Babar Azam Misses 100, KL Rahul Trains And Shaheen Returns- August 4 Cricket Highlights

Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi [Source: X, AP]

Pakistan captain Babar Azam missed out on a century against West Indies on Day 3 of the series-deciding second Test. KL Rahul is making special preparations for the Test series in Sri Lanka. In other news, seasoned fast bowler Shaheen Afridi will be making his return to Sri Lanka for the LPL 2026 season.

Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Tuesday, August 4. 

Babar Azam misses Test century vs West Indies

Babar Azam got dismissed for 88 from 147 balls against West Indies on Day 3 of Pakistan’s series-deciding second Test. Resuming the innings at 86* in the morning session, the legendary Pakistani batter managed to add just two runs to his overnight score before falling short of his crease to a direct hit from Brandon King.

Also Read- Babar Azam Joins Imran Khan In Historic Captaincy Feat During PAK vs WI 2nd Test

Babar has now gone more than three-and-a-half years since he last scored a Test century for the Pakistan cricket team.

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 to be played in UAE

The Women’s Asia Cup 2026 will be hosted by UAE. According to reports, ACC President and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is considering to host the tournament between August 28 and September 13.

An official schedule for the T20I competition will be unveiled within the next few days. Several cricket boards, including the BCCI, have already announced their squads for the continental event in the UAE.

KL Rahul specially prepares for Sri Lanka Test series

KL Rahul is making special preparations for India’s upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. The cricketer was spotted batting on an absolute dust bowl on August 4, i.e., just a couple of weeks prior to the series opener in Galle. 

The 34-year-old recently scored a match-winning century for India against Afghanistan a couple of months ago. At the moment, he averages 36.42 in Test cricket.

Shaheen Afridi re-joins Kandy Royals for LPL 2026

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi will be re-joining the Kandy Royals franchise for the remainder of the LPL 2026 season in Sri Lanka. A few days ago, the speedster left his team midway into the tournament citing personal reasons.

Kandy Royals is scheduled to take on the Colombo Kapps in the Eliminator match of the LPL 2026 season at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on August 5.

Pakistan appoints Mike Smith as batting coach 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Mike Smith as the new batting coach of the men’s cricket team. The 46-year-old will work with the Pakistan team across all formats for the next two years. 

The former South Africa cricketer will be expected to join the ‘Men in Green’ in time for the upcoming high-profile WTC 2025-27 Test series in England. He has previously worked for teams like Hobart Hurricanes and Tasmania. 

Also Read- Brandon King Leaves Field On Stretcher After Nasty Injury vs Pakistan