Osman Samiuddin

The mystery is now out in the open and every batsman is out to solve it. The real challenge for Ajantha Mendis, of uncertain categorisation, to maintain that secrecy, begins now

Some strife, considerable friction within the side, a run of bad results and a boggling glut of off-field controversies seems to be what spurs Pakistan on

Shoaib Malik has pulled out of Pakistan's critical encounter with India in the Asia Cup after failing to recover from dehydration

For Pakistan, this is not so much do-or-die as do-or-don't be around. The equation is now simple: beat India, hope Sri Lanka beat India, beat Bangladesh, all the while with an eye on a better net run-rate

Journalists stormed out of Geoff Lawson's press conference as tempers frayed after Pakistan's 64-run loss to Sri Lanka, which pushed the hosts to the brink of elimination

Shoaib Malik re-ignited a simmering selectorial tussle when he appeared to blame the selection committee in the aftermath of Pakistan's emphatic six-wicket loss to India in the Asia Cup

With the captain not only unsure of where to bat, but also apparently unwilling to fulfill his all-round role, Pakistan have been uninspiring

"We weren't as bad as that," Shoaib Malik, Pakistan's captain, said after a scrappy but ultimately comfortable win over Hong Kong

A rare tournament win and a rarer tournament at home means Pakistan go into their opening game of the ninth Asia Cup in what can, for once, be called buoyant mood

Ahead of what has suddenly turned into a critical final, for Pakistan at least, the pressure on Shoaib Malik and Geoff Lawson has been cranked up by the PCB even further

Just when and how was cricket commentary replaced by sales pitches and relentless hype?

Why the marketer's dream of a Premier League in every country is a pie in the sky

The tragedy of the latest scandal to envelop Mohammad Asif is the potential loss of his gifts to Pakistan and cricket

In September 2005, Yousuf Youhana discovered faith. Soon we began to rediscover ours too

The Pakistan board will no longer pursue the defamation lawsuit it slapped on Shoaib Akhtar following a meeting between Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman, and Shoaib at the house of a top political official last night in Islamabad

Jamie Siddons, Bangladesh's coach, was expecting to be whitewashed by Pakistan, but said he can take a few positives such as the batting of Shakib al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah

Osman Samiuddin on Pakistan's recurring problems with extras in the ODIs against Bangladesh

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has called on Mohammad Ashraful to start performing ahead of their fourth ODI against Pakistan in Multan

Bangladesh finally show some fight

Osman Samiuddin presents the plays of the day from the third ODI in Lahore