Pakistan aim to get Cricket World Cup bid back on track after 'timid' defeat to India

Pakistan team director Micky Arthur said the team will bounce back at the Cricket World Cup, despite admitting his concern with their "timid" batting performance in the seven-wicket thrashing by rivals India.

Hosts India, passionately cheered on by more than 100,000 fans at Narendra Modi Stadium, maintained their unbeaten record against Pakistan with a comprehensive victory on Saturday, outperforming their rivals in all departments.

Pakistan, cruising at 155-2 in the 29th over, suffered a spectacular meltdown to be all out for 191 with more than seven overs left in their innings.

India then returned to lay bare Pakistan's bowling frailties and romped home with nearly 20 overs to spare in the lop-sided blockbuster.

Arthur accepted Pakistan's batters lacked aggression in their first loss in three matches, following wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.

"I just think we were a little bit timid tonight with our overall performance," Arthur said. "To go from 155 for two, as it was, to 190-odd all out is just not on.

"Credit to India, I thought they bowled really well, but I just thought our performance was just a little bit timid."

Skipper Babar Azam (50) and in-form Mohammad Rizwan (49) forged the only half-century partnership in the Pakistan innings.

Arthur described the pair as "classy performers" but felt they too should have asserted themselves more, especially against the Indian spinners.

"I did think we could probably have taken on the Indian spinners just a little bit more. But again, they were building and building nicely," he said.

"I think we've got to realise that there are two ways to always skin a cat. And we've had success by taking it deep and then cashing in at the back end."

Pakistan's bowling also lacked firepower against India.

Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi has not been at his best since returning from a knee injury, while spinner Shadab Khan's lack of success in the middle overs has been a talking point of late.

Arthur said they were trying to address those issues.

"Look, it'd be remiss of me to discuss it out here, but we've been doing some work with them," the former Australia coach said.

"The key for us now is getting our players to remain calm. It's getting our players to focus on the next game, and it's to build them up and make sure that they go into that next game thinking they can run through a brick wall."

The Narendra Modi Stadium was packed with India fans and saw very few Pakistan supporters. AFP

Pakistan fans inside the Narendra Modi Stadium were conspicuous by their absence, a result of Pakistanis not being granted visas for the tournament. It ensured the home support for India was even more pronounced than it might have been, giving the match a feel of a home series rather than a World Cup.

Arthur conceded that the atmosphere did play a part in Pakistan's defeat but was keen not to use it as an excuse.

"Look, I'd be lying if I said it did [not affect us]," Arthur said. "It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event.

"But I'm not going to use that as an excuse because for us it was about living the moment, it was about the next ball, and it was about how we were going to combat the Indian players."

India return to action on Thursday aiming for a fourth straight World Cup win when they play Bangladesh in Pune, before Pakistan take on Australia in Bengaluru on Friday.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer