked up where they left off as Shoaib Bashir took Shan Masood before Rehad Ahmed's 4-66 put Pakistan in trouble at 187-7, the youngster scalping three in quick succession.

However, Shakeel was in control with the bat, plundering 134, and he was helped by lower-order partnerships with Noman Ali (45) and Sajid Khan (48 not out) as he pushed Pakistan towards their 344 total, and a 77-run lead.

Any hopes England had of quickly regaining their lead were quickly squashed, as they lost three wickets in the nine overs played before stumps, with Zak Crawley (2), Ben Duckett (12) and Ollie Pope (1) failing to put their stamp on things.

Joe Root (5 not out) and Harry Brook (3) are set to resume at the crease on Saturday on 24-3, with a lot of work to do as they trail by 53.

Data Debrief: The driving force

Shakeel got 16 of his runs at the very end of day one and stood firm through Friday's extended morning session in Rawalpindi as he used his smarts to stay in the game.

He faced 223 deliveries during his stand, but only hit five boundaries in his knock, all fours. 

Instead, it was his partnerships that proved fruitful, racking up 88 runs with Noman before adding another 72 with Khan before he was trapped lbw by Gus Atkinson.

Pakistan face the hosts in a three-match series starting at Old Trafford next month, with captain Azhar's side training in Worcester.

They staged an intra-squad friendly across Sunday and Monday and, after a three-month coronavirus-enforced break, Azhar was pleased by what he saw.

"Both batsmen and bowlers have adapted to the conditions," he told the Pakistan Cricket Board website.

"The wind was troubling the bowlers initially but they overcame it, which was heartening. Definitely, the players are going to need some time to adjust.

"Despite the break, they are in good shape, which is a positive sign for us.

"All the batsmen batted quite well, especially Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq and Abid Ali seemed in total control, Shan Masood adapted well to the conditions and Mohammad Rizwan looked in good shape.

"Mohammad Abbas is our experienced bowler and his presence is of advantage for us as he also keeps guiding the youngsters.

"He is someone who can be a very important member of the attack for us. Naseem Shah bowled very well in the scenario-based match. He will attain more control as he continues to bowl."

Pakistan's initial squad had to be altered after several players tested positive for coronavirus, but no cases of COVID-19 have been found within the touring party.