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  • History made in PSL; Three brothers in same team

    History made in PSL; Three brothers in same team

    History has been made in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine, with three brothers, all fast bowlers, joining the same team. After signing up pacer Naseem Shah, Islamabad United has also made his younger brothers Hunain and Ubaid Shah a part of their team.

    The player’s draft ceremony of PSL nine was held in Lahore in which the formation of teams for the ninth edition of Pakistan Super League 2024 was completed.

    Franchise owners, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Zaka Ashraf, and cricketers participated in the event.

    Naseem Shah’s younger brother Hunain Shah made a splash in the National T20 Cup while Ubaid Shah is part of the Pakistan Under-19 team that is currently playing in the Asia Cup in Dubai.

    Islamabad United named Hunain and Ubaid Shah in their emerging category squad for PSL nine. Naseem Shah left Quetta Gladiators and became a part of Islamabad United even before the draft.

    This is the first time that three brothers have been included in a team together and all three are fast bowlers.

  • Perth Test: Australia won the toss and decided to bat first against Pakistan

    Perth Test: Australia won the toss and decided to bat first against Pakistan

    In the first Test match between Pakistan and Australia in Perth, the host team won the toss and decided to bat first. Australia has scored 117 runs without loss in 25 overs before the lunch brake.

    Speaking on the occasion of the toss, the captain of the national Test team, Shan Masood said, “If I had won the toss, I would have batted first, two players are making their debut in our team in the first match against Australia”.

    Earlier, Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shehzad were given Test caps, and Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali gave Test caps to the players.

    Babar Azam was given a cap and a commemorative shield by the captain for playing his 50th Test.

    Pakistan’s squad:

    The national team decided to enter the field with four fast bowlers. The Pakistan team included captain Shan Masood, Imam ul Haque, Abdullah Shafiq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Aamir Jamal, and Khurram Shahzad.

    Australia’s squad:

    The Australian team consists of David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, captain Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyo,n and Josh Hazlewood.

    It should be noted that this series of three Test matches is being played for the Benaud–Qadir Trophy.

  • Shaheen Afridi appointed vice-captain of national Test team

    Shaheen Afridi appointed vice-captain of national Test team

    Shaheen Shah Afridi has been appointed as the vice-captain of Pakistan’s Test cricket team.

    The first Test match between Pakistan and Australia will start tomorrow in Perth. Shaan Masood will lead the national test team, and Shaheen Shah Afridi has been appointed as the vice-captain of the national Test team. The Pakistan Cricket Board has said that Shaheen Shah Afridi will serve as the vice-captain of the national team in the Test series against Australia.

    This test series is a part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship.

  • Shaan Masood becomes captain of Karachi Kings

    Shaan Masood becomes captain of Karachi Kings

    Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings has appointed national test team captain Shan Masood as the captain of their franchise.

    Talking during an event in Lahore on Wednesday, Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal said, “Shaan Masood will be the captain of the Karachi team. I think Shaan is a good leader. I request the Karachi fans to come to the stadium and support the team this year. They will try to win more matches and try to pick good players in the draft.”

    Karachi Kings congratulated Shaan Masood for taking over the leadership of the team on the social media platform ‘X’.

    The drafting ceremony of the players for edition 9 of the Pakistan Super League will be held today.

  • Video: President of Ankaragucu’s football team punched the referee

    Video: President of Ankaragucu’s football team punched the referee

    The president of the Ankaragucu’s football team punched the referee after a goal was scored in the extra time of the match. The Turkish Football Association has canceled matches in all Turkish football leagues after this incident.

    In the match between Turkish club Ankaragucu and Rizespor at the Eryaman Stadium on Monday, Ankaragucu’s team was leading by one goal after 90 minutes of the match.

    However, 7 minutes of injury time was given by the match referee, in the last minute of which, Risespor equalized the goal. This displeased to the Ankaragucu’s president Faruk Koca, and he entered the field and punched the match referee.

    Seeing this scene, there was a stampede in the field due to which the referee Balil Mailer was further injured, after which he was taken to the hospital for medical attention, where his condition is now out of danger.

    On Tuesday, the Turkish court ordered the arrest of Faruk Koca, while sending two other suspects to prison on remand for torture.

    Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan strongly condemned the incident and prayed for the referee’s speedy recovery.

    On the other hand, the Turkish Football Association condemned the incident and said that this was the most shameful day for Turkish football.

  • ‘I will fight’; Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja’s emotional message after ICC bans shoes supporting Palestine

    ‘I will fight’; Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja’s emotional message after ICC bans shoes supporting Palestine

    Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja released an emotional message on social media platform ‘X’ after International Cricket Council (ICC) banned him for wearing shoes on which a pro-Palestine slogan was written: “Freedom is everyone’s right and all lives are equal.”

