Author: newsdesk

  • Mohsin Naqvi reveals why Fakhar Zaman dropped from central contract

    Mohsin Naqvi reveals why Fakhar Zaman dropped from central contract

    Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has explained the reason behind sacking Fakhar Zaman from the central contract.

    Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, October 27, Naqvi said, “Any national team player cannot go around tweeting his opinion on decisions made by the selection committee.”

    Fakhar Zaman had tweeted in support of Babar Azam before the second Test match against England, after Babar was dropped from the side due to poor form. Fakhar wroite, “Dropping Babar would send a negative message to the Test team.” In his tweet, Fakhar also mentioned Virat Kohli, comparing the struggles of both players.

    Muhammad Rizwan appointed captain:

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made wicketkeeper batsman Muhammad Rizwan the captain of ODI and T20 teams.

    Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi announced the captain and vice-captain of the ODI and T20 teams while holding a press conference in Lahore.

    Mohsin Naqvi said, “The board has made Mohammad Rizwan the captain of the ODI and T20 team, while Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the vice-captain of the ODI and T20 team.”

    Chairman PCB said, “The selection committee worked very hard on the central contract, the selection committee worked non-stop in the last two tests, and the selection committee had a big hand in the victory. I will praise them.”

    Mohsin Naqvi said, “We want Babar Azam to return to form. Babar Azam is an asset of Pakistan. Babar contacted me and said that he doesn’t want to play as a captain. Babar Azam had a decision; he wanted to focus on the game.”

    Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squad for the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe. The Pakistan team will play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) in Australia, while the tour of Zimbabwe will also feature three ODIs and three T20Is.

    According to a statement by the PCB, Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi will be rested for the tour of Zimbabwe, while PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi will announce the captain for the white-ball teams.

    Performers from domestic cricket have been given more importance for the Zimbabwe tour.

    For the Australia tour, the ODI squad includes Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Additionally, Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, and Mohammad Hasnain are part of the team. Haseebullah, Mohammad Irfan Khan, and Naseem Shah.

    The T20 squad includes Babar Azam, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, and Jehandad Khan. Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Umair bin Yousaf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan.

  • Muhammad Rizwan appointed ODI, T20 captain

    Muhammad Rizwan appointed ODI, T20 captain

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made wicketkeeper batsman Muhammad Rizwan the captain of ODI and T20 teams.

    Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi announced the captain and vice-captain of the ODI and T20 team while holding a press conference in Lahore.

    Mohsin Naqvi said, “The board has made Mohammad Rizwan the captain of the ODI and T20 team, while Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the vice-captain of the ODI and T20 team.”

    Chairman PCB said, “The selection committee worked very hard on the central contract, the selection committee worked non-stop in the last two tests, the selection committee has a big hand in the victory. I will praise them.”

    Mohsin Naqvi said, “We want Babar Azam to return to form. Babar Azam is an asset of Pakistan. Babar contacted me and said that he doesn’t want to play as a captain. Babar Azam had a decision; he wanted to focus on the game.”

    On the question regarding Fakhar Zaman, Mohsin Naqvi said, “There is an issue of Fakhar Zaman’s tweet, but the problem is more about fitness. Fakhar Zaman’s show-cause is also a problem.”

    Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squad for the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe. The Pakistan team will play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) in Australia, while the tour of Zimbabwe will also feature three ODIs and three T20Is.

    According to a statement by the PCB, Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi will be rested for the tour of Zimbabwe, while PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi will announce the captain for the white-ball teams.

    Performers from domestic cricket have been given more importance for the Zimbabwe tour.

    For the Australia tour, the ODI squad includes Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Additionally, Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, and Mohammad Hasnain are part of the team. Haseebullah, Mohammad Irfan Khan, and Naseem Shah.

    The T20 squad includes Babar Azam, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, and Jehandad Khan. Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Umair bin Yousaf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan.

  • Pakistan squad announced for Australia, Zimbabwe tour

    Pakistan squad announced for Australia, Zimbabwe tour

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squad for the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe. The Pakistan team will play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) in Australia, while the tour of Zimbabwe will also feature three ODIs and three T20Is.

