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  • Abid Ali requests fans for prayers ahead of heart procedure

    Abid Ali requests fans for prayers ahead of heart procedure

    Pakistan’s Test opener Abid Ali has requested his fans to pray for his speedy recovery. Abid recorded a video message from the hospital bed where he requested fans, his family members, and the media personnel to pray for success in a small medical procedure he is set to undergo today and also pray for his early recovery.

    Abid Ali said: “Thanks to the Almighty, I am fine. I am requesting all of you to pray for my health. Tomorrow I have a minor procedure and I am asking for your prayers for success in that as well.”

    The 34-year-old was rushed to the hospital yesterday after he experienced chest pain during Central Punjab’s match against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Abid underwent a series of medical tests and was kept under observation for the day. It was revealed that Abid’s condition is stable and his initial reports were clear.

    After a thorough diagnosis, it was revealed that Abid suffered from Acute Coronary Syndrome. A stent was placed in the blocked coronary artery and Abid revealed that one more stent will be placed today. The stylish opening batter will be further kept under observation after the stent has been placed.

    Meanwhile, several people from the cricket fraternity extended well wishes to the cricketer.

  • Fakhar Zaman teases Haris Rauf after Shaheen Afridi’s appointment as Lahore Qalandars’ captain

    Fakhar Zaman teases Haris Rauf after Shaheen Afridi’s appointment as Lahore Qalandars’ captain

    Pakistan cricket team’s power hitter Fakhar Zaman teased speedster Haris Rauf after pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as captain of Lahore Qalandars in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    Taking to Twitter, the batter congratulated Shaheen and wrote: “Many congratulations Shaheen Afridi long way to go super star.”

    He also warned Rauf, saying: “Haris Rauf ab koi ghalti na karna match ma. (Haris Rauf don’t make any mistake in the match from now onwards.)”

    Replying to Fakhar, Rauf said: “kuch ni kehta mujhay full yakeen hai apnay skipper par. (He will not say anything, I have full trust in my skipper.)”

    While he also extended good wishes to Shaheen for the appointment. “Best wishes and Best of luck buddy,” he wrote.

    Shaheen tweeted that it is an honour for him to lead Lahore Qalandars. He also pledged to win the hearts and the trophy as well.

    The franchise made the announcement in a press conference at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore on Monday. Afridi has replaced Sohail Akhtar, who was the captain of the team since 2018.

    Several people from the cricket fraternity congratulated the 21-year-old cricketer. Hassan Ali also took to Twitter to congratulate his “partner”.

    The seventh edition of PSL will start on January 27.

    Matches from January 27- February 7 will be played at the National Stadium, Karachi, whereas the remaining fixtures will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore with the final set to take place on February 27.

  • Aakash Chopra schools Indian netizen who called Rizwan ‘loser’

    Aakash Chopra schools Indian netizen who called Rizwan ‘loser’

    Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra schooled a netizen after the latter called Pakistan wicket keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan a ‘loser’.

    Read More – ‘Sirf Allah se hota hai’: Mohammad Rizwan after scoring 2,000 record T20 runs in a year

    Chopra had recently published a video, praising Rizwan’s performance in the T20 format. However, a netizen posted a screenshot of that video and claimed that India’s star batter Virat Kohli had already achieved the feats before Rizwan, which was factually incorrect.

    https://twitter.com/ItzAbhizz/status/1472818226123849728?s=20

    Responding to the Twitter user, Aakash shared the stats for the most T20 runs scored in a calender year, which clearly showed that Rizwan was ahead of Kohli.

    He further wrote: “People see what they want to see. It wasn’t a comparison with anyone. It’s a fact. Number of innings/matches irrelevant. It’s incredible that we can’t even appreciate an effort without caveats.”

    It must be noted that the prolific batter also has the most runs — 1326 — in T20I cricket, this year, at a stunning average of 73.66 and strike-rate of 134.89. His runs tally includes 12 fifties, most by any player this year, and a hundred. He also stands at the top of the table in terms of sixes hit this year, with 42 against his name.

