The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the names of 29 players including Imad Wasim and Muhammad Amir for the T20 physical camp starting from March 26 in Kakul.
Players will report today to participate in the fitness camp in Kakul, Abbottabad from Tuesday, organised in collaboration with Pakistan Army. Players will be trained as per a specific strategy for upcoming series and tournaments, including the home T20 series against New Zealand, Ireland and England, and ICC T20 World Cup to be held in USA and West Indies.
Under the guidance of experienced trainers and coaches, players will undergo a comprehensive program designed to enhance their fitness level, agility, leadership and strategic thinking and overall performance on the field.
The camp will start from March 26 and end on April 8. The main focus of the camp will be team preparation and aims to enhance the physical and mental strength of the players and ensure that they are in the best shape to face the challenges ahead.
Players include Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah, Saud Shakeel, Usman Khan, Muhammad Haris, Salman Ali Agha, Azam Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed.
Besides Irfan Khan Niazi, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Osama Mir, Muhammad Nawaz, Mehran Mumtaz, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Muhammad Ali, Zaman Khan, Wasim Jr., Aamir Jamal, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir will also be a part of the fitness camp.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been denied permission by district authorities to hold a protest on March 30 in Islamabad. The party had reached out to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to get permission for holding a rally on March 30 after the district administration of Islamabad did not respond to the party’s request. However, the capital’s administration on Sunday finally refused to allow PTI to hold a public rally against alleged poll rigging in 2024 general elections, citing security concerns.
The reply from the administration came after the deadline given to them by the IHC to take a decision on PTI’s request to stage a protest in the capital city.
PTI’s regional president Aaamir Masood Mughal opined that his party would again approach the courts. “If you can’t provide security even in the capital, then you have no right to stay in the government,” he added.
PTI also planned to hold a press briefing about the upcoming International Monetary Fund (IMF) package, its consequences on the public and the economy on March 25.
In an international friendly football match on Sunday, Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner set a new world record by scoring the fastest goal.
During a match between Austria and Slovakia in Bratislava, Christoph Baumgartner set a world record by scoring a goal in just six seconds. Austria won the match by 2-0.
Earlier this record was held by Germany’s Lukas Podolski’s against Ecuador in seven seconds in 2013.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, in a reversal of his earlier decision, has transferred the chairmanship of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
According to a notification, the ECC will now be led by the finance minister, with ministers of economic affairs, planning, commerce, power, and petroleum being integral members of the committee.
Previously, PM Shehbaz had announced himself as the chair of the ECC when unveiling the composition of seven major committees. This move had drawn criticism for potentially limiting the authority of the new finance minister.
Furthermore, the premier had initially chosen to preside over the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE).
Similarly, the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) was formed earlier under the chairmanship of the finance minister. Accordinng to Aaj News, the Minister for Finance will head the CCoSOEs, with ministers of Maritime Affairs, Economic Affairs Division, Science and Technology, and Housing and Works serving as its members.
In a report by APP, PM Shehbaz emphasised the government’s commitment to implementing tough economic measures to navigate the country out of crisis while ensuring the protection of the underprivileged segments of society.
He stressed that the brunt of these measures would primarily be borne by the affluent, with mechanisms in place to safeguard the interests of the poor and vulnerable.
Speaking at the meeting of the Apex Committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the prime minister disclosed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had completed the review for the disbursement of the last tranche of US$1.1 billion, expected to be received next month.
Pakistan cricket team fast bowler Muhammad Amir has announced to take his retirement back from international cricket.
In his special message on X, Muhammad Aamir said, “I still dream to play for Pakistan! life brings us to the points where at times we have to reconsider our decisions, There has been few positive discussions between myself and the PCB where they respectfully made me feel that I was needed and can still play for Pakistan after discussing with family and we’ll wishers I declare that I am available to be considered for upcoming t20WC.”
“I want do this for my country as it comes before my personal decisions. Donning the green jersey and serving my country has always been, and will continue to be, my greatest aspirations.”
The fast bowler Muhammad Amir had bid farewell to international cricket on 17 December 2020.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has announced 100 million rupees aid for the Palestinians.
Finance Advisor Muzzamil Aslam says that the KP government is following the footsteps of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s founder, Imran Khan and because of his principles, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a donation for Palestine in this difficult time.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif has said, “This money will be used to buy basic necessities for the Palestinians in Gaza.”
