Category: Sports

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  • Why did Saeed Anwar suddenly leave cricket? Mushtaq Ahmed has the answers

    Part of the 1992 World Cup winning team and former leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed has spilled the reason behind legendary opener Saeed Anwar’s sudden departure from cricket.

    “Former chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shehryar Khan asked me to talk to Saeed Anwar. ‘He should serve Pakistan; he is a big player.’ Pakistan has not yet produced an opener like Saeed Anwar.”

    “Well, I went to Saeed and said that Shehryar Sahib is saying to come and coach and become a selector. Saeed Anwar told me that I left this world with difficulty; I am a weak man, and it will be difficult for me to come back from there and go here again. I want to do the work of Allah’s religion; pray for me. I have left everything,” Mushtaq narrated.

    Saeed Anwar brought success to Pakistan thanks to many brilliant innings in his career, and people still remember his 194 runs innings against India.

    Saeed Anwar represented the country in 55 Tests and 247 One Day Internationals and scored 4052 and 8824 runs, respectively. He scored 20 centuries in the ODI while 11 in the Test.

  • Former Australian batsman to take retirement back to play against India

    Former Australian batsman to take retirement back to play against India

    Former Australian opener David Warner has offered to end his Test retirement to face India, saying he is available for the home Test series against India.

    David Warner said, “I sent a message to head coach Andrew Macdonald and chief selector George Bailey to come back.”

    Andrew MacDonald replied to me, “You’re retired.”

    I replied, “It’s true that I’m retired, but if they need someone so much, why should I be shy about presenting myself? I am always available.”

    Australia has to play a home test series against India, and Australia is facing difficulties at the top order.

    David Warner played the last Test of his career against Pakistan in Sydney in January.

  • ICC reveals plans for big changes in ODI, Test formats

    ICC reveals plans for big changes in ODI, Test formats

    International Cricket Council (ICC) officials have planned to make major changes to promote Test and ODI cricket.

    ICC has declared it important to ensure floodlight Test matches to make cricket more popular among fans. Officials are of the opinion that pink ball cricket will not only populate the grounds but also generate income from the sale of tickets.

    During the ICC World Test Championship, each country gets to play three Test match series; currently, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and, to some extent, Pakistan are getting only two Test match series each.

    On the contrary, England, India, and Australia are playing a series of at least three Test matches, which creates a difference in points distribution.

    Similarly, in the ODI cricket format, it is also thought that the use of two balls should be limited to the first 50 overs so that the ball gets a little old in the last overs, and the bowlers can also be helped.

    Currently, two new balls are allowed during 50 overs, but the latest suggestion is to use one ball for the first 25 overs and the second for the remaining 25 overs.

    Tenure Extension of Jay Shah:

    The recent International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting, held in Dubai, has revealed that the Board of Contol for Cricket in India (BCC) and its secretary, Jay Shah, plan to keep the chairman’s seat for six years.

    The ICC press release states that the tenure of the ICC Chairman and Independent Director might be increased from three years to six years.

    In August, Indian board secretary Jay Shah was elected unopposed as the president of the world governing body of cricket. ICC, which is likely further to strengthen India’s already ongoing monopoly on cricket.

    He will take over the post in December of this year from current chairman Greg Barclay, who decided not to take up the seat for the third time.

  • Sindh CM invites Argentinian football team to Lyari

    Sindh CM invites Argentinian football team to Lyari

    Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah has invited the Argentinian football team to visit Lyari, Karachi’s area famous not only for its football obsession but also for fans’ dedication to South American football teams, including Argentina.

    According to Express, during a meeting with the Ambassador of Argentina Sebastian Seuss, the Chief Minister and Ambassador discussed bilateral relations between Sindh and Argentina. According to the Chief Minister’s spokesperson, Argentinean investors will visit Sindh soon to interact with relevant departments.

    The CM Sindh highlighted profitable investment opportunities in Karachi’s water projects. He said that the Sindh government has received 50 million dollars from the World Bank for projects to treat salt water. He encouraged private investors to participate in treating seawater to provide clean water to citizens.

    The Ambassador of Argentina said that companies registered with the Argentine Stock Exchange are interested in investing in Sindh, especially in setting up warehouses. The Chief Minister has directed the Investment Department, Food Department and Irrigation Department to liaise with the Ambassador of Argentina.

    In a bid to promote cultural and sports ties, the Sindh Chief Minister invited the Argentinian football team to the Kukri Ground in Lyari. During the meeting, it was decided that a football team would also be developed in Sindh, and the main players of the Argentine national football team would participate in the training matches in Lyari.

  • TikTok partners with MLS for ‘Only Messi’ live stream

    TikTok partners with MLS for ‘Only Messi’ live stream

    TikTok has partnered with Major League Soccer (MLS), making a bigger push into sports. The platform will livestream Inter Miami’s captain Lionel Messi through a player spotlight cam in the upcoming Miami final.

    The cam will only capture Messi throughout the match.

    As per TikTok:

    “When Inter Miami CF begins its quest for the MLS Cup presented by Audi, the camera will be trained on Messi as he lights up the pitch. The Player Spotlight stream will live exclusively on @MLS and simulcast on @InterMiamiCF, beginning five minutes before kickoff. This will mark the first time TikTok has streamed an entire live soccer match with a single-player focus.”

    This will be the first time that TikTok will cover the entire match, focusing on a single player. Fans will be able to watch live stream on the official TikTok profile of MLS.

    Inter Miami will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Wild Card match, which is scheduled for October 22, 2024.

  • ICC press release skips mention of Champions Trophy 

    ICC press release skips mention of Champions Trophy 

    A Board meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) was held in Dubai where a presentation detailed preparations for Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be played in Pakistan.