    Read More – ‘Was breathless’: Mohammad Rizwan talks about health, pillow he carries

    Rizwan’s 158-run opening stand for the first wicket with Babar Azam, in the third T20I against West Indies recently, also helped the duo break the record for most hundred partnerships as a pair, six, in T20I cricket. The record was previously held by India’s Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, with five century partnerships.

  • Shadab Khan on Sarfaraz, Rizwan, reveals favourite wicket-keeper

    Shadab Khan on Sarfaraz, Rizwan, reveals favourite wicket-keeper

    Pakistan’s young all-rounder Shadab Khan recently hosted a question and answer (Q&A) session on Twitter and opened up about several things like his favourite wicket-keeper, talked about his marriage, Pakistan Super League (PSL) and wicket-keeper-batters Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan.

    Khan hosted the session and asked fans to use the hashtag #AskShadab, and as soon as the clock struck 9pm, Twitterati flooded the cricketer’s timeline with their questions.

    #AskShadab also became the top trend in Pakistan within an hour.

    Fans had several questions about PSL, with a user seeking Khan’s opinion on whether Shaheen Shah Afridi could lead the Lahore Qalandars or not.

    At this, Khan said that Shaheen can “absolutely” lead the Qalandars.

    Abdul Wahab asked which franchise would Khan choose if given the choice. He responded that he would always pick Islamabad United unless they decide to release him.

    Khan also revealed that his favourite captain for the seventh edition of the PSL would be former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed who is playing for Quetta Gladiators.

    A fan asked why did Khan, at times, adopts a rude attitude on the field, “especially with juniors, and in the PSL”.

    At this, Khan said he “never” acted rudely and that juniors were his brothers.

    As everyone at the national team calls Shadab “Shaddy”, a fan asked who started calling him that? He replied: Saifi Bhai (Sarfaraz).

    Journalist Imran Siddique asked Khan why did he still call Sarfaraz “kaptaan” despite him not being in command anymore.

    At this, Khan said that Sarfaraz had taught him how to lead, how to look after his team, how to fight for his country, and his teammates.
    “My teacher will always be my captain,” he said.

    A similar question was asked about Mohammad Rizwan, and in response, Khan termed the wicket-keeper-batter a “champion”.

    He also termed Rizwan as number one wicket-keeper.

    Batsman Sharjeel Khan asked the all-rounder when was he planning to tie the knot. In response, Shadab said: “Sharjeel bhai Aap he baat kaar lain ab number send karta houn” [I am sending you the number Sharjeel bhai. Speak on my behalf]”.

    Khan termed skipper Babar Azam as number one.

  • Sourav Ganguly says he likes Virat Kohli’s attitude but ‘he fights a lot’

    Sourav Ganguly says he likes Virat Kohli’s attitude but ‘he fights a lot’

    Former Indian cricketer and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has said that he is a huge admirer of Virat Kohli’s attitude, however, he expressed unhappiness with the crickter’s tendency to pick up fights with everyone.

    Read More – Rohit Sharma replaces Virat Kohli as India’s ODI captain, to take over from South Africa series

    Ganguly made the comments in an event in Gurgaon while answering which player has the best attitude according to him. “I like Virat Kohli’s attitude but he fights a lot,” said the BCCI president.

    Both the Indian cricketing giants left the fans confused after Kohli contradicted Ganguly’s statements regarding captaincy shuffle.

    Kohli, while addressing a press conference ahead of India’s tour to South Africa, claimed that he wasn’t asked to continue to lead the side in the shorter format. However, days before the presser, the BCCI president said in an interview that he personally approached Kohli to remain at the helm in T20Is.

    In the same presser, India’s Test captain also put an end to the speculations of a rift between him and senior batter Rohit Sharma, stating he has been doing the same for the past two years and urged people to look beyond it.

    Ganguly was also asked about how to manage stress, to which the former India captain had a very sarcastic answer. “There is no stress in life. Only wife and girlfriend give stress,” he said.

    Meanwhile, after Kohli’s explosive presser, the BCCI president refused to comment much about it and asserted that the BCCI will deal with it.

    Kohli and his unit are currently in South Africa where they will play a three-match Test series starting from December 26.

  • Shaheen Afridi to lead Lahore Qalandars in PSL 7

    Shaheen Afridi to lead Lahore Qalandars in PSL 7

    Pakistan’s young pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will be the captain of Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition.

    The franchise made the announcement in a press conference at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore.

    “Thank you Lahore Qalandars, this is not just a team, it’s a family. I thank them for placing their trust in me for this role,” said Shaheen.

    “I will try to ensure that the team shows good performances on the field,” he added.

    The speedster is the highest wicket-taker for the Qalandars, with 50 wickets in 37 matches, after having joined the franchise in 2018.

    Afridi has replaced Sohail Akhtar, who was the captain of the team since 2018.

    Aqib Javed, the Director Cricket Operations and head coach of Qalandars, also heaped praise on Afridi and hoped that the left-armer will take the team to new heights.

    “We are very happy to appoint him as captain of Lahore Qalandars and looking forward to see his wonders both with ball and his leadership skills,” Javed said. “He has been with us since 2018 and this is the right time to provide him the opportunity to lead the Lahore Qalandars’ young outfit.”

    The seventh edition of PSL will start on January 27.

    Matches from January 27- February 7 will be played at the National Stadium, Karachi, whereas the remaining fixtures will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore with the final set to take place on February 27.

  • New Zealand to tour Pakistan twice in 2022-23

    New Zealand to tour Pakistan twice in 2022-23

    After returning from Pakistan just before the first match due to ‘security concerns’, New Zealand is set to tour Pakistan twice next season, the two boards confirmed on Monday.

    The two teams will first face each other between December 2022 and January 2023 for two Tests, which will be part of the World Test Championship, and three ODIs, part of the World Cup Super League, before New Zealand return to Pakistan in April 2023 for five ODIs and five T20Is.

    The first visit will be a part of the Future Tours Programme, while the second was agreed to make up for the matches lost when New Zealand called off their limited-overs tour of Pakistan in September this year minutes before the scheduled start of the first ODI, citing security concerns. The limited-overs tour in April 2023 will have two additional ODIs being played, along with those scheduled in the 2021 series.

    “It’s good to be going back,” NZC chief executive David White said in a statement. “Our respective chairmen, Ramiz Raja and Martin Snedden, had very fruitful and constructive discussions while in Dubai, further strengthening the bond between the two organisations.”

    After being especially critical of the NZC’s decision when they abandoned the tour this year, Ramiz said that the board was “pleased with the outcomes of our discussions and negotiations”. “This reflects the strong, cordial and historic relations the two boards have, and reconfirms Pakistan’s status as an important member of the cricket fraternity,” he said.

    Meanwhile, PCB also shared the list of International events Pakistan is going to host in future.

  • ‘Clearly I’m home’: Saqlain Mushtaq shares video with daughters putting clips on his beard

    ‘Clearly I’m home’: Saqlain Mushtaq shares video with daughters putting clips on his beard

    Interim head coach of the national cricket team, Saqlain Mushtaq, recently shared a video on his social media in which he can be seen sitting on a couch and his daughters are putting small clips on his beard and hair.

    Sharing the video on Twitter, the former Pakistan spinner wrote: “Clearly… I’m home after a long three months of cricket serving the great Pakistan.”

    The former Test off-spinner was appointed as the interim head coach after Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis resigned from their posts. He was appointed only for the New Zealand home series, which was cancelled after the visiting team left Pakistan before playing any match. The Black Caps backed out of its tour due to security concerns minutes before the first match was scheduled to start at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

    Mushtaq was asked to continue in his role for the T20 Men’s World Cup as well as the series against Bangladesh and West Indies.