He also added, “The KP government stands with the oppressed people of Gaza in this difficult time and urges the international community to play its role in helping and supporting the Palestinians. Pakistan is one of the prominent countries that has not recognized Israel till date. We support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state whose capital is Bait ul Muqqadas.”
The number of martyred Palestinians has exceeded 32,000 and more than 74,000 have been injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has restored the central contract of national fast bowler Haris Rauf after his written apology.
During a press conference in Lahore on Sunday, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi said, “Haris Rauf’s central contract has been restored, Haris Rauf’s injury will be treated by insurance, Haris Rauf is our responsibility, we are concerned about him, cricket board’s money will be spent on players, no exemption for anyone, regarding NOC, I will not take anyone’s recommendation.”
He said, “Work is being done on the captain, they will take a decision after consultation, now the selection committee has come and they are consulting on it, the captain is in consultation with the coaches and the selection committee.”
PCB had terminated the central contract of Haris Rauf on February 17 due to his refusal for Australia tour.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has announced selection committee consists of 7 members including captain.
Mohsin Naqvi held a press conference in Lahore today in which he said, “The selection committee has been reorganized, the selection committee will now consist of 7 people, the new thing is that now there will be no chairman in the selection committee.”
“The selection committee will include Muhammad Yusuf, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, head coach, captain and an analyst. The seven members will take a decision with consultation, the committee will finalize every decision, all the seven members will have equal authority.”
Talking about coaches he said, “Thework is being done on the coaches, we will tell you whenever the final will be done, the matter of the coaches will also be finalized in 4-5 days, God willing, there will be a combination of national and international coaches. Everyone is of the same opinion that the team should be strong for the World Cup, there was a talk about the coach that a name came up and when it went on the media, he ran away.”
According to Chairman PCB, the central contract of Haris Rauf has been restored, work is being done on the captain, they will take a decision after consultation, now the selection committee has come and they are consulting on it, the captain is in consultation with the coaches and the selection committee.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, on a visit to the doorstep of Gaza, on Saturday said the world has seen enough of the war’s horrors and appealed for a ceasefire to allow in more aid.
‘Palestinians in Gaza—children, women, men—remain stuck in a non-stop nightmare,’ he said on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing where truckloads of aid trickle into Gaza but the population is stalked by ‘hunger and starvation’.
This handout pictured released by the United Nations press office shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meeting with a Palestinian child evacuated from the Gaza Strip receiving treatment at the general hospital in El-Arish in Egypt’s northeastern North Sinai province on March 23, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by Mark GARTEN / UNITED NATIONS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / UNITED NATIONS – MARK GARTEN” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / UNITED NATIONS – Mark Garten” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS /
‘I carry the voices of the vast majority of the world who have seen enough,’ Guterres said, deploring ‘communities obliterated, homes demolished, entire families and generations wiped out’.
He reiterated that ‘nothing justifies the horrific attacks by Hamas’ against Israel, triggering the war on October 7.
‘And nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,’ the United Nations secretary-general said.
Guterres, speaking at a lectern in front of the imposing gates to the Gaza side of Rafah, through which aid trucks pass, said the ‘heartbreak and heartlessness of it all’ were clear.
‘A long line of blocked relief trucks on one side of the gates. The long shadow of starvation on the other,’ which he called ‘a moral outrage.’
Guterres emphasised ‘it is more than time for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire’ and appealed to Israel for ‘total, unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza.’
The UN chief, who makes an annual ‘solidarity mission’ to distressed Muslim communities during their holy fasting month, said that ‘in the Ramadan spirit of compassion, it is also time for the immediate release of all hostages’ captured in the October attacks and still held by militants in Gaza.
Response from Israel
Israel’s foreign minister said Saturday the United Nations had become an ‘anti-Israeli body’ under Antonio Guterres, after the UN chief called for a ceasefire on a visit to Gaza’s border.
International outrage over the heavy civilian toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza has further worsened the long strained ties between Israel and the world body.
‘Under his (Guterres’s) leadership, the UN has become an anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli body that shelters and emboldens terror,’ Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on social media platform X.
The top Israeli diplomat criticised Guterres, who Katz said ‘stood today on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing and blamed Israel for the humanitarian situation in Gaza’, claiming instead that Hamas militants ‘plunder’ aid.
Katz, whose government has accused staff at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees of involvement in Hamas’s October 7 attack that triggered the war, also said Guterres spoke ‘without calling for the immediate, unconditional release of all Israeli hostages’.
Vote at Security Council
Meanwhile, a vote at the UN Security Council on a new text calling for an ‘immediate’ ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was postponed to Monday, diplomatic sources told AFP, after a separate, US-lead draft resolution was vetoed.
The United States, Israel’s main ally and military backer, had put forward a resolution mentioning ‘the imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire’ and condemning the October 7 attack by Hamas.
Russia and China on Friday vetoed that resolution, which was also opposed by Arab states for stopping short of explicitly demanding Israel immediately end its campaign in Gaza.
The new ceasefire text was meant to go to a vote on Saturday, but was pushed back to allow further discussions, the diplomatic sources said.
The new, tougher draft resolution, seen by AFP, ‘demands an immediate ceasefire’ for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan that leads ‘to a permanent sustainable ceasefire’ respected by all sides.
Eight of the council’s 10 non-permanent members have been working on the draft, which also calls for the ‘immediate and unconditional’ release of hostages seized by Hamas and the lifting of ‘all barriers’ to humanitarian aid flowing into the besieged Gaza Strip.
‘We as (the) Arab Group unanimously endorse and support the draft resolution,’ said Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, who had denounced the US-led text as biased.
But US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield indicated opposition, saying the resolution would jeopardize ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages—the same reason the United States gave before vetoing previous ceasefire resolutions.
‘In its current form, that text fails to support sensitive diplomacy in the region. Worse, it could actually give Hamas an excuse to walk away from the deal on the table,’ she said.
Friday’s text did not explicitly use the word ‘call,’ but simply stated that a ceasefire was imperative, and linked to ongoing talks, led by Qatar with support from the United States and Egypt, to halt fighting in return for Hamas releasing hostages.
‘If the US is serious about a ceasefire, then please vote in favor of the other draft resolution, clearly calling for a ceasefire,’ China’s representative, Zhang Jun, said.
Short-term inflation in Pakistan dipped to 29.06 per cent year-on-year by the week ending March 21, stepping down from its prolonged stint above 30 per cent for the past 18 weeks, as per recent official data.
The pullback in weekly inflation, tracked by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), was primarily attributed to a drop in the prices of key staples like tomatoes, onions, and potatoes. The SPI noted a 1.13 per cent week-on-week decrease as of March 21, down from 32.89 per cent recorded in the previous week.
This follows an unbroken 11-week stretch of inflation topping 40 per cent, starting from 29 per cent noted on November 8, 2023. The surge was largely fueled by upticks in gas prices, electricity tariffs, and essential kitchen item costs.
Weekly inflation peaked at a record 48.35 per cent year-on-year in early May 2023, before cooling off to as low as 24.4 per cent in late August 2023, only to surge past 40 per cent again by the week ending November 16, 2023.
Among the notable declines in prices on a week-on-week basis were tomatoes (36.73 per cent), onions (19.58 per cent), potatoes (4.02 per cent), garlic (2.87 per cent), pulse mash (1.25 per cent), wheat flour (1.02 per cent), sugar (0.95 per cent), pulse masoor (0.86 per cent), and diesel (0.60 per cent).
Conversely, significant increases were seen in the prices of LPG (1.49 per cent), shirting (0.74 per cent), beef (0.53 per cent), rice basmati broken (0.48 per cent), mutton (0.42 per cent), mustard oil (0.40 per cent), rice irri 6/9 (0.25 per cent), powdered milk (0.14 per cent), and georgette (0.03 per cent) compared to the previous week.
On an annual basis, notable price hikes were observed in gas charges for Q1 (570 per cent), chilli powder (86.05 per cent), gents sponge chappal (58.05 per cent), garlic (57.41 per cent), onions (54.65 per cent), gents sandal (53.37 per cent), gur (39.86 per cent), sugar (35.01 per cent), salt powder (33.29 per cent), energy saver (29.83 per cent), and pulse mash (27.31 per cent).
In contrast, certain items witnessed declines, with cooking oil 5-litre dropping by 21.35 per cent, followed by vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (18.48 per cent), vegetable ghee 1 kg (18.44 per cent), mustard oil (13.90 per cent), bananas (13.52 per cent), diesel (2.47 per cent), and cigarettes (0.06 per cent).
The short-term inflation, gauged through the SPI, stood at 323.50, compared to 327.21 in the preceding week and 250.66 a year ago. Comprising 51 items collected from 50 markets in 17 cities, the SPI is calculated weekly to monitor the prices of essential commodities and services at shorter intervals. Data indicates that prices of nine items increased, 17 items decreased, and 25 items remained stable compared to the previous week.
