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  • Peshawar Zalmi to reveal kit for seventh edition of PSL tonight

    Peshawar Zalmi to reveal kit for seventh edition of PSL tonight

    The wait for Peshawar Zalmi’s fans is over as the franchise announced to reveal the playing kit for the much-awaited seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), starting January 27.

    Read More – ‘Pick me’: Namibia captain asks to be picked in PSL after Kamran Akmal backs out

    The announcement was made on the official Twitter account of Peshawar Zalmi on Wednesday, according to which the kit will be unveiled today at 8pm.

    “Zalmi Fans! The wait is almost over. Playing Kit Reveal at 8 PM tonight,” read the Tweet which accompanied a video trailer.

    The trailer featured Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal among other players of the franchise.

    Zalmi announced their squad after the PSL player drafts which took place in Lahore in December. Earlier, Akmal said that he would not take part in the league after he was demoted in silver category by Zalmi but later the wicket-keeper batter agreed to represent his franchise.

    The seventh edition of the tournament is set to be played from January 27 while the final will be played on February 27 in Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

    The first match will be staged in National Stadium Karachi (NSK) where defending champion Multan Sultans will face former champs Karachi Kings.

  • BBL 11: Fakhar’s Heat and Shadab’s Sixers match postponed after Covid chaos

    BBL 11: Fakhar’s Heat and Shadab’s Sixers match postponed after Covid chaos

    Covid chaos has again rocked the Big Bash League (BBL) with a clash between the Pakistani batter Fakhar Zaman’s Brisbane Heat and all-rounder Shadab Khan’s Sydney Sixers called off after 12 Brisbane players tested positive to the virus.

    “Twelve Heat players today returned positive PCR tests for Covid-19 and are currently isolating,” the BBL confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

    “Despite its best endeavours, the club was unable to recruit enough replacement players in the 24 hours since the first case was identified to make up the required squad of 13 for tonight’s match.”

    The earlier game between the Adelaide Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes at the Adelaide Oval will go ahead, but the time has been pushed back a little given that the play will go late in the Test at the SCG.

    The development came on the back the crisis that has seen the Melbourne Stars forced to field a second string team with skipper Glenn Maxwell, the latest player to test positive in their camp.

    The post also read that the league will advise a new date for the match and ticket holders will be contacted for the refunding process.

    More than half the BBL’s teams have now reported positive cases.

  • After consecutively losing to Pakistan, Bangladesh beats New Zealand to register historic Test win

    After consecutively losing to Pakistan, Bangladesh beats New Zealand to register historic Test win

    Bangladesh beat New Zealand for the first time in a match at the 16th attempt with an exceptional eight-wicket victory over the world champions on Wednesday at Mount Maunganui, snapping their hosts’ 17-match unbeaten run on home soil.

    The visiting team only needed 40 runs in their second innings for historic win. The match was wrapped up in one session on the final day as Ebadot Hossain took a career best six for 46 and New Zealand was rolled in second inning for 169.

    Bangladesh previously lost all 32 matches played in New Zealand across all formats, including nine Tests, and the team arrived to start this tour following back-to-back losses at home from Pakistan.

    Bangladesh’s first win in any format of the game in New Zealand gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with the second match starting in Christchurch on Sunday.

  • Ramiz reportedly instructs marketing team to find sponsor for PSL anthem

    Ramiz reportedly instructs marketing team to find sponsor for PSL anthem

    Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja has reportedly instructed the marketing team of the tournament to find a sponsor for the anthem of the seventh edition.

    As per reports, the release of PSL’s anthem is delayed and only the concept of the song is finalised.

    It has also been reported that Pakistani star Atif Aslam has been contacted to compose the song but there has been little progress.

    The seventh edition of the league is set to be started from January 27 and international player will start arriving in Pakistan from January 15.

    Raja chaired a high level meeting with the government of Sindh and District Administration officials/police at the National Stadium Karachi ahead of the upcoming edition of the league. The meetings were reportedly held to finalise the final preparations and security measures of PSL.

    The first leg of the tournament will be played in National Stadium Karachi while the second leg will be played in Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. The final will be played in Lahore on February 27.

  • PCB announces nominations for 2021 Awards, Rizwan gets 3 and Babar 2

    PCB announces nominations for 2021 Awards, Rizwan gets 3 and Babar 2

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the nominees for the annual cricket awards 2021.

