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  • ‘When you have your crowd then you get the support’: Saud Shakeel

    ‘When you have your crowd then you get the support’: Saud Shakeel

    Pakistan paid a heavy price for being “under extra pressure” in their World Cup defeat by arch-rivals India, said batsman Saud Shakeel, who Wednesday lamented the absence of the team’s passionate supporters from the tournament.

    Pakistan were thrashed by seven wickets on Saturday at Ahmedabad’s 132,000-capacity stadium where there was only a handful of Pakistani supporters.

    Babar Azam’s team slumped from a solid 155-2 in the 30th over to be dismissed for a paltry 191.

    “I think we were under extra pressure so we tried to get out of that and wanted to play shots,” Shakeel told AFP on Wednesday.

    The smattering of Pakistani fans at the game were expatriates from the United Kingdon and United States.

    Supporters from across the border are effectively banned after a failure to gain visas.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday lodged an official complaint with the world governing body over the visa delays which have also kept many members of the country’s media at home.

    The PCB also complained over what they described as the “inappropriate behaviour” of Indian fans towards the Pakistan squad at the Ahmedabad game.

    “When you have your crowd then you get the support. We did not get that and it was not in our hands,” added Shakeel.

    Despite an eighth loss in eight World Cup meetings with their arch-rivals, Pakistan are still well-placed in the tournament after wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.

    Middle-order batsman Shakeel scored 68 against the Netherlands before making 31 in the game with Sri Lanka. He was out for just six against India.

    Next up for Pakistan is another high-profile duel, this time with five-time champions Australia in Bengaluru on Friday.

    “The mistakes we committed in the last game, we must overcome them. That match is gone. If we win against Australia then our position will get better,” added Shakeel.

    “Australia are always good in the World Cup. They are a very good side. We know our strong areas and we must play good cricket.”

    “We had a good start to the tournament with two wins. We want to go match by match and not commit the mistakes we did against India.”

    On Wednesday, all the Pakistan players with the exception of Mohammad Haris trained in Bengaluru.

    Haris is still suffering from a fever which laid low many of the squad when they arrived from Ahmedabad.

    Star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and opener Abdullah Shafique were the worst hit but were present in the nets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

  • Meet the Indian hairdresser who has played with Inzamam ul Haq and Younas Khan

    Meet the Indian hairdresser who has played with Inzamam ul Haq and Younas Khan

    The Pakistan Cricket Team is in Bengaluru, India, for the World Cup and here you will meet a hairdresser who was a cricketer in the past. Daniel has bowled to Pakistan’s chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq and former captain Younis Khan in the nets and now he is styling cricketer’s hair.

    Daniel shared memories of Pakistan’s tour of India in 2005 and said, “I have fond memories with Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq, I was a net bowler and a left-arm spinner.” He recounted that he was once making Inzamam-ul-Haq bowl in the nets, when the batting great missed the first ball, after which he got very angry. “On the next ball, he played such a powerful shot that the ball went out of the ground and nobody could find it.”

    When asked why did Daniel choose to have Pakistani players bowl the net, the former cricketer said that a lot of bowlers used to make the Indian team bowl at that time. “Muhammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh, etc., were very serious, but on the contrary, the Pakistani team was very cool.”

    Daniel said that Pakistani players used to joke with each other, mentioning that all-rounder Abdul Razzaq had a great sense of humor, and they all accepted Daniel very quickly. “Younis Khan used to talk to me a lot, and encouraged me to come to Pakistan,” he said.

    When asked about the hairstyles of the Pakistani team, Daniel said, ”Mohammad Rizwan’s hairstyle is quite good, besides Babar Azam’s style is quite trendy. I also like Shaheen’s hairstyle according to his face. Imam-ul-Haq needs to change his hair style.”

  • Multan Sultans appointed first ever woman coach in PSL history

    Multan Sultans appointed first ever woman coach in PSL history

    For the first time in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), a woman has been appointed as a bowling coach.

    PSL team Multan Sultans has appointed former Ireland cricketer Catherine Dalton as their fast bowling coach after which she became the first woman coach in the history of PSL. Dalton is also the first female bowling coach of the men’s team at the top level. Born in England, Catherine gained Irish citizenship in 2015, playing four ODIs and four T20 Internationals.

    Catherine Dalton is an ICB Level Three Advanced Coach and has also coached at the National Fast Bowling Academy in England. Also, Kathryn worked with bowlers like India’s Deepak Chahar at the Peace Foundation.

    On being given the coaching responsibilities in the PSL, Catherine Dalton said, “I am excited to work with Multan Sultans in the PSL.”

  • ‘I am helpless’: boxer Amir Khan opens up on war on Gaza

    ‘I am helpless’: boxer Amir Khan opens up on war on Gaza

    Pakistani-born British boxer Amir Khan expressed his anger at Israel’s ongoing brutality in Palestine, asking why nothing is being done to stop the attacks on Gaza.

    Issuing a statement on X, Amir Khan said, “The hospital was bombed in Gaza last night, innocent people including children are being killed, and world leaders should raise their voices on Gaza and take action”.

    He wrote, “Seeing these videos every day breaks my heart, I am helpless, I never thought that I would see a war crime in my life.” He asked that the Israeli Prime Minister should be held accountable and should be stopped.

  • PCB complains to ICC about inappropriate behavior by Indian crowd

    PCB complains to ICC about inappropriate behavior by Indian crowd

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has filed a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the inappropriate behavior of the Indian crowd during the World Cup match between Pakistan and India in Ahmedabad.

    In the biggest match of the ICC Cricket World Cup on October 14, although India’s performance dominated Pakistan, giving the host country a seven wicket win, inappropriate behavior by the fans at the Ahmedabad Stadium drew criticism on social media.

    During the match, where Pakistani fans were not given visas among the crowd hundreds of thousands in the stadium, the inappropriate behavior of Indian fans towards the Pakistani players quickly became a lightening rod on social media.

    Indian fans were heard teasing Pakistan captain Babar Azam, while Rizwan was targeted on his way to the pavilion by fans shouting pro-Hindu slogans and using inappropriate words. Videos of the harassment also went viral.

    PCB has now complained to the ICC about inappropriate crowd behavior during the match between Pakistan and India in Ahmedabad.

    The PCB told the ICC that the Pakistani squad was inappropriately targeted during the match, protesting to the governing body about the delay in Indian visas of Pakistani journalists and fans.

  • World Cup 2023: Netherlands defeats South Africa by 38 runs in second upset

    World Cup 2023: Netherlands defeats South Africa by 38 runs in second upset

    In the second upset of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, the Netherlands beat South Africa by 38 runs to win at the event for the first time.

    Batting first, the Netherlands scored 245 for eight in the allotted overs, with captain Scott Edwards scoring an unbeaten 78. Apart from this, Van der Merwe scored 29 runs, Teja Neida Munro scored 20 runs and Aryan Dutt scored 23 runs.

    Lungi Ngiti, Marco Johnson, and Kagiso Rabada took two wickets each for South Africa.

    Chasing the Netherlands’ target of 246, the South African team struggled from the start, as its first five baters returned to the pavilion for 89 runs.

    Captain Bavuma scored 16, De Kock 20, Vander Dussen four, Markram one and Klaasen scored 28 runs. Apart from this, Johnson put up nine runs, David Miller 43, Quayze 22, and Rabada left the team after scoring nine runs while Maharaj scored 40 runs.

    Thanks to the Netherland bowling, the entire South African team was bowled out for 207 runs in 42.5 overs. On behalf of the Netherlands, Logan van Beek dismissed three players, while de Leda, Paul van Meekren, and Van der Merwe took two wickets each.

    This is South Africa’s first ODI defeat against the Netherlands.

  • Iphones lost, bags stolen at Narendra Modi Stadium during Pakistan-India match

    The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad witnessed a high-octane World Cup clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on Saturday. The world’s biggest cricket stadium was filled to capacity as more than one lakh spectators came to watch the most anticipated match of the year.

    But while the majority of the fans got what they wished for and went back home with smiles on their faces after India’s resounding victory, a section of the crowd was left wondering who stole their mobile phones.

    Bollywood actress Urvashi Rutela couldn’t see Naseem Shah bowl due to his recent injury and unfortunately lost her phone during the match too.

    “Lost my 24 carat real gold i phone at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad! If anyone comes across it, please help. Contact me ASAP! Tag someone who can help,” Urvashi tweeted on Sunday.

    A video by Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta is currently going viral on social media, wherein he disclosed incidents of mobile phone and purse thefts during the Pakistan-India match in Ahmedabad.

    Gupta stated, “While entering the ground, my friend’s mobile phone was stolen from his pocket, and several other spectators also reported incidents of mobile and purse theft.” Criticizing security officials, he highlighted the possibility of mismanagement and security issues in handling such a massive crowd. He emphasized that thefts taking place in the ground surpass the concerns of mismanagement and security glitches.

    Many other people lost their phones that day.

    Meanwhile, there was one fan who even got his iPhone back as a security guard managed to catch the thief.

    Another X user, @tricatrio also lost her phone. She wrote, “Lost my iphone 15 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad!”

    User @shizmaite wrote, “Chaos at the gates & no one to handle the crowd. A good day ended on a bad note! #indvpak”

  • Pakistan defeat Cambodia to register first win in FIFA World Cup qualifiers

    Pakistan defeat Cambodia to register first win in FIFA World Cup qualifiers

    Pakistan defeated Cambodia on Tuesday in Islamabad by 1-0 to register its first win in FIFA world cup qualifiers match.

    Haroon Hamid scored the first goal from Pakistan in the 67th minute of the game.

    Star forward Otas Khan was not featured in the match since he didn’t get clearance from FIFA. Khan’s eligibility is based on his parental grandfather who was born in Dehli, India. Later he moved from India to Pakistan during 1947’s partition and is now settled in Manchester, England.

