Blog

  • ‘Babar Azam isn’t the issue,’ Nasser Hussain slams Pakistan cricket

    ‘Babar Azam isn’t the issue,’ Nasser Hussain slams Pakistan cricket

    “The problem is not Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi or Naseem Shah; the problem is the way Pakistan cricket is being run,” said former English skipper and commentator Nasser Hussain, while slamming Pakistan cricket.

    In an analysis video with Michael Atherton, Naseer commented on the administrative problems within PCB, saying, “27 selectors, many heads and captains have changed in Pakistan in a few years. No organization can succeed with so many changes. One match of the series went badly, and you decided to rest Babar Azam. Either it could have been done before the series, or there could have been talk of giving rest after the three matches.”

    Commenting on the analysis, King of Swing and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram wrote on X, “I think finally boys are on to something here.”

    BABAR, SHAHEEN, NASEEM DROPPED

    On Sunday, the PCB selection committee decided to drop Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah from the squad for the second Test against England. After this decision, many started criticizing PCB for resting Babar Azam as he needed support and time to stage a come back, which was just one good inning away from him.

    Fakhar Zaman also criticized the decision on X, saying, “It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively.”

    ‘If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,” he added.

    Former English captain Michael Vaughan also criticized the PCB for dropping Babar from the squad.

    Michael tweeted on X (previously Twitter): “So Pakistan hasn’t won in a while; go one nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player. I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises, but this tops the lot. It is an absolutely stupid decision unless he has asked for a break.”

    Meanwhile, Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mehmood said, “We have to take 20 wickets; if we go with spin, then we can get England out. We had a clear plan regarding the pitch; Babar Azam has not been given a drop, and he has been rested due to his workload.”

    Kamran Ghulam, Zahid Mehmood, Nauman Ali, and Sajid Khan were included in the team for the second Test being played in Multan.

  • How is Zhalay Sarhadi linked to Mughal-e-Azam?

    How is Zhalay Sarhadi linked to Mughal-e-Azam?

     
     Mughal-e-Azam is not just a film, it’s a landmark in cinema that has greatly impacted the film industry. The film beautifully captures the essence of love, sacrifice and art, and it still inspires people today. 
      
    During an appearance on After Hours, hosted by Ushna Shah, actress Zhalay Sarhadi shared her personal connection to the iconic film.  
     Zhalay shared that her grandfather, Zia Sarhadi, was an accomplished writer who contributed to some legendary films, including Mother India and Mughal-e-Azam. Zhalay said, “He was one of the writers of Mother India, he was one of the writers of Mughal-e-Azam also contributed as a writer for other significant projects. My father was a beautiful singer, which adds to our family’s artistic legacy.”
     
     Zhalay also talked about an interesting family connection, “My phupo is Salma Agha, and she may not be directly related to my father, she is my father’s cousin, so she is also part of the family.”
     
     “During my time working in India, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Annu Kapoor. When I first met him at 19, he asked me ‘What is your relation to Zia Sarhadi?” and I said, ‘He is my grandfather’ and he treated me with so much respect, making me feel valued despite being a newcomer. That was when I realized the depth of my family’s legacy,”  The Hadsa actress added. 
     
     Despite her impressive family background, Zhalay wants to establish her own identity in the entertainment industry, “I have never used any nepotism card; I wanted to make a name for myself based on my talent,” she stated.

  • ‘Judges advising political party to prepare for upcoming elections’

    ‘Judges advising political party to prepare for upcoming elections’

    Speaker of Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan claimed that certain senior judges are advising one political party to prepare for elections.

    Speaking at a press conference at the old assembly building on Monday, the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly said, “There is evidence that certain august members of the judiciary are encouraging a political party to prepare for elections.”

    “I have evidence that why a few articles of the constitution were suspended to benefit a party,” he added.

    Responding to the role of politics in judiciary, he said that politics in judiciary should end now.

    “There was lopsidedness in the court of former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial as a specific five-man bench would take up all important cases. There was lopsidedness in the another ex-CJP Saqib Nisar’s court,” Khan added.

    Lambasting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership for holding protests on the same day as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is going to be held Today (Tuesday), he alleged that PTI’s protest has a foreign agenda.

  • Nawaz Sharif hopeful about meeting Narendra Modi soon

    Nawaz Sharif hopeful about meeting Narendra Modi soon

    Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday expressed his desire to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the near future to advocate for better relations with the neighbouring country.

