Cork backs Raza as future Pak star

The former England bowler expressed strong admiration for his bowling skills

Former England bowler Dominic Cork has identified Pakistan's emerging fast bowler, Ali Raza, as a future star, praising the youngster's potential to rise through the ranks and represent the national team at the international level.

Cork expressed strong admiration for Raza's bowling skills and believes the young pacer has the talent to lead Pakistan's bowling attack in the years to come.

"This competition for the PCB is to grow young talent to play for Pakistan. I believe Ali Raza can be opening the bowling for Pakistan, that's how good I think he can be," said Cork.

Ali Raza, currently showcasing his talent in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10 for Peshawar Zalmi, has been in impressive form.

The 17-year-old has claimed nine wickets in seven matches at an average of 24.11 and an economy rate of 8.03.

His standout performances have put him in contention for selection in Pakistan's squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to begin later this month.

According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shortlisted five players for the series — four experienced campaigners and one rising talent. The players under consideration include Sahibzada Farhan, Hussain Talat, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, and Ali Raza.

In a separate development, the PCB has officially confirmed that Bangladesh will tour Pakistan in May for a five-match T20 International series.

Initially part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) as a series featuring three ODIs and three T20Is, the format has now been revised to include only T20Is.

The series will be held across two venues — Faisalabad and Lahore - from May 25 to June 3. Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, which recently hosted the Champions One-Day Cup and National T20 Cup, will stage the first two matches on May 25 and 27.

The remaining three games will be played at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on May 30, June 1, and June 3. All matches are scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM local time.

Saim's World T20I XI

Peshawar Zalmi's young left-handed batter, Saim Ayub, has unveiled his dream T20I World XI - and it comes with a surprising omission.

Despite being one of Pakistan's rising stars, Saim chose to include only a single Pakistani player in his fantasy lineup, leaving out national captain Babar Azam.

Speaking on the Off Topic Zalmi podcast, the 21-year-old was asked to pick his ideal T20I XI from currently active players, with a unique rule: no more than two players from the same country.

Even with the allowance for two Pakistani selections, Saim named just one - opener Fakhar Zaman - pairing him at the top of the order with Australia's explosive batter, Travis Head.

At number three, he picked England's aggressive wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler. He followed that with two powerhouse middle-order hitters - West Indies' Nicholas Pooran and South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen.

England's Ben Stokes, renowned for delivering in high-pressure situations, slotted in at number six.

For the all-round department, Saim placed his faith in India's Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, and New Zealand's Mitchell Santner - a trio capable of contributing with both bat and ball while controlling the middle overs.

To round out the bowling attack, Saim picked two pace greats of modern T20 cricket — India's Jasprit Bumrah and Australia's Mitchell Starc.

Regarding the young batter himself, Saim recently made his return to competitive cricket after suffering an ankle injury during the Test series against South Africa in December 2024.

He had been undergoing medical treatment and rehabilitation, which led to his exclusion from Pakistan's squad for the home tri-nation ODI series against New Zealand and South Africa, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the white-ball series against New Zealand.

The 22-year-old returned to action representing Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10. So far, he has scored 119 runs in eight matches at an average of 14.87 and a strike rate of 117.82.

Team: Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan), Travis Head (Australia), Jos Buttler (England), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa), Ben Stokes (England), Hardik Pandya (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Mitchell Starc (Australia).