    According to a statement by the PCB, Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi will be rested for the tour of Zimbabwe, while PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi will announce the captain for the white-ball teams.

    Performers from domestic cricket have been given more importance for the Zimbabwe tour.

    For the Australia tour, the ODI squad includes Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Additionally, Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, and Mohammad Hasnain are part of the team. Haseebullah, Mohammad Irfan Khan, and Naseem Shah.

    The T20 squad includes Babar Azam, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, and Jehandad Khan. Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Umair bin Yousaf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan.

  • PCB excludes star players from 2024-25 central contracts

    PCB excludes star players from 2024-25 central contracts

    The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a central contract for 25 national players, but many important players failed to get the contract.

    PCB has offered central contracts to 25 national players, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, in the A category, while Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have been placed in the B category.

    Apart from this, the players who have been offered a central contract include Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha and Shan Masood. Sajid Khan, who bowled brilliantly in the Test series against England, has also been offered a C category, while Noman Ali’s offer of central contract is subject to fitness.

    However, some important players have failed to get the national central contract this time.

    All-rounder Muhammad Nawaz, former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and all-rounder Imad Wasim did not get the central contracts. Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed and Ehsanullah have also been dropped from the central contracts.

    Apart from this, Tayyab Tahir, Shahnawaz Dhani, Mohammad Haris and Zaman Khan have also lost their contract. Arshad Iqbal, Hasan Ali, Osama Mir, Fakhar Zaman and Imamul Haq also could not get the contract.

    The fitness tests of Fakhar Zaman, Imamul Haq, and Usama Mir will be retaken in a few days. Three players are not in the central contract after failing the initial fitness test, the inclusion of the three players in the contract will be reviewed after the fitness test.

    Sources say that till now, there is no such player who has refused to take the central contract.

  • Daily round-up: Oct. 27, 2024

    Daily round-up: Oct. 27, 2024

    1. In general, people believe that the more secluded and mildly populated a place is, the less polluted and corrupted it would be. But it seems like that is not always the case because surprisingly, all water samples collected from the beautiful region of Gilgit have been found to be 100 per cent contaminated, making the water unsuitable for drinking.

      Similarly, samples from the Sindh cities of Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad are also deemed completely unsafe for human consumption.

      Details presented by the Ministry of Water Resources in the National Assembly reveal that 94% of drinking water in Multan, 93% in Karachi, and 92% in Badin is contaminated.

      In Bahawalpur, 76% of the water is polluted, while Sargodha has 83% unsafe water, and Faisalabad and Sheikhupura report 59% and 60%, respectively, of their water being unfit for drinking.

      In Abbottabad and Khuzdar, 55% of the water is contaminated, with Loralai and Quetta showing 59%. Meanwhile, 80% of drinking water in Hyderabad, 67% in Sukkur, and 70% in Muzaffar is also unsafe.

      Following the 18th Amendment, the responsibility for ensuring safe drinking water and enhancing its quality now lies with the provincial governments.

      2. According to the World Justice Project’s (WJP) Rule of Law Index for 2024, Pakistan has ~ slightly ~ improved, climbing one spot to rank 129th out of (wait for it…) 142 countries evaluated.

        In the global category of order and security, Pakistan ranks 140th i.e. the third worst in the world.

        Regionally, Pakistan is fifth out of six South Asian countries evaluated and while an overall score indicates decline from 2019 to 2023, the 2024 report shows a change in this trend after five years of decline.

        3. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that Pakistan’s inflation rate, which has decreased from 29% to 12.6% this year, will further fall to 10.6% by 2025, according to Jihad Azour, the IMF’s Director for the Middle East and Central Asia.

          In a recent statement regarding Pakistan’s economic outlook, Azour noted that the country’s economy is anticipated to grow at a rate of 3.2% in the 2024-25 fiscal year, indicating a positive sign of economic recovery.

          4. New Zealand defeated India in the second Test to take a decisive lead of 2-0 in the three-match series.

            In the match played in Pune, New Zealand defeated India by 113 runs.

