Steven Smith passed a Don Bradman landmark to claim his 30th Test century on Thursday as Usman Khawaja and Australia piled on the misery for the beleaguered South Africans in the third Sydney Test.

A depleted Australian attack secured an innings and 182-run victory over South Africa in the second test on Thursday, wrapping up the series with a match to spare after the visitors' batting woes were rudely exposed once more.

Babar Azam knocked a fighting hundred and the recalled Sarfaraz Ahmed hit a half century to guide Pakistan to a healthy 317-5 on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Karachi on Monday.

New Zealand will tour Pakistan twice from late December, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Monday, more than a year after abandoning a series there over security concerns.

Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope steered England to an impressive nine-wicket victory over South Africa at The Oval on Monday to complete a 2-1 series victory and put the seal on an astonishing turnaround in fortunes for the home team this year.

England were set a target of 130 to win the third Test against South Africa, and with it the series, at The Oval on Sunday.

South Africa captain Dean Elgar is treating the Test series decider against England at the Oval "like a World Cup final" as the Proteas seek to recover from a heavy defeat.

England great James Anderson marked becoming the first player to appear in 100 home Tests by leading the attack with three wickets as South Africa were dismissed for just 151 on Thursday's first day of the second Test at Old Trafford.

Captain Dean Elgar believes South Africa’s fearsome four-prong pace attack will only get better as he admits he is unsure of what the wicket holds for the second Test against England at Old Trafford that starts on Thursday.

Australian fast bowling great Glenn McGrath is still in love with the 50-over format but has no hesitation in admitting that it does face a daunting challenge with the exponential popularity of T20 cricket. 

England will tour Pakistan in September for the first time in 17 years to play seven Twenty20 and three Test matches, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Tuesday.

Dhananjaya de Silva hit a towering century as hosts Sri Lanka handed Pakistan a mammoth victory target of 508 in the second Test on Wednesday

Babar Azam is one step closer in his quest of becoming the No.1 batter in all three formats of the game after the Pakistan captain inched closer to the top Test ranking on the latest MRF Tyres ICC Men's Player Rankings.

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne batted through pain to help the hosts stretch their overall lead to 323 runs and boost their chances of a series-levelling victory in the second Test against Pakistan on Tuesday.

Ramesh Mendis chipped in with a lower order cameo and then claimed three wickets for 42 runs to put Sri Lanka on course for a significant first innings lead against Pakistan on day two of the second test in Galle on Monday.

Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a knee injury, the team said Thursday.

Abdullah Shafique struck 160 not out in a fourth innings masterclass to help Pakistan pull off a stunning chase and register a four-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the opening test in Galle on Wednesday.

Pakistan's remarkable victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle has seen a major reshuffle within the top five on the World Test Championship standings.

Abdullah Shafique hit an unbeaten 160 as Pakistan chased down a record target of 342 at Galle to win a tense opening Test by four wickets against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

Ben Stokes said on Tuesday he hopes his retirement from one-day internationals will serve as a warning to cricket chiefs over an increasingly congested global schedule, with the all-rounder insisting players "are not cars, you can't just fill us up".