    “We are all set to bring to you the PCB Awards 2021,” the board announced on its official Twitter handle on Monday.

    Shedding light on further details, the PCB said that the categories and nominations will be revealed on Tuesday.

    Taking to Twitter, PCB shared Impactful Performance of The Year Nominees. Fawad Alam was nominated for his impressive Test against South Africa, Hassan Ali for his 10-fer against South Africa, Mohammad Rizwan for his 79 not out against India in T20 World Cup and Shaheen Shah Afridi for his 3-31 against India in the same match.

    In emerging cricketers’ category, wicket-keeper-batter Azam Khan, young pacers Arshad Iqbal, Mohammad Wasim Jnr. and Shahnawaz Dahani are nominated.

    In Men’s ODI Cricketer of The Year category, skipper Babar Azam, power hitter Fakhar Zaman, pacers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi are nominated.

    On the other hand Women’s Cricketers of the year nominations include Aliya Riaz, Anum Amin, Fatima Sana and Nida Dar.

    Revealing Test Player of the Year of Award, PCB wrote: “Many thrilling performances in the Test cricket format, here are the stars who made it to the nominations for “Test Cricketer of the Year.” Players included in this category are Test opener Abid Ali, batter Fawad Alam, pacers Shaheen and Hassan.

    In the T20 Player of the Year category, all-rounder Shadab Khan, Haris, Shaheen and Rizwan are included.

    PCB named five cricketers in Domestic Cricketer Of The Year Nominees. Cricketers in this category include Asif Afridi, Mohammad Huraira, Iktikhar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan and Tayyab Tahir.

    The last category for today, “Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year” but certainly not the least. A valuable player not only performs exceptionally well but also inspires others to do more,” wrote PCB.

    Here are the nominees: Babar Azam, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been shortlisted in five categories for the PCB Awards 2021.

    Rizwan has earned nominations for the Impactful Performance of the Year, T20I Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year, Hasan Ali has been shortlisted for the Impactful Performance of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year awards.

    Babar Azam, Fawad Alam and Haris Rauf have been shortlisted in two categories each.

    For the Emerging Cricketer of the Year, Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Junior and Shahnawaz Dahani have been shortlisted.

    The winners of the Umpire of the Year and Spirit of Cricket awards will be announced directly on Thursday, January 6.

  • Professor’s wife says she will miss Hafeez in Pakistan’s ‘green top’

    Professor’s wife says she will miss Hafeez in Pakistan’s ‘green top’

    Former Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Hafeez’s wife Nazia Hafeez has said that she will miss her husband in Pakistan’s cricket team’s jersey.

    Sharing a picture of her husband while getting ready for the press conference, she wrote: “I was so emotional in the morning when you were getting ready to go for press conference to announce your retirement.”

    The star all-rounder’s wife said that she is proud of her man. She also said: “As your number one fan will miss you in Pakistan green top. love you.”

    Hafeez announced his retirement on Monday at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters.

    “Today I say goodbye to international cricket with pride and satisfaction,” Hafeez said at a media conference in Lahore wearing the Pakistan team’s green blazer and tie.

    “In fact, I have earned and accomplished more than I had initially envisaged and for that, I am thankful to all my fellow cricketers, captains, support staff and the Pakistan Cricket Board who helped me out during my career.”

    The 41-year-old cricketer quit Test cricket in 2018 and played his last ODI in the 2019 World Cup at Lord’s. He was recalled in 2020 for T20 matches and finished the year as the world’s leading run-scorer in the calendar year in the shortest format. His international debut was in an ODI against Zimbabwe in 2003, and his last match was Pakistan’s defeat against Australia in the T20 World Cup semi-final last November.

  • The Professor Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from international cricket

    The Professor Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from international cricket

    Former Pakistan cricket team captain Mohammad Hafeez has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending a career spanning more than 18 years with the Pakistan side. His international debut was in an ODI against Zimbabwe in 2003, and his last match was Pakistan’s defeat against Australia in the T20 World Cup semi-final last November.

    The 41-year-old top-order batter and off-spinner, has signed up with Lahore Qalandars for the upcoming edition of the PSL and will continue to be available for franchise cricket around the world.

    As per his ESPN cricinfo, Hafeez played 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is while amassing 12,780 runs across formats, and grabbed 32 Player-of-the-Match awards, the fourth-highest among Pakistan players in all international cricket, with only Shahid Afridi (43), Wasim Akram (39) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (33) above him. In addition to that, Hafeez also earned nine Player-of-the-Series awards, joint-second with Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis.

    Hafeez retired from Test cricket in December 2018, with selectors later deciding to move on from him in ODIs after the 2019 World Cup, where he played his last match of the format – against Bangladesh at Lord’s.

    He is the only Pakistan player to have played in all but one T20 World Cup – the one Pakistan ended up winning in 2009 – and holds the Pakistan record for most T20 World Cup appearances. Hafeez also led Pakistan to the 2012 World T20 semi-final.

    After he announced his retirement, his colleagues and Twitterati wished him good luck with heart-warming messages.

    https://twitter.com/mdk_gul/status/1477901591277555712?s=20

  • VIDEO: Wow triple wicket maiden in Mohammad Hasnain’s first over in BBL

    VIDEO: Wow triple wicket maiden in Mohammad Hasnain’s first over in BBL

    Pakistan cricket team’s young pacer Mohammad Hasnain made a great start to his Big Bash League (BBL) career, for Sydney Thunder, with a triple wicket maiden in his very first over.

    The right-armer dismissed Matthew Short, Jake Weatherald and Jonathan Wells in a match against Adelaide Strikers.

    Hasnain finished with figures of 3/20 in his four overs.

    The pacer’s impressive spell played a key role in Thunder’s victory against Strikers by 28 runs.

    In 2019 Hasnain registered his name in record books as the youngest, 19 year-old-old bowler to take a hat-trick in a T20I match. The Hyderabad-born achieved that feat against Sri Lanka.

    In the same year, Hasnain stole the limelight in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) by bowling the fastest deliveries recorded in each competition. He bowled at 151 km/h for the Quetta Gladiators, and 155.1 km/h for Trinbago Knight Riders.

    Hasanin is representing Quetta Gladiators again in the seventh edition of the PSL. The tournament is set to begin from January 27.

    Several people from the cricket fraternity lauded the young speedster for his fantastic feat.

    https://twitter.com/SteelyDan66/status/1477589607772344322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1477589607772344322%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samaa.tv%2Fsports%2Fcricket%2F2022%2F01%2Fwatch-hasnain-claims-triple-wicket-maiden-on-bbl-debut%2F

    Former Coach of team Pakistan also lauded the cricketer.

  • Babar, Pakistani cricketers wish fans on New Year

    Babar, Pakistani cricketers wish fans on New Year

    Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam and other Pakistani cricketers took to their social media to wish their fans on New Year.

    Taking to Twitter, Babar wrote: “Wishing you all a happy and prosperous #NewYear2022! May the new year be filled with lots of positives, joy and peace.”

    Other cricketers including Shadab Khan, Hassan Ali, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, among others also took to their social media to wish their fans.

    Veteran cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq also wished his fans, hoping that this year brings “joy” and “happiness” in their lives.

    Earlier, Babar also reviewed Pakistan cricket team’s performance this whole year. The 27-year-old batter also shared that beating India in the T20 World Cup match was his favourite moment of the year.

  • Shahid Afridi has a message for people who do celebratory gunfire on New Year

    Shahid Afridi has a message for people who do celebratory gunfire on New Year

    Former Pakistan Cricket Team Captain Shahid Afridi has urged Pakistanis to refrain from celebratory gunfire on New Year’s.

    Afridi, who is also the Director Sports of Samaa News, gave this message to his fans on the channel.

    The aerial gunfire on New Year’s night is so prevalent that the state machinery has been overwhelmed.

    Karachi District South Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Zubair Nazir is part of a police campaign against celebratory gunfire, which has already been declared illegal.

    “On the behalf of the Addtional IG Karachi and the South Police, I request all of you that please don’t celebrate the New Year in a way that leads to the loss of so many lives because of gunfire,” Afridi said in a video message.

    “Celebrate the New Year with love and by caring about each other,” he said.

    Veteran Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram also took to his social media to urge people to stop gun-firing on New Year.

    Celebratory gunfire has become a trend in Pakistan in the recent years. This has also become a reason of infinite deaths every year.