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  • ICC allots second semi-final slot to India before T20 World Cup

    ICC allots second semi-final slot to India before T20 World Cup

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) has allotted the second semi-final slot to India even before the start of the T20 World Cup.

    According to reports, if the Indian team advances from the group round in the World Cup, it will face the winning team in the second semi-final in Guyana, West Indies. The first semi-final, to be played in Trinidad, will begin at 8:30 am local time, 6 am Indian time.

    Many Indian fans might miss the match due to time zone. Keeping in mind the Indian time zone, ICC has also changed the timing of the match so that more people can watch the live match, the second semi-final will start at 10 am local time which will be 8 pm according to Indian time.

    In Group A, India will compete against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9.

    The final of the World Cup will be played on June 29 at 10 am locally, 7:30 pm in India.

    It has also been confirmed that there will be no reserve day for the second semi-final but if there is a delay for any reason, 250 minutes of extra time will be allowed for the match. However, there will be reserve days in the first semi-final and final.

  • Sandeep Lamichhane gets clean chit in rape case

    Sandeep Lamichhane gets clean chit in rape case

    Nepali cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane has got a clean chit in a rape case, making him available to play for his country in the T20 World Cup 2024.

    In September 2023, the Nepal Cricket Association suspended Lamichhane from the team after he was accused of raping an 18-year-old girl.

    On January 2024, Sandeep was sentenced to eight years in prison, while a fine of Rs300,000 (three lacs) was also imposed on him. Subsequently, he challenged the court’s decision in the High Court, stressing that he was innocent.

    Now a two-judge bench has overturned the Kathmandu District Court’s verdict that had sentenced the 23-year-old to eight years in prison, citing lack of evidence in the case. As he has now been declared innocent, he will be available for selection in Nepal’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA starting from June 1.

  • Sachin Tendulkar’s security guard allegedly shoots himself

    Sachin Tendulkar’s security guard allegedly shoots himself

    Former Indian star batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s VIP security guard Parkash allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself.

    According to Indian media, 39-year-old Prakash shot himself in the neck with his official gun. He was on vacation when he committed suicide, leaving behind parents, a wife and two young children.

    Senior Police Inspector Kiran Shinde of the local police station said that the incident took place around 1:30 pm today. Investigations are on to find out the reasons behind the alleged suicide.

  • Hockey captain Ammad Shakeel Butt blames PTI policy for sports decline

    Hockey captain Ammad Shakeel Butt blames PTI policy for sports decline

    Pakistan Hockey team’s captain Ammad Shakeel Butt has blamed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) for a decline in the sports sector.

    The captain met Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz yesterday, where he and the team were given prize money of Rs 3 crores for their stunning and unexpected performance in Azlan Shah Hockey Cup.

    Video Credit: ARY

    Addressing a press conference with Maryam Nawaz, Ammad Butt said, “The ban on departmental sports during the previous PTI regime caused a loss to sports. The ranking of the hockey team fell not because of losing matches but because of not playing tournaments due to lack of funds.”

    Maryam then said, “Not only the sports sector, but the institutions of the entire country were destroyed during the era of one athlete,” a thinly veiled reference to PTI head Imran Khan, a former cricket captain.

    The Government of Punjab had earlier announced Rs 20 lakh for the national hockey team but later after meeting with CM Maryam Nawaz, the prize was increased to three crores.

    In the Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament played in the city of Ipoh, Malaysia, the national team won three out of five matches while two were tied, but in the final match, they were defeated by Japan.

  • Maryam Nawaz announces Rs 3 crore prize for hockey team

    Maryam Nawaz announces Rs 3 crore prize for hockey team

    Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a prize of Rs 3 crore for the national hockey team for their performance in the Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament.

    The Government of Punjab had earlier announced Rs 20 lakh for the national hockey team but later the prize was increased from to three crores.

    The national hockey team met Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore on Tuesday.

    “Hockey is not only a sport, it is national pride, the current team has reminded of the past, they will not only provide full support for the improvement of hockey but will also give ownership,” she said.

    Maryam added that the players have revived the national game.

    The captain of the hockey team, Imad Butt, expressed hope that the national game will achieve more heights with the support of the government.

  • PCB appoints mental performance coach for first time

    PCB appoints mental performance coach for first time

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Australia’s David Reid as the national team’s mental performance coach for the World Cup and series against England on May 22.

    David Reid previously worked for the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings, Big Bash team Melbourne Stars and Australian Olympic athletes. He is famous for guiding athletes to stay focused on their goals. He will join the Pakistan cricket team on May 20.

    PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said, “Paying attention to the mental health of the players is not only the priority of the PCB but also its main commitment because the performance of the ground is directly related to the mental state of the players.”

    Mohsin Naqvi added, “The presence of an experienced expert like David Reed would benefit Pakistani players both on and off the field.”

    Pakistan will play the T20 series against England from May 22 to May 30, and then participate in the T20 World Cup which is scheduled in America and West Indies from June 1 to June 30.

  • Pakistan defeats Ireland in 3rd T20 to clinch series

    Pakistan defeats Ireland in 3rd T20 to clinch series

    Pakistan cricket team defeated Ireland in the third T20 match clinching the series by 2-1.

    Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bowl first against Ireland in Dublin, Ireland.

    Ireland inning:

    Lorcan Tucker of Ireland played an innings of 73 runs off 41 balls, his innings was decorated with 13 fours and one six.

    Andy Balburnie 35 and Harry Teck Toure 30 were among the other players to score 178 for 7 in 20 overs.

    On the side of green shirts, Shaheen Afridi pick 3, Abbas Afridi 2 while Muhammad Amir and Imad Wasim took 1 wicket each.

    Pakistan inning:

    Pakistan acheived this target in the 17th over. Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan put up a century partnership for the 10th time.

    National team captain Babar Azam played a brillient inning of 75 runs which included 6 fours and 5 towering sixes. Mohammad Rizwan scored 56 runs off 38 balls. Saim Ayub was dismissed for 14 runs while Azam Khan was not out for 18 runs.

    Ireland’s Mark Adair dismissed 3 players.

  • AB de Villiers says Indian journalism has gotten ‘so low’

    AB de Villiers says Indian journalism has gotten ‘so low’

    Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers hit back at the Indian media for misrepresenting his comments on Hardik Pandya.

    While commenting on the captaincy of Mumbai Indians captain Pandya in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, De Villiers called him a brave captain, but Indian media has taken his statement out of context.

    In a video posted on X (Formerly Twitter) AB de Villiers said, “I see there’s a lot of activity on X about the comments that I made about Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians, and it’s a shame that journalism and reporting has got so low. And I’m very happy that some of you have pointed that out. Taking some of my comments and leaving the rest out.”

    “I very clearly stated and I will state this again, I absolutely love the way Hardik Pandya plays his game. I love the way he captains. All I was saying is his style of captaincy is something he has certainly worked on. It’s not something he can just walk out of a door and you are a brave captain, he decided,” De Villiers added.

    Slamming Indian reporters, the smashing batsman opined, “I wish that you reporters out there would see it for that and write about stuff like that, because that’s actually really powerful. Sometimes you have to put up a front and to show the opposition you are a force to be reckoned with. And that’s what Hardik Pandya does. Well. And I’m saying that style is not always the easiest style to adapt to, especially for some senior players.”

    The leadership of Mumbai Indians was handed over from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya, but the performance of Mumbai Indians under his captaincy was very poor and they became the first team to be eliminated from the event.

    Despite a star-studded line-up in the ongoing IPL, the five-time champions have struggled under the leadership of Hardik and are ninth in the points table with just four wins out of 13 matches so far.

  • Pakistan defeats India in Big Time Boxing Tournament in Australia

    Pakistan defeats India in Big Time Boxing Tournament in Australia

    Pakistani boxer Ilyas Hazara defeated Indian boxer Gurjant Singh in the Big Time Boxing Tournament held in Melbourne, Australia.

    Ilyas Hazara raised Pakistan’s flag by easily beating Gurjant Singh and winning the trophy along with the gold medal.

    Earlier, Balochistan’s Shahzaib Rind won the tournament by defeating India’s Rana Singh in the finals of the Combat Karate competition held in Dubai last month.

  • Mohammad Waseem becomes first Emirati player to get ICC award

    Mohammad Waseem becomes first Emirati player to get ICC award

    United Arab Emirate (UAE) cricket team captain Muhammad Waseem became the first Emirati player to get International Cricket Council (ICC) player of the month award.

    According to ICC, Muhammad Waseem has been declared the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for April for his outstanding performance.

    Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus and Muhammad Waseem were nominated for the ICC player of the month award.

    Waseem played a vital role in the team’s victory by scoring his third T20 century in the final of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Premier Cup and was also awarded the man of the series award for scoring 269 runs in the tournament.