            Chasing New Zealand’s 359 runs on the third day of play, the Indian team was bowled out for 245 runs.

            After 12 years, India has lost a Test series at home.

            5. According to the recent data by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the local manufacturing sector maintained its upward trend in September 2024, with domestic companies producing or assembling 2.15 million units.

              22.59 million locally manufactured or assembled mobile phones were sold in nine months which marks a 74% year-on-year increase.

            1. PCB to announce separate captains for T20, ODI

              PCB to announce separate captains for T20, ODI

              The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to appoint separate captains for T20 and ODI formats. All-rounder Salman Ali Agha is expected to be named the ODI captain.

              According to ARY, a selection committee and management meeting chaired by the PCB Chairman was held, where wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was decided to be given the T20 captaincy.

              Sources have indicated that the squad for the series against Australia and Zimbabwe will be announced tomorrow, and discussions are ongoing regarding the inclusion of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah.

              The meeting also covered central contracts and player selection for the Australia and Zimbabwe series, with suggestions given by the selection committee regarding the team and captain.

              After the meeting chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, he met with cricketer Salman Agha. Later, he also summoned Mohammad Rizwan for a meeting, which was attended by the coaches as well. The PCB Chairman will announce the decisions in a press conference tomorrow afternoon.

            2. Gold price in Pakistan surges by Rs2,000 per tola after two-day decline

              Gold price in Pakistan surges by Rs2,000 per tola after two-day decline

              Gold price in Pakistan resumed its upward trend on Saturday after dropping in the previous two trading sessions.

              According to the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), which releases gold rates on a daily basis, the price of the precious metal increased by Rs2,000 per tola to Rs284,300. 

              The ten-gramme gold price was also recorded up by Rs1,714, reaching Rs243,741, which means the gold rate currently stands at Rs24,374 per gramme in Pakistani market. 

              Silver prices in the country remained unchanged and were traded at Rs3,350 per tola. 

              Gold prices also increased in the international market as the price per ounce was recorded at $2,748 after observing an increase of $22. 

              Notably, before today’s gain, the gold price had increased for seven straight sessions before witnessing a decline on October 24 and 25. The gold price recorded a total loss of Rs3,100 per tola this week, falling Rs2,300 per tola on Thursday and Rs800 per tola on Friday. 

              Interestingly, the gold rate in Pakistan was recorded at its historic peak of Rs285,400 per tola. The latest price of gold is about Rs1,100 lower than the historic high observed this week. 

              As gold is considered a hedge against economic and political uncertainties, the demand for the yellow metal is on the rise internationally as Middle East tensions and uncertainty regarding the upcoming US election spurred demand for safe-haven assets.

            3. Nabeel Zafar shares story behind Hina Dilpazeer’s ‘Momo’ in Bulbulay

              Nabeel Zafar shares story behind Hina Dilpazeer’s ‘Momo’ in Bulbulay

              Beloved family sitcom ‘Bulbulay’ has captured the hearts of viewers for over 15 years because of its unique humor and memorable characters.

              Celebrating 15 years of Bulbulay, actor and producer Nabeel Zafar appeared as a guest on FHM podcast hosted by Adnan Faisal and shared an exciting story about his on-screen mother rand fellow colleague Hina Dilpazeer, who plays the character of Momo in the show.

              “When I called Hina, we had previously worked together on the telefilm ‘Burns Road Ki Nilofar,’ which was very successful. In that project, we had scenes together and it was a very good telefilm. People knew ‘Burns Road Ki Nilofar’, so I called her and said, ‘Look, you might be two or four years younger than me, but the role is of a mother.’ To which she said, ‘No, no, no, I will do it’.”

              Zafar also reflected on the challenges of keeping the show fresh after so many years. “For 15 years, it’s been the same sitcom. Let me ask you, how do we keep our minds from getting dull while working together for 15 years? We just sit, read, and try to understand it. And then it starts making sense, believe me.”

