Pakistan Cricket Board appoints Mohammad Akram as bowling coach

By AM Khan

LAHORE (TheSportsNext) August 24, 2012: Former test cricketer Mohammad Akram on Friday was appointed bowling coach of Pakistan cricket team for a period of one year.

"Akram become the ultimate choice after Englishman Stuart Barnes expressed his inability to immediately join the team," said Intikhab Alam, Director Game Development and head of the committee to short list and finalise the names of candidates for the post of bowling coach.

Shocking U19 team show stuns selector Iqbal Qasim

By AM Khan

LAHORE (TheSportsNext) August 24, 2012: Chief Selector at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Iqbal Qasim, was shocked over Pakistan junior team's performance in the ICC Under19 World Cup currently in progress in Australian cities of Townsville and Brisbane.

Pakistan Football Federation names players for training camp

Press Release

LAHORE (TheSportsNext) August 24, 2012: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Friday announced the names of top 25 football players to join a training camp from August 26 at National Stadium for the proposed international friendly matches on FIFA Fair Play Day.

Olympic Council of Asia baseball coaches course starts Sunday

By AM Khan

LAHORE (TheSportsNext) August 24, 2012: The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) baseball coaches course will commence here from August 26 here at Sports Board Punjab Academy National Hockey Stadium.

3rd PCB U16 Pepsi Cricket Stars programme begins Sunday

By AM Khan

LAHORE (TheSportsNext) August 24, 2012: The open trials of the Third Edition U-16 PCB-Pepsi cricket stars programme will commence from August 26 at various centres across the country.

Pakistan to feature in 22nd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championship 2012

Press Release

KARACHI: Pakistan Sports Board and Ministry of Interprovincial coordination issued NOC to Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation to participate in 22nd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championship held at Hong Kong Bowling City at Emax Shopping Center in Kowloon Bay from September 2 to 11, 2012.

Pakistan Squash Federation to sponsor players in professional events

By Babar Malik

ISLAMABAD (TheSportsNext) August 24, 2012: The Pakistan Squash Federation, in a meeting with its President Tahir Rafique Butt accorded approval to long-standing demand of national squash players to finance them in professional events, TheSportsNext has learnt.

Have batsmen gotten better or have bowlers gotten worse?

By Adrian Meredith

We all know the stats, but here is a rough rehash:

1877 (test cricket started) - batting average was 20-25 per batsman

1930 (Bradman's time) - batting average was 30 per batsman

1965 (Benaud's time) - batting average was 35 per batsman

1990 (Tendulkar started) - batting average was 40 per batsman

So why is this? Why are batting averages getting higher?

Split coaches for different formats was John Buchanan's idea

By Bipin Dani

SHARJAH (TheSportsNext) August 24, 2012: The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) board and the national director of cricket, John Buchanan had expressed an interest in having separate coaches for separate formats of the game.

Interestingly, he may not have given this idea during his tenure as coach in Australia. 

2012 ICC World Twenty20 Analytical Predictions

By Adrian Meredith

VICTORIA, Australia (TheSportsNext) August 23, 2012: The group stages have been announced so now it is time to play predictor, match by match and hence the whole tournament.

Group A: England, India, Afghanistan

Group B: Australia, West Indies, Ireland

Group C: Sri Lanka, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Group D: Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh