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  • No conflict on chairman PCB’s seat, says Rana Sana Ullah

    No conflict on chairman PCB’s seat, says Rana Sana Ullah

    In a press conference, Rana Sanaullah declared that there is no dispute within the government over the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He mentioned that the Prime Minister always fosters inclusivity, and coalition partner Pakistan People’s Party(PPP) chief Asif Zardari engages in discussions.

    He clarified that any political party can hold different opinions regarding the appointment of the PCB Chairman, but there is no fundamental disagreement.

    Furthermore, Rana Sanaullah emphasized that there is no pressure on former Chairman Nadra, Tariq Malik. He denied any occurrence of a contentious conversation between himself and Tariq Malik’s secretary.

    It is important to note that Chairman of the PCB Management Committee, Najam Sethi, recently met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the meeting, the Prime Minister directed Najam Sethi to expedite the elections for the PCB Chairman.

    Shahbaz Sharif has nominated Najam Sethi as the candidate for the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Following this nomination, Najam Sethi held a meeting with Sharif, where he briefed the Prime Minister on the upcoming Asia Cup and the World Cup in India.

    According to sources, Najam Sethi also sought the Prime Minister’s opinion on the Asia Cup and the World Cup, and the Premier expressed complete confidence in Najam Sethi.

    During the briefing, it was announced that the PCB’s 2014 constitution has been fully reinstated. Elections for the PCB districts have been completed in over 90% of the districts, and 80% of the regional elections have also been concluded.

    Additionally, it was disclosed that the Regional Inter-District Under-19 Cricket Tournament will commence on June 15. The one-year cricket calendar has been finalized and will be announced soon. All departments have begun assembling their cricket teams.

  • Indian batters should learn playing pace and swing from Babar, says Nasir Hussain

    Indian batters should learn playing pace and swing from Babar, says Nasir Hussain

    Former England captain Nasser Hussain has advised Indian batsmen to learn how to handle pace and swing from Babar Azam and Kane Williams.
    He gave the remarks after India’s 209-run defeat against Australia in the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

    In an interview with a sports channel, Hussain expressed disappointment with the batting performance of the Indian team and suggested that their top-order batsmen should observe the techniques employed by Pakistan’s Babar Azam and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson when facing the seam and swing ball.

    He mentioned that Babar and Williamson exhibit patience by playing the swing ball late, which is a valuable lesson for Indian batsmen.

    Renowned Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar also criticized Virat Kohli’s shot selection, questioning his technique despite scoring over 70 centuries.

    Gavaskar pointed out that Kohli often plays the out-swinger too far ahead of the off-stump, resulting in poor shot selection and a compromised head position.

    Gavaskar emphasized that such non-serious shots may be acceptable when the team is in a winning position, but during crucial moments, when a century is required, Kohli should refrain from rushing to play the out-swinger, particularly with three slips waiting to capitalize on any mistakes.

  • Devastating WTC loss leaves Indian cricketers empty handed; fined 100% of match fee

    Devastating WTC loss leaves Indian cricketers empty handed; fined 100% of match fee

    The World Test Championship (WTC) final saw Australia thrashing India on the fifth day, defeating them with a huge margin of 209 runs to lift the maze on Friday at The Oval in London. Unfortunately, both teams have been fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for slow over-rate.

    The ICC declared that none of the players from the Indian team will receive their match fee. Meanwhile, the Australian team has been fined 80% of their match fee for slow over-rate.

    The Indian team reduced five overs, while the Australian team reduced four overs within the allotted time. According to ICC regulations, every player is fined for a slow over rate, with 20% of the match fee being imposed for each over.

    In addition, Indian opener Shubman Gill has also been fined. Gill criticized the umpire’s decision after getting out.

    Shubman Gill has been found guilty of violating ICC Article 2.4, resulting in a fine of 15% of the match fee.

  • British politician says celebration with alcohol ruined because of Muslim cricket player, Twitter roasts him, calls it ‘team spirit’

    British politician says celebration with alcohol ruined because of Muslim cricket player, Twitter roasts him, calls it ‘team spirit’

    Nigel Farage, former broadcaster and head of Brexit Party, has been roasted on Twitter for a tweet in which he berated the Australian cricket team for not celebrating “champagne style” after winning World Test Championship (WTC) because of Muslim opener Usman Khawaja.

    Farage posted a tweet on Sunday after Australia won the WTC at the Oval in London and chose not to celebrate with champagne, as teams traditionally do, out of respect for their Muslim teammate.

    “Once again the Australian cricket team do not celebrate in champagne style because 1 of the team members is a Muslim. Are we all to suspend normal life because of the minority,” he wrote.

    The tweet got slammed by fans of the game, with nearly every nationality joining in for a bit of Farage bashing.

    Cricket writer Kit Harris rebuked Farage in a scathing tweet that begun, “It’s called “mateship”. I know it doesn’t exist in politics, but it does in sport — especially Australian sport.”

    Indian fans jumped in too, though their team had just lost to Australia.

    Other tweeps were delighted with Australians uniting to respond to the ultra-right nationalist politician.

    Usman Khawaja himself posted what seems to be an indirect reply to Farage on Instagram, posting a picture of himself celebrating with a diet Coke.

  • Australia crowned World Test Champions after thrashing India by 209 runs

    Australia crowned World Test Champions after thrashing India by 209 runs

    Australia thrashed India in the World Test Championship (WTC) in England, galloping to victory with a huge margin of 209 runs to bag the WTC mace.

    On day four at the Oval, the Indian team was unable to chase down the target of 444 runs, scoring only 243 runs, losing seven wickets on only 77 runs.
    Virat Kohli remains on top from the Indian side, scored 49 runs. Ajinkya Rahane scored 46 and captain Rohit Sharma managed to ass 43 runs to the total.

    For Australia, Nathan Lyon took four catches in the second innings while Scott Boland took 3 wickets, Mitchell Starc took two and Pat Cummins dismissed one.

    Australia had scored 469 runs in the first innings while the second innings was declared at 270 runs for 8 wickets after the Indian team was out by scoring 296 runs in the first innings.

  • Shoaib Akhtar is not interested in a second marriage

    Shoaib Akhtar is not interested in a second marriage

    Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar recently appeared on Hafiz Ahmed’s podcast where he opened up about whether he would get married for a second time.

    The speedster rejected the idea of marrying again, saying that he would remain committed to his wife. The cricketer said that although Islam allows men to marry multiple times, it also encourages men to remain faithful and kind to their wives:

    “You can get married four times, but I believe that once you’re attached to someone, they have left their home for you so you should leave your things for them as well. Be nice to her, kind to her. You should be an inspiring figure to her. You should have a strong character and shouldn’t pressurise her to do anything. I’m always straight forward and honest, I take care of my children and teach them the Quran.”

    The cricketer, who tied the knot with Rubab Khan in 2014, talked about the arranged marriage his parents had set up for him, when they met his wife’s parents during Hajj:

    “My mother had met my wife’s mother during the time they were completing Hajj, and during this visit she had taken a lot of care of my mother. When my parents came back, during that moment my mother introduced me to a girl and told me ‘This is your wife’, and I agreed to marry her.”

    Akhtar said they had a simple nikkah ceremony, which wasn’t open to public, with just a few people from his family and from his wife’s family.

    Akhtar went on to reveal that he is quite different from his conservative wife because of his liberal views, but he has never pressurised her to do anything that she doesn’t want to, including asking her to make media appearances:

    “My family doesn’t like coming on tv. My wife is very conservative, even though I am very liberal, very open minded. I keep asking her to go out and eat something, and she refuses.”

    Akhtar also added that he respects his wife’s preference which is why he doesn’t speak about their personal life during media appearances, to keep supporting her choice to remain a private figure.

  • Smith, Babar, Kohli ‘once in a lifetime’ trio, says Mathew Hayden

    Smith, Babar, Kohli ‘once in a lifetime’ trio, says Mathew Hayden

    In the build-up leading to World Test Championship final between India and Australia, former left-hand test great Mathew Hyden opened up about the strength of both teams.

    When asked about the advantage Australia might have over India, Hayden highlighted the importance of putting runs on the board, and in doing so, he praised the batting prowess of Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, and Babar Azam, whom he considers modern-day greats.

    Hyden praised the techniques of Babar Azam, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, describing them as “once in a lifetime and once in a generation cricketers,” indicating that their abilities and achievements set them apart from their peers.

    Hayden also acknowledged the significance of Marnus Labuschagne and Pat Cummins in the Australian team. Labuschagne’s emergence as a reliable batsman and Cummins’ dual role as a captain and a potent fast bowler add further strength to the Australian lineup.

    “In a big game, it is about runs on the board. Steve Smith is a maestro. When you think about the modern-day greats, Smith, Kohli, Babar Azam, these are once in a lifetime and once in a generation cricketers. So obviously in combination with Labuschagne, those two are extremely critical for Australian batting line-up. And then Pat Cummins as a captain and as a bowler as well,” Hayden said.

    Smith, known for his unorthodox yet effective batting style, has been a key figure in Australia’s batting line-up for several years. His ability to consistently score runs and dominate opposition bowlers has earned him a reputation as one of the best batsmen of his generation.

    Kohli, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, has been a dominant force in world cricket for over a decade. Known for his aggressive and passionate style of play, Kohli is regarded as one of the finest batsmen in contemporary cricket.

    Babar, the captain of the Pakistan cricket team, has risen through the ranks to become one of the most exciting batsmen in international cricket. His elegant strokeplay, impeccable timing, and ability to play long innings make him a delight to watch. Babar’s impressive statistics and consistent performances have cemented his place among the top batsmen in the world.

  • Babar Azam moves up in ICC test rankings

    Babar Azam moves up in ICC test rankings

    In the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Test batsmen rankings, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has moved up to the fourth position after the conclusion of a one-off Test match between England and Ireland.

    Despite Joe Root’s commendable performance in the one inning he played during the aforementioned Test, where he scored 56 runs, he experienced a slight drop in his rating points.

    Root’s rating points decreased from 871 to 861, causing him to slip to the fifth position in the rankings. In the meantime, Babar Azam managed to surpass Root with 862 rating points, securing the fourth spot in the ICC Test batsmen rankings.

    Celebrating a double century was Ollie Pope, jumping 10 places to 23rd (637) as a result, with fellow centurion Ben Duckett moving to 34th (up eight spots) with a rating of 602.

    Ireland showed resistance with the bat in response, and a number of players saw jumps in their player rankings as a result. Andy McBrine’s 86* saw him go up 28 places (282 points), with Mark Adair’s 88 (76*) resulting in a 32-spot climb.

    Looking forward to the World Test Championship Final at The Oval, the top-ranked Test players of each rankings discipline are set to feature, as well as a number of players poised to move higher.

    Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne goes into the winner-takes-all showdown as the top-ranked batter in the world, with teammate Steve Smith in third position, 43 rating points behind Labuschagne’s aggregate of 915.

  • ‘No one took any money from us in Pakistan’: Virender Sehwag recalls Pakistan’s hospitality

    ‘No one took any money from us in Pakistan’: Virender Sehwag recalls Pakistan’s hospitality

    Former Indian batsman Virender Sehwag praised the hospitality of the people of Pakistan in a recent video.

    The ace Indian batter, known for criticising Pakistan cricket, very rarely has something positive to say about the arch-rival country.

    However, in a recent interview on an Indian channel, Sehwag recalled the Indian cricket team tour of Pakistan in 2004.

    Sehwag disclosed that he bought 30 to 35 Pakistani suits for his family. w
    When he tried to pay, the shopkeeper refused to accept any charges.

    Sehwag said, “I was wondering why he was not taking any charges, so I asked him what happened. The shopkeeper replied with a sweet and gentle tone, ‘You are our guest, how can I take money from you? Take it as a gift.’

    “Aap toh mehmaan ho, aapse paise kaise le sakte hain hum?” Sehwag said.

    Wherever the Indian team traveled in Pakistan, this was the constant behavior of the community, their hospitality is amazing, Sehwag said.

    “We ate a lot of street food, did a lot of shopping, and no one charged us. The love we received in Pakistan is unforgettable,” he commented, adding that the Indian team felt emotional when they saw the love Pakistani people have for them.
    “And then we thought we are just two brothers who are separated from each other.”

  • Extreme fan moment as man prints Dhoni’s picture on wedding card

    Extreme fan moment as man prints Dhoni’s picture on wedding card

    Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also known as Mahi, is widely considered the coolest and the most successful captain Indian cricket team has ever produced.
    The superstar recently won the Indian Premiere League (IPL) 16th edition for the fifth time as the captain of Chennai Super Kings.

    A die-hard fan of the ace cricketer has grabbed headlines for an incredible gesture.

    Deepak, a resident of Tamnar in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, got Dhoni’s photo printed on both sides of his wedding card, as well as the number of his jersey.

    The unique wedding invitation has now become the talk of the town.

    Deepak, who considers Dhoni his ideal is also the captain of his village cricket team. He has said that he has won many matches for his team using the strategy employed by Dhoni as captain.

    The yellow wedding card is going viral on social media, while Deepak has also invited MS Dhoni to his wedding.

    It should be noted that this is the third incident in the last two years where a fan has printed Dhoni’s picture on his wedding card.