              “The problem is that you can repeat your old work only in places where your work hasn’t been repeated. So, this is our luck or, in some way, a problem in terms of production, that the channel, ARY, shows the same episode three times a day. We’ve completed over 700 episodes and they keep showing them again and again,” the Sar-e-Rah actor said.

              Bulbulay is written by Ali Imran and Saba Hassan and directed by Rana Rizwan. The cast of Bulbulay includes Mehmood Aslam, Ayesha Omer, Nabeel Zafar and Hina Dilpazeer.

               Earlier, actress Hina Dilpazeer shared a surprising revelation during a recent interview, stating that Bollywood star Anil Kapoor was a fan of her work.

              During her appearance as a guest on the show ‘Zabardast’, where she talked about how a Bollywood actor admired her.

              “Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, after watching my drama ‘Quddusi Sahab Ki Bewah,’ appreciated my work and invited me for a project. There were talks about an Indian film as well, but due to the political situation between the two countries, I couldn’t take on the project. If another offer comes, I will work there,” she states.

              Hina also described a bitter experience from a private award show, which later turned into a heartwarming moment.

              Narrating the incident, she said, “Once, I was invited abroad with the promise of receiving an award at a show, but the award was later given to someone else.”

              She continued, “I can never forget the humiliation I felt at that moment. But later that night, as everyone was returning with their awards, the hotel lobby was filled with my fans, including mentally and physically challenged children who loved my character ‘Momo.’”

              She further shared, “At that time, I wasn’t wearing ‘Momo’s’ signature glasses, so a child gave me his glasses in fear and hid behind his mother. I wore those glasses and performed as Momo for the children. Seeing the smiles on their faces instantly cooled my anger. I forgave everyone who mistreated me, and asked Allah for forgiveness because maybe He brought me abroad for this purpose.”

            4. Pakistani actors have attitude, Indian actors are friendly: Faysal Quraishi

              Pakistani actors have attitude, Indian actors are friendly: Faysal Quraishi

              Actor Faysal Quraishi praised Indian actors and called them friendly in his recent podcast.

              “In India, a major event was held for Salman Khan’s unofficial organisation, Being Human, where actors from Pakistan were also invited, along with Indian actors in attendance,” he recalled.

              “I was surprised to see we were meeting Indian actors. The first meeting was with Sohail Khan and Sunil Shetty, who were gyming, and they started talking to me as if we were childhood friends,” he said.

              “Later, I met with Salman Khan, Chunky Pandey, and Javed Jaffrey – all were all very nice, asking for pictures,” he added.

              “The Indian actors were having a lot of fun. I see a bit of arrogance in our Pakistani actors, while the Indian actors were very friendly, so we were a little surprised because they were very welcoming,” Quraishi believes.

            5. ‘Balanced judge’: PTI’s Sher Afzal Marwat all praise for Chief Justice Yahya Afridi

              ‘Balanced judge’: PTI’s Sher Afzal Marwat all praise for Chief Justice Yahya Afridi

              Hours after Yahya Afridi was sworn in as the 30th chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and lawmaker Sher Afzal Khan Marwat has praised him for his neutral role and for being balanced.

              Speaking to media in Islamabad, Marwat said that he had appeared before Yahya Afridi for more than 20 years, and he was an “extremely balanced judge”.

              “I offer my congratulations to Yahya Afridi for the CJP role, and PTI was not opposed to his appointment as CJP,” he said.

              “Our only issue was that the principle of seniority should not be violated in the appointment of the apex court’s top judge,” Marwat said while clarifying his party’s concerns over the appointment of the third senior-most judge as the CJP instead of senior-most Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.

              Earlier in the day, Justice Yahya Afridi was sworn in as the new CJP following the retirement of Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Justice Afridi was nominated by a special parliamentary committee formed under the 26th Amendment.

              The committee consisted of 12 members, including eight from the National Assembly and four from the Senate, who nominated Justice Afridi as the next CJP. After President Asif Ali Zardari’s assent, Yahya Afridi was officially appointed as the first CJP under new SC rules.