    During an interview with an Indian journalist, Barkha Dutt, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad, Sharif said, “It would have been a great thing if PM [Narendra] Modi had also attended the SCO summit. I do hope that he and us will have an opportunity to sit together in the not-so-distant future.”

    Pak-India relations have gone through upheavals over the last few decades but the 2019 Indian decision to revoke the ‘special status’ of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir downgraded diplomatic relations between the two countries.

    Since then, Pakistan has made it a condition to reverse the decision before any talks of normalisation of relations between the two countries.

  • PTI calls off protest; doctors to examine Imran Khan

    PTI calls off protest; doctors to examine Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has postponed its protest scheduled for today, October 15, after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi formally contacted the party to ensure medical examination of jailed party founder Imran Khan this morning.

    PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed last night that PTI has postponed its D-Chowk protest scheduled for today as a breakthrough took place between his party and the government.

    Many within PTI, including Gohar and Ali Amin Gandapur, were critical of the protest because it coincided with the highly anticipated SCO summit in Pakistan.

    PTI drew criticism from business and economic experts as well, and the party was urged to reconsider its decision.

    Earlier, PTI’s spokesperson, Sheikh Waqas Akram, revealed that the party had placed a condition before the coalition government to call off its protest, demanding to allow Khan’s sisters and doctors to meet him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, citing concerns over Imran Khan’s health.

    Initially, the PML-N rejected the proposal, with Senator Talal Chaudhry calling it “blackmail.”

    Geo News reported that a team of doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) will visit Adiala Jail along with Khan’s personal physician to examine his health.

  • Bengaluru Weather and Air Quality Overview for 15 Oct

    Bengaluru Weather and Air Quality Overview for 15 Oct

    The first Test of India’s three-test home series against New Zealand will occur at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. However, the Bengaluru weather is unfavorable, as heavy rain is expected. The NZ team has an advantage, given that India lost their last test series to Bangladesh 2-0. Moreover, New Zealand came off a 0-2 defeat in Sri Lanka last month.

    India is prepared to field a strong lineup. However, due to injury, Kane Williamson will only be available for the second test. The test series will bring the curtains down on the home Test season in India. However, in the forecast for the first game of the series, these three weather conditions could affect play because the Bangalore weather is not so friendly.

    Bengaluru Weather Forecast For First IND vs NZ Test

    Rains pounded Bengaluru even before the start of the first IND-NZ Test match. Yesterday, overnight rains were recorded, and these are said to extend for a day or two.

    According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Bengaluru weather conditions will remain overcast until October 18. It is Day 3 of the Test. The first two days will see rain, and the third day will see drizzle. On the other hand, forecasts indicate that the weather will improve over the weekend. But still, some showers are expected.

    The first two days’ weather forecast for BCC is even worse for outdoor activities.  Rain is expected to cover more than 70% of the playing time.

    Bengaluru weather

    Weather and Air Quality Forecast for the Coming Days

    The Metrology Department has issues with the orange weather alert in many areas of Karnataka, including Bengaluru. Uttara Kannada is expected to experience light to moderate rainfall. According to the weather service, Mysuru, Mandya, Bangaluru, and Karwar districts will see significant rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday. The rain will become less intense after Ghandi Jayanti on October 18, 2018.

    India vs NZ Squad

    India: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, and Akash Deep.

    New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell (1st Test only), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi (2nd and 3rd Test only), Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, and Will Young.

  • French footballer Mbappe accused of rape

    French footballer Mbappe accused of rape

    Real Madrid star, French footballer Kylian Mbappe, has been accused of raping a woman in Sweden.

    According to media reports, Mbappe has been accused of raping a woman in a hotel in Sweden, during the time he was in the country from Wednesday to Friday. The incident reportedly took place on Thursday night, and the matter came to light when the victim arrived at the hospital for treatment.

    Police have neither confirmed nor denied the case, but the Real Madrid star called the allegations fake news.

    Mbappe quipped that it was a coincidence that the allegation came a day before a hearing against Mbappe’s former club, PSG, in which Mbappe is seeking £46 million in wages and bonuses.

  • Pakistan’s defeat against New Zealand confirms India’s exit from Women T20 World Cup

    In the group stage match of the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup, New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 54 runs.

    In response to New Zealand’s 110 runs, the national team collapsed for 56 runs.

    In the last match of Group A played in Dubai, Pakistani bowlers bowled well against New Zealand, but the fielders could not keep up dropping seven catches.

    Kiwi opener Suzie Bates scored 28 runs, Brook Halliday scored 22 runs in the middle, and Sophie Devine scored 19 runs. New Zealand scored 110 runs for six wickets.

    Nasherah Sandhu took three wickets for Pakistan.

    To reach the semi-finals, Pakistan Women had to get the target of 111 runs in 10.4 overs, for which the batting order was also changed, but the experiment failed, and half the team returned to the pavilion for 28 runs.

    Captain Fatima Sana played an innings of 21 runs, the second batsman Muniba Ali, who entered double figures, scoring 15 runs and the whole team was dismissed by scoring 56 runs.

    New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals with a 54-run victory, while Pakistan and India’s journey to the World Cup ended at the group stage.

    This is the lowest score by Pakistan Women in T20I, after 60 against England in 2009.

  • Fakhar Zaman under PCB’s line of fire for supporting Babar Azam

    Fakhar Zaman under PCB’s line of fire for supporting Babar Azam

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken strict action against batsman Fakhar Zaman after Zaman publicly supported Babar Azam in a tweet on X.

    According to Geo, PCB has issued a show cause notice to Fakhar Zaman and asked for a reply within a week. Geo sources say that the notice was issued to Fakhar due his public criticism of the selection policy, stating that the tweet was a violation of discipline.

    Yesterday, the PCB selection committee announced the squad for the second and third Tests against England. PCB did not include Babar Azam in the team to ‘give him rest’, while Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi were also dropped.

    After this, Fakhar Zaman shared a Tweet on X (Formerly Twitter) saying it’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively.

    ‘If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,’ he added.

    Former England captain Michael Vaughan also criticised the PCB for dropping Babar from the squad against England.

    Michael tweeted on X (previously Twitter): “So Pakistan hasn’t won in a while; go one nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player. I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises, but this tops the lot. It is an absolutely stupid decision unless he has asked for a break.”

    Azhar Mehmood’s statement on dropping Babar Azam:

    Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mehmood says that we have to take 20 wickets; if we go with spin, then we can get England out. We had a clear plan regarding the pitch; Babar Azam has not been given a drop, and he has been rested due to his workload.

    Pakistan has announced the squad for the upcoming second Test match against England in Multan.

    Kamran Ghulam, Zahid Mehmood, Nauman Ali, and Sajid Khan are on the team.

    Here are the playing XI for both teams.

    Pakistan playing XI:
    Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (Captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Muhammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Zahid Mehmood, Sajid Khan, Nauman Ali.

    England playing XI:
    Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir

    Pakistan will play their second Test match against England on October 15 at Multan Cricket Stadium.

  • ‘Without Indian and Bangladeshi fans, our dramas would have no YouTube audience,’ says Nadia Afgan

    ‘Without Indian and Bangladeshi fans, our dramas would have no YouTube audience,’ says Nadia Afgan

    Evergreen actress Nadia Afgan believes that if it weren’t for the fans of Pakistani dramas in India, Bangladesh, and other foreign countries, no one would watch Pakistani dramas on YouTube.

    She recently made a guest appearance at a podcast where she spoke about her showbiz career and the drama industry.

    “In the past, actors used to rehearse before shooting, but now that doesn’t happen. New actors are in a hurry,” she said.

    “Most actors live fast-paced lives today. They don’t take the time to rehearse. They arrive on set, read the script, and jump straight into shooting, all while juggling other projects,” she added.

    “Although some of the new actors are good, most of them lead very busy lives,” Afghan said.

    “In the past, the popularity of dramas was measured by TRP, but now it’s determined by how much a drama is watched on YouTube.

    “Most of Pakistan’s dramas are viewed more in India and Bangladesh because people there see a drama for what it is—they don’t start issuing fatwas after watching,” she pointed out.

    Afghan explained, “Pakistani viewers, on the other hand, start criticising the dramas immediately, questioning why certain things were shown in a particular way. But these are the same people who enjoy watching dramas with sensitive themes, like a pregnant character’s journey.”

    “I have many fans in countries like India and Bangladesh who appreciate my work.”

    She concluded that “fans of Pakistani dramas, not just for me but for the entire industry, are large in foreign countries like India and Bangladesh.

    “In my opinion, if they stopped watching Pakistani dramas on YouTube, no one would be watching them there.”