    In his message Usman Khawaja said, “I won’t say much. I don’t need to. But what I do want is for everyone who did get offended somehow is to ask yourself these questions. It’s freedom, not for everyone. Our all lives are not equal. To me personally, it doesn’t matter what race, religion or culture you are. But let’s be honest about it. If me saying all lives are equal has resulted in people being offended to the point where they’re calling me up and telling me off. Well, isn’t that the bigger problem? These people obviously don’t believe in what I’ve written, and it’s not just a handful of people you’d be shocked about how many feel this way. What I’ve written on my shoes isn’t political. I’m not taking sides. Human life to me is equal.”

    The emotional star cricketer then said:

    “I’m just speaking up for those who don’t have a voice. This is close to my heart. When I see thousands of innocent children dying without any repercussions or remorse, I imagine my two girls. What if this was them? No one chooses where they’re born, and then I see the world turned their backs on him. My heart can’t take it. Already feel my life wasn’t equal to others when I was growing up. But luckily for me, I never lived in a world where that lack of inequality was life or death”.

    “The ICC have told me that I can’t wear my shoes on field because they believe it’s a political statement under their guidelines. I don’t believe it is so. It’s a humanitarian appeal. I will respect their view and decision, but I will fight it and seek to gain approval. Freedom is a human right”.

    A picture of Khawaja’s shoes with pro-Palestine, pro-equality slogan ‘All lives are equal’ went viral on social media.

  • Pakistan’s playing XI announced for first Test against Australia

    Pakistan’s playing XI announced for first Test against Australia

    The Pakistan cricket team has announced the playing eleven for the first Test against Australia, where they are currently on a tour that will include a three-match Test series, part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship.

    The Test series between the two teams will start from December 14 while the first match will be played in Perth Stadium.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management announced the playing eleven for the first Test on Wednesday, which includes two players who will make their Test debut- Amir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad.

    The national team will be led by Shan Masood, while other players include opener Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafiq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, wicket-keeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad.

  • ‘Puma’ will end sponsorship of Israeli football team

    Puma, the German company that manufactures sports products, has announced the end of its sponsorship of the Israeli football team.

    According to a report by Al Jazeera, Puma will end its sponsorship of Israel’s national football team in 2024, while a spokesperson from Puma said in a statement that the move had been planned since last year and was not related to the Gaza war and the ongoing boycott campaign against Israel.

    Puma has long faced calls to end its partnership with the Israel Football Association (IFA), but these demands have intensified amid Israeli brutality in Gaza.

    In a statement to Reuters, a Puma spokesman said the company’s contracts with several federations, including Serbia and Israel, were due to expire in 2024 and would not be renewed.

    The spokesperson said Puma will soon announce deals with several new teams as part of the improved strategy.

    Puma first struck a deal with the IFA to supply kits to Israeli players in 2018, with the sportswear firm facing calls for a boycott ever since.

    Media reports have claimed that Puma did not cite the Gaza war as the main reason for terminating the contract, but it seems that the company has taken this decision because of the growing global boycott campaign.

  • ‘Freedom is everyone’s right;’ Usman Khawaja shows solidarity with Palestine

    ‘Freedom is everyone’s right;’ Usman Khawaja shows solidarity with Palestine

    Before the first Test against Pakistan, Australia’s Usman Khawaja trained with the team wearing shoes with slogans of solidarity with the Palestinian people, ‘Freedom is everyone’s right and all lives are equal’. Usman Khawaja will wear the same shoes on the first day of the Test match against Pakistan.

    Keeping in view the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules and regulations, it is too early to say whether Usman Khawaja will be able to wear the shoes with the alleged political message.

    According to the ICC Code of Conduct, players and team officials are not allowed to wear armbands, clothing or display anything on any equipment that carries a political, religious, or ethnic message.

    Recently in World Cup 2023, Pakistani wicketkeeper batsman Muhammad Rizwan tweeted in favor of Gaza. A case was also filled against Rizwan in India for praying Namaz during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

    In 2014, England all-rounder Moin Ali was asked to remove a wristband with the words ‘Save Gaza’ and ‘Free Palestine’ during a Test match against India.

  • Fakhar Zaman will be part of Lahore Qalandars for PSL 9

    Fakhar Zaman will be part of Lahore Qalandars for PSL 9

    Pakistani cricketer Fakhar Zaman will be part of Lahore Qalandars for Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine.

    Lahore Qalandars chief executive officer (CEO) Atif Rana, while talking to Geo News, said, “Fakhar Zaman became the pride of Pakistan from Lahore Qalandars, and how can it be that he is not a part of the Qalandars family? He will play for Lahore Qalandars.”

    Stressing that he’s excited about the PSL draft, Rana said player development works all year long and now it’s time to announce the names of players for the player development program. “We have good options, two-time champions Lahore Qalandars will give a tough time this time too.”

    Observing that some of the big names have not played in PSL before, Rana said the famous cricketers who joined were at the end of their careers, including AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum, and Chris Gayle.

    According to CEO Lahore Qalandars, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Rizwan, and Babar Azam are the big names of the world who are in action in PSL.