    Later, the board issued a press release, but surprisingly, it did not mention Champions Trophy 2025, nor did it talk of any progress on the schedule of the event.

    Indian Cricket Board and its secretary, Jay Shah, plan to keep the ICC chairmanship for six years.

    Press Release Courtesy: ICC

    The ICC decided to conduct the Associate Members Series to improve the quality of women’s cricket and also decided to increase the number of women’s teams in future ICC events. The ICC Board also approved the new Future Tour program of Women’s Cricket 2025-29.

    The ICC press release said that the tenure of the ICC Chairman and Independent Director had been proposed to be increased from three years to six years.

    In August, Jay Shah was elected unopposed as the president of the world governing body of cricket, ICC, which is likely to further strengthen India’s already ongoing monopoly on cricket.

    Shah will take over the post in December this year from current chairman Greg Barclay who decided not to take up the post for the third time.

    “I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and the member countries to promote the game at the global level further,” Jay Shah has remarked.

    The ICC is the governing body of cricket and has more than 100 countries as its members. It is responsible for organizing global events such as the World Cup.

  • Fakhar Zaman makes new demand to PCB

    Fakhar Zaman makes new demand to PCB

    National left-handed opener batsman Fakhar Zaman has a new message for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    The batsman refused to play in the white ball series in Australia. According to Samaa’s reporter Qadir Khawaja, he has requested two months’ rest from the PCB in an email. Fakhar also complained to the international director at the connection camp.

    Earlier, the PCB selection committee had dropped Babar Azam from the last two matches of the home Test series against England, after which Fakhar posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) supporting Babar. Later, PCB sent a show-cause notice to Fakhar on his response.

    Now, he has submitted the response to the show cause notice sent by the PCB. The aggressive batter said, “Babar Azam is my friend and fellow player, subordinate to the PCB, and it is obligatory to accept the decisions. The intention of supporting Babar Azam was not to slander PCB or any other person.”

    “I am in central contract; I am getting a salary; I talked about Babar Azam’s cricket; I think Babar Azam should have been given a chance in difficult times. PCB is our institution, we respect it and will continue to do so”, he further added.

    Pakistan squad announcement for the tour of Australia is expected to be revealed today.

  • PCB selection committee approaches Muhammad Amir, claims senior journalist

    PCB selection committee approaches Muhammad Amir, claims senior journalist

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committe has approached fast bowler Muhammad Amir, asking about his availability for ODI cricket, journalist Aijaz Waseem Bukhari has claimed.

    Talking on his YouTube channel BBN Sports, he said, “Yesterday, I informed you that Muhammad Rizwan would be the captain. Today, there’s more news regarding the Pakistan-Australia series. The selection committee has made an important decision: senior players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah, who were dropped during the Bangladesh-England series due to poor performances, will likely be part of the squad for the challenging Australian tour.”

    “Australia is a strong team, especially on their home ground, and considering the current fragile state of Pakistan cricket, the selection committee feels it’s risky to send a young and inexperienced squad to face them. After the Australia tour, Pakistan will play Zimbabwe, where younger players are expected to get their chance”, he added.

    Talking about Muhammad Amir’s inclusion in the team, he said, “PCB selection committee is in contact with Muhammad Amir about his potential return to ODI cricket. A key update is that while Shadab Khan is being rested, some players, such as Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Haris, are likely to be part of the squad.”

    The Pakistan cricket team has to go on a tour of Australia next month for a white ball series.

    After the Australia tour, Pakistan will play three ODI and three T20 matches with Zimbabwe.

  • Saud, Shadab and Iftikhar Ahmed likely to be rested for Australia tour

    Saud, Shadab and Iftikhar Ahmed likely to be rested for Australia tour

    The selection committee of the Pakistan cricket team has finalized the national white ball squad, with new faces likely to be tried in the team.

    According to Samaa, Umair Bin Yusuf, Irfan Khan Niazi, Kamran Ghulam, Sufyan Muqeem, and Muhammad Hasnain are likely to join the team, while Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed might be dropped.

    Saud and Shadab are contenders for captaincy, along with Muhammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha.

    Sources said that head coach Gary Kirsten has refused to make Saud Shakeel part of the white-ball plan. However, he has not yet been informed about it.

    Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed are ruled out for poor performances, while Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are expected to be included. Babar and Shaheen were rested from the Test series against England.

    The announcement of the national white ball squad is expected today.

  • Rameez Raja blames Babar Azam for bad pitches

    Rameez Raja blames Babar Azam for bad pitches

    Former Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Rameez Raja has blamed Babar Azam for the bad pitches used during Australia’s tour of Pakistan.

    According to Geo, “The pitch during Australia’s tour of Pakistan and the Test series was prepared at the behest of Babar Azam. The preparation of the pitches and the selection of the players were done according to the strategy made by the captain.”

    The former PCB chairman said, “I always preferred captain’s strategy over pitch preparation and player selection. When Babar Azam was the captain, I asked him what is your plan. During the series against Australia, he prepared wickets according to the strategy.”

    “Babar was allowed to set the game plan and prepare his players accordingly, especially for the first Test match because he was the captain, and what happens on the ground is what the captain plans,” he added.

    Video Source: Twitter

    He said, “Without knowing the nature of the pitches, the result of playing the match by guessing is visible to everyone because without understanding the pitch, you cannot adopt any plan or strategy, and in the end, that thing leads to your loss. Pakistan is also going through the same situation, and the reason for the defeat at home is that the pitches don’t match Pakistan’s talent.”

    Rameez Raja served as PCB chairman from 2021 to 2022.