    Under Mushtaq’s tenure, Pakistan began an unbeaten run in the T20 World Cup till they were eliminated in the semi-final. Recently, the Men in Green also defeated Bangladesh on their home ground. While the national side also defeated West Indies with a clean sweep in the three-match T20I series in Karachi.

  • Babar Azam celebrates Pakistan’s 20th T20I win in a year, clean sweep

    Babar Azam celebrates Pakistan’s 20th T20I win in a year, clean sweep

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam took to his social media to celebrate the 20th T20I win of the team in a calendar year. The 27-year-old batter was also happy for winning the three-match T20I series with a clean sweep against West Indies in Karachi on Thursday.

    Taking to Twitter, the skipper wrote: “One more in the collection, Alhumdulillah.”

    He also thanked Windies team for their tour despite difficult times of Covid-19. “Special mention to West Indies team for making this tour possible in difficult times. Our whole nation graciously thank you,” he wrote.

    Babar and Rizwan, after winning the 20th T20I in a year, shared their views about the national side. Babar credited Pakistan team for their successful run in T20Is in 2021. The captain also showered praise on his opening partner.

    Calling him a wonderful human being and speaking about the way Rizwan has improved his game, Babar said: “According to me, I’m privileged to have such a talented cricketer, a wonderful human being, someone who gels everyone together and someone who is looked up to by everyone.”

    “The way Rizwan improved his game, confidence levels and belief in himself is evident for everyone to see in the last one year. I’m happy that he is the leading T20I run-scorer in 2021,” he added.

    He credited the entire team for the success and noted: “The credit goes to the team and the players for their efforts, and believing in themselves. Communication and backing the players has been quite helpful for us. Every player in our dressing room is a match-winner.”

    Mohammad Rizwan finished 2021 as the leading run-scorer in T20Is with 1,326 runs in 29 matches at an average of nearly 74. He also became the first cricketer to score over 2,000 T20 runs (2,036 runs) in a calendar year.

    Rizwan and Babar powered Pakistan to their highest successful chase in T20I cricket as well as beating West Indies by seven wickets in the third T20I in Karachi. Babar contributed 79 off 53 balls, while Rizwan was the aggressor, hitting 87 off just 45 with the help of ten fours and three sixes.

    At the end, Asif Ali hit a flurry of boundaries to level the scores and sealing the deal for the national side, scoring 21* off just 7 balls.

    All-rounder Shadab Khan, pacer Haris Rauf and power hitter Asif also took to their social media to express their joy after winning the series with a clean sweep.

    Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja also lauded both the openers and team for the achievement.

  • ‘Sirf Allah se hota hai’: Mohammad Rizwan after scoring 2,000 record T20 runs in a year

    ‘Sirf Allah se hota hai’: Mohammad Rizwan after scoring 2,000 record T20 runs in a year

    Pakistan’s opening batter Mohammad Rizwan entered the history books during the third T20I between West Indies and Pakistan in Karachi. The wicket keeper-batter became the first-ever player to score 2,000 T20 runs in a single calendar year.

    “Sirf Allah se hota hai. Allah k ghair se nahi hota,” he credited his milestone to the Almighty Allah.

    He further dedicated his victory to his fans in Pakistan: “These records are for my beloved Pakistan. Grateful to you all for your tremendous support and love.”

    Rizwan, in a post-match interview shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has given credit to Misbah-ul-Haq and other staff for allowing him to play at his suited batting position which empowered and helped him successfully throughout the year.

    He achieved the feat in Pakistan’s last T20I game this year. Having played an important hand in helping his side reach the semifinals in this year’s T20 World Cup, Rizwan carried over his form into the three-match T20I series against the visiting Windies contingent.

    He scored 78 in the first T20I, 38 in the second T20I, and finally 87 in the third T20I to breach the 2k-landmark. No other batter has been able to do it in the shortest format. This puts into perspective the incredible year Rizwan has had, consistently putting up scores at the top of the order.

    Meanwhile, he was officially signed by Sussex for a major part of the next year. He will join the English side after Australia’s tour of Pakistan concludes in April.