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  • PSL 9 trade: Iftikhar joins Multan Sultans, Rilee Rossouw moves to Quetta Gladiators

    PSL 9 trade: Iftikhar joins Multan Sultans, Rilee Rossouw moves to Quetta Gladiators

    In what is the most surprising move of the HBL Pakistan Super League 9 trade window, Multan Sultans have snapped Iftikhar Ahmed, while Rilee Rossouw has moved to Quetta Gladiators.

    The trade deal with Quetta Gladiators also sees Multan Sultans get the first pick in the platinum round one in exchange for Rilee Rossouw and the first Silver category pick.

    Iftikhar has evolved into a formidable all-rounder for his power-hitting and foxy off-spin. He brings the experience of 229 T20 matches and 4,476 runs. He also has a century in the format to go with 30 half-centuries. Since the start of his career in October 2010, the muscular batter has been smashing a boundary every 6.75 balls. He recently reached the 50-wicket landmark and his economy stands at 7.31.

    Iftikhar Ahmed said in press statment: “I am delighted to become a Sultan. It is an honor for me to represent the people of Multan as their passion for this game is second to none. Multan Sultans have evolved into a strong team and their record in the last three seasons speak for itself. Now, it is my ambition to help them bag the prestigious HBL PSL trophy.”

    Multan Sultan’s captain Muhammad Rizwan said: “I am very excited to welcome Iftikhar Ahmed. He brings outstanding all-round skills, which we need to be a champion team. He was not only his on-field skills that made us finalize this trade, but he is also a brilliant team player who uplifts dressing rooms with his presence. We are eager to put together a set of players whose skills are in sync with our positive, bold and aggressive brand of cricket.”

    Chief executive Ali Khan Tareen said: “Multan Sultans have always had experienced and aggressive batters in the middle order and that has been one of the keys to our success. With our focus on developing and protecting a domestic core, Iftikhar Ahmed aka Iftimania is the best middle order hitter in Pakistan. He adds destructive power against spin and pace and brings calmness with years of experience.”

    “I also want to thank Rilee Rossouw for giving us some incredible memories. While he will not be in our dressing room this season, we will definitely remember him for his services to the franchise. Wherever he will go, he will always be remembered for his time at Multan Sultans, as once you become a Sultan, you always stay a Sultan.”

    Amidst this, Ali Tareen and Iftikhar had an interesting interaction on X (formerly Twitter).

    General Manager Hijab Zahid said, “After putting together a highly professional, knowledgeable and skillful coaching staff, we are now committed to getting together the best set of players. I am sure our passionate, cricket-loving fans will be over the moon when we announce our complete retention list in due course.”

    Head coach Abdul Rehman declared it the biggest trade deal in the history of the HBL PSL.

    He further said, “I am delighted to welcome Iftikhar Ahmed to our camp. I have seen Iftikhar grow into a fabulous cricketer and considering the match-winner he has become, every coach wants to have him in his team.”

    “We will definitely miss Rilee Rossouw who has been an outstanding team player and has had a great role in taking us to where this franchise is today. Rilee was our Mr dependable and whenever we wanted him to deliver, he got the job done for us. We wish Rilee well for everything that is ahead of him.”

  • What upgrade has Pakistan Cricket Board made to Shan Masood’s central contract?

    What upgrade has Pakistan Cricket Board made to Shan Masood’s central contract?

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has upgraded the central contract of national Test team captain Shan Masood.

    The board has decided as part of its policy that if any player on a central contract who is below the A or B category becomes captain, his contract will be shifted to the B category till he captains. doing. As per PCB policy, Shan Masood has been upgraded from D to B category after upgrading the central contract.

    The 34-year-old Shan Masood was appointed the captain of the Pakistan Test team on November 15 and has been made the captain till the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship 2023-25.

  • Amir Khan’s welfare program canceled for supporting Gaza

    Amir Khan’s welfare program canceled for supporting Gaza

    The British University refused to host British Pakistani ex-boxer Amir Khan, who collected donations for Gaza, and to organize a welfare program in the university.

    Amir shared the screenshots of the email on Instagram. The email shared in this post shows that the university has canceled the fundraising program for being anti-Semitic.

    The e-mail said “Through the British newspaper Jewish Chronicle (JC), they came to know that an event of his is being held on December 16 at Queen Mary University of London on the subject of ‘An evening with Amir Khan’. We learned that you signed a statement just two days after the recent attack by Hamas on Israel, defending the right of Palestinians to carry out armed resistance against Israel and denied the actions of Hamas as terrorist acts”.

    The statement that Amir signed ‘called for the release of Palestinian prisoners and described Israel as a colonial state that is committing genocide’.

    It should be noted that next month, on December 16, a fundraising event at Queen Mary University of London was organized to which Aamir Khan was invited along with Red Bridge Islamic Center’s Imam Asim Khan who was nominated as the main speaker.

    According to Amir Khan, all these tactics are being used to defame him. The former boxer has reiterated his commitment to continue supporting Palestine.

  • Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid’s contract has extend

    Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid’s contract has extend

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the contract of Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid.

    In a statement on ‘Bcci.TV BCCI’ said, “There was a useful discussion with Rahul Dravid on the contract issue”. Rahul Dravid’s contract expired at the end of the World Cup.

    BCCI Secretary Jay Shah says that there is no one better than Rahul Dravid for the post of head coach. Rahul Dravid proved his selection right with the performance of the team for the World Cup 2023.

  • PSL 9 draft; Imad Wasim joins Islamabad United, Hassan Ali join Karachi Kings

    PSL 9 draft; Imad Wasim joins Islamabad United, Hassan Ali join Karachi Kings

    Former Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim will play for Islamabad United in Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9 while fast bowler Hasan Ali has moved to Karachi Kings. Islamabad United has included Imad Wasim in place of Hasan Ali for PSL 9.

    Shadab Khan will remain the captain of Islamabad United, while Imad Wasim will play for Islamabad United as a player. On the other hand, fast bowler Hasan Ali will represent Karachi Kings in the upcoming edition of the event.

  • Ronaldo displays sportsman spirit in viral video

    Ronaldo displays sportsman spirit in viral video

    During a Saudi Pro League match between Al-Nasr and Iranian club Persepolis in Riyadh on Monday, Cristiano Ronaldo, the superstar footballer from Portugal and the striker of Saudi club Al-Nasr won everyone’s hearts by showing his sportsmanship in the Saudi Pro League match.

    Ronaldo apparently fell after colliding with a player from the opposing team in the second minute of the match. Referee Ma-Ning then awarded a penalty to Ronaldo, but Ronaldo stated that the fault was not of the defender and refused to take the penalty kick. On this, the referee changed his decision after rewatching the incident on a monitor.

    Refusing to take a penalty kick is rare in football, which is why Ronaldo has been widely praised for showing great sportsmanship. The match between the two teams ended in a draw.

  • ‘Babar is our batting leader, no one will challenge his position’: Shan Masood

    ‘Babar is our batting leader, no one will challenge his position’: Shan Masood

    Pakistan Test team captain Shan Masood has said that former captain Babar Azam, is an excellent batsman and the team’s batting leader, stressing that, “No one will challenge his batting position,” as the team readies for departure to Australia.

    While addressing a press conference in Lahore, Shan Masood said, “The Australian series is a challenge for all of us, the World Test Championship has started, and we are off to a good start and will try to play the final.”

    Regarding his return to the team, Shan Masood said, “I was dropped after the tour of New Zealand, It took me time to come back. I am back after a year and a half but I tried to contribute whenever I got a chance.”

    He said, “Playing for Pakistan is a big thing, captaining is even bigger but captaincy is a temporary thing, we should try to play well by showing responsibility, and we will try to perform well in Australia. Our team is not a brand-new team, it’s a balanced team.”

    Stating that Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafiq are playing well together, Masood said he plays at number three domestically. Talking about Saim Ayub, the captain said he is a talented youngster, his batting approach is excellent.

    The captain of the national team said. “We will take responsibility for the results, and we will improve what is not going well, there is criticism but we will definitely see constructive criticism.”

    Shan Masood said, “Captaining Multan Sultans in the presence of Andy Flower was the turning point for me and captaining Derbyshire also gave me a lot of experience.”

    On the question about Babar Azam, the captain of the national team said “The relationship with Babar Azam has always been good, we have been playing together for a long time, me and Babar have a very good understanding, Babar Azam is our batting leader.

    “Sarfraz Ahmed has been a successful captain, I have played a lot of cricket with Sarfaraz Ahmed and it is very good to have him in the team. The combination will be decided according to the conditions there.”

    Shaan Masood said, “Not having Naseem Shah is a big loss for us, I wish that Haris Rauf would also be a part of the team with us but he is not available.”

  • Three new foreign coaches appointed for Pakistan cricket team

    Three new foreign coaches appointed for Pakistan cricket team

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the names of the Pakistan team management and coaching staff for the tour of Australia, after Mickey Arthur and his team departed following a dismal World Cup tour.

    The PCB has appointed three foreign coaches for the tour of Australia, namely, Adam Hollioake as Batting Coach, Simon Grant Helmot as High-Performance Coach, and Drikus Saaiman as strength and conditioning coach/Trainer.

    The Pakistan cricket team will leave for Down Under on November 30, where they will play a three-match test series. The first Test between Pakistan and Australia will be played in Perth from December 14 to 18. The second Test will be played in Melbourne from December 26 to 30, while Sydney will host the third Test from January 3 to 7.

  • Amir and Imad refused to play for Pakistan, claims Muhammad Hafeez

    Amir and Imad refused to play for Pakistan, claims Muhammad Hafeez

    Pakistan cricket team’s Director, former batsman Muhammad Hafeez, has revealed that he personally called fast bowlers Muhammad Amir and Imad Wasim but both refused to play for Pakistan again.

    “The first priority of centrally contracted players is availability for the country, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir were also contacted but they were not available,” Hafeez said in press conference.

    He stated that Imad Wasim had not signed the central contract, so Hafeez called him and told him, “You are in our plan and we want you to represent Pakistan. He took time and replied two days later that he was not available for the tour of New Zealand, while two days after this message he announced his retirement from international cricket.”

    Hafeez then elaborated that he called fast bowler. Muhammad Amir and said that he wants to play for Pakistan, he should withdraw his retirement and play domestically and join the team after performing well. “I told Amir that you would be given equal opportunities, to which he refused and replied that I have moved on in life and think it is better to play international leagues instead of Pakistan team. Everyone including Ahmed Shahzad and Mohammad Zahid both are in our mind, everyone should wait for their turn in a positive manner, everyone will get a chance, no injustice will be done to anyone. I understand everything, I will definitely respond to criticism.”

    Calling the Australia tour “challenging”, Hafeez stressed that the team is ready for it. “Players will give the best results in Australia. All are eager to give a good performance, a clear mindset will bring better results,” he observed.

    He said that the job of the team director is to make a plan and the support staff to follow it, there is no need for a head coach in this setup.

  • Senior media manager quits PCB; joins Multan Sultans

    Senior media manager quits PCB; joins Multan Sultans

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) media manager Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi resigned from his position and has joined the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans.

    Ahsan shared a post on X (former Twitter) on Tuesday stating, “After working at the Pakistan Cricket Board for around 4.5 years, I have decided to move on. It has been an incredible journey, which provided me fabulous opportunities to witness how the game actually works, learn tricks of the trade by being right in the middle of the storm, and witness some historic and iconic developments.

    Getting to don the star has been a great honour and privilege for me. As it is the case in the role I worked in, I have had good and some not-so- good days. The high-pressure environments and last-minute crisis made the job super exciting, and I always made sure to deliver with dignity, integrity and by upholding the moral values which I hold dear to me.
    This note would be incomplete if I do not thank my colleagues at the board and the subsequent Pakistan teams – both men’s and women’s. They really turned this into a wonderful experience”.

    Ahsan has now joined Multan Sultans as the Head of Media and Communications.

    It is pertinent to mention that earlier during the World Cup 2023, Muhammad Rizwan dedicated the win against Sri Lanka to the victims in Gaza that stirred debate. Former cricketer Rashid Latif claims Rizwan faced pressure from authorities to delete the tweet which he refused to do leading to the dismissal of Media Manager Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, who was replaced by Umer Kalson. Kalson, the incoming media manager following Nagi’s departure, was already under investigation for his visit to a casino during an official trip to Colombo.