    Pakistan will play next against Saudi Arabia, Tajiskistan and Jordan in the second round of group qualifiers.

  • ‘Hitman’ Rohit raises India’s World Cup hopes

    ‘Hitman’ Rohit raises India’s World Cup hopes

    Rohit Sharma has led India from the front in their three unbeaten matches of the World Cup to boost his cricket-mad nation’s hopes of winning the title at home.

    The Indian captain has already amassed 217 runs including a record century against Afghanistan, showing no signs of the pressure on his shoulders.

    Rohit succeeded superstar Virat Kohli as white-ball captain in 2021 with the aim of securing the national team a third World Cup and first international title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

    Australia great Ricky Ponting lavished praise on Rohit for handling the pressure of the job with ease.

    “Someone like Virat, who is a bit more heart-on-the-sleeve, and probably listens to the fans and plays up with the fans a little bit more, someone with his personality would probably find it a bit harder,” Ponting wrote in an International Cricket Council column on Tuesday.

    “But I think Rohit will be fine with it. He’s a terrific bloke and has been a great player for a long time, and he’s done a great job as leader of India.”

    Rohit, 36, has enjoyed franchise success as a skipper with five IPL titles with the Mumbai Indians and then led India to the Asia Cup title last month in a key test of form ahead of the World Cup.

    That success would have helped ease a little of the pain suffered when, under his captaincy, India were defeated in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.

    Rohit has never let expectations get to him and Ponting, once his captain at Mumbai and then coach, said the veteran batsman takes pressure in his stride.

    “He’s very laid back,” said Ponting. “You can even see that by the way that he plays. He’s a pretty laconic sort of batsman as well, and that’s the way he is both on and off the field.”

    – ‘Nothing is impossible’ –

    Rohit, an opening batsman nicknamed “Hitman” for his ability to get big scores quickly, was out for a duck in the team’s opening win against Australia, but was lauded for his captaincy moves.

    He soon regained form with 131 against Afghanistan as he surpassed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with a record seventh World Cup century.

    His ton in 63 balls was the fastest by an Indian in a World Cup to better Kapil Dev’s hundred in 72 balls against Zimbabwe in 1983.

    Rohit took his form to the hotly-anticipated clash with arch-rivals Pakistan and smashed a match-winning 86 to thrash the opposition as India climbed to the top of the 10-team World Cup table.

    In his career, he has accumulated 10,329 ODI runs including 31 centuries in 254 matches since his debut in 2007.

    Rohit, who was not selected for India’s last World Cup triumph at home in 2011, said he relishes the role of being leader.

    “Nothing in life is impossible, you can make it possible if you have the belief,” Rohit said.

    “If you trust in it, if you have the will to go forward, it’s everyone’s dream firstly to be part of the team and then to captain the team is definitely the icing on the cake. I never thought I would be captain one day.”

    “I also believe that good things happen to good people. I kept my head straight, kept working hard on my game. I am sitting here today with a wonderful opportunity to bring glory to this beautiful country.”

    Rohit’s deputy in the World Cup, Hardik Pandya praised the leader for his ability to bring the best out of players through his faith in them.

    “Since he has come, he has backed a lot of boys and we see the result now as well with how the boys are going and expressing themselves,” all-rounder Pandya said.

    “So that’s why Rohit has been special in giving them enough opportunity and at the same time telling them that ‘you know what, I got your back’.”

  • Abdullah Shafiq ko hogya bukhaar

    Abdullah Shafiq ko hogya bukhaar

    Pakistan’s opening batsman Abdullah Shafique has contracted fever ahead of the national’s team match against Australia on October 20, team sources have told Geo News’s reporter Faizan Lakhani on Tuesday.

    As per team management, earlier Fakhar Zaman was suffering from knee pain, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usama Mir were suffering from fever, however, all three have now recovered.

    Reports state that the team underwent comprehensive medical examinations as part of the COVID-19 and dengue fever protocol.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday rejected media reports that claimed several players have contracted an infection.

    “Thankfully, there is no viral infection or disease,” a PCB spokesperson said after reports triggered speculations.

    The team also changed their training sessions multiple times lending credence to these reports.

    “Those who are in the stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s observation,” the spokesperson added.

    Meanwhile, the team also rescheduled a training session after cancelling it earlier today.

    Pakistan team will have a two-hour training session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium today (Tuesday) from 6pm to 8pm in Bengaluru.

    Assuring concerned fans, sources stated to Lakhani, “There is no concern about the health of players.”

    “Some players got fever in the past few days, and most of them have fully recovered from it. Those who are in the stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s observation,” said the Pakistan team’s spokesman.

    Schedule of Pakistan’s remaining matches

    October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru

    October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai

    October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai

    October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata

    November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)

    November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

    Day matches will start at 10:00am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures starting at 01:30pm (PST).

    Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

    Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

    Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan