Tag: Babar Azam

  • Pakistan trounces New Zealand, scores 500th ODI win

    Pakistan trounces New Zealand, scores 500th ODI win

    Pakistan defeated New Zealand by five wickets on Thursday night at the Rawalpindi Pindi Cricket Stadium to register their 500th One-Day International (ODI) victory, becoming the third team in the world to achieve the feat.

    The landmark was achieved after the Green Shirts played 949 50-over matches.

    Pakistan has won 92 ODIs against Sri Lanka, 73 against India, 63 against West Indies, 57 against New Zealand, 54 against Zimbabwe, 34 against Australia, 32 against England, and 32 against Bangladesh.

    Apart from Pakistan, Australia has won 594 50-over matches in 978 fixtures, while India has secured victories in 539 matches in 1,029 fixtures.

    Pakistan was able to register its 500th win with the help of Fakhar Zaman’s blistering knock in the run chase.

    Needing 289 to win, the opening pair of Fakhar and Imam-ul-Haq provided a solid 124-run opening stand. Imam was soon dispatched after scoring his 15th ODI half-century.

    He was trapped leg-before by Ish Sodhi in the 22nd over for 60 after facing 65 balls, which included five fours and one six. After Imam’s departure, Captain Babar Azam and Fakhar got together to add 90 runs for the second wicket and during the course of the partnership player of the match Fakhar also scored his ninth ODI century in the 35th over.

    Babar, who was all set to score big tonight, missed out on his 25th half-century and got caught behind off the bowling of Adam Milne for 49 off 46 balls in the 36th over.

    The top ODI batter in the ICC rankings struck three fours and a six at a strike-rate of 106.52. Milne went on to pick Shan Masood (1, 12b) in the 38th over to put pressure back on the home side, as suddenly the required run-rate climbed to six runs an over with 12 overs remaining. But Fakhar and Rizwan struck five boundaries and a six between them in the next three overs to bring the required rate back to under-five an over.

    Right-arm fast Naseem Shah was the most economical bowler for the hosts, as he gave away only 29 runs off 10 overs and took two wickets – both on the final two balls of the innings.

    Match Highlights
    Pakistan beat New Zealand by five wickets

    New Zealand 288-7, 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 113, Will Young 86; Naseem Shah 2-29, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-63, Haris Rauf 2-65)

    Pakistan 291-5, 48.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 117, Imam-ul-Haq 60, Babar Azam 49, Mohammad Rizwan 42 not out; Adam Milne 2-60)

    Player of the match – Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)

  • Abhi tak captaincy nahi karni aie; Kamran Akmal slams Babar Azam

    Abhi tak captaincy nahi karni aie; Kamran Akmal slams Babar Azam

    Former batsman Kamran Akmal lost his cool and lashed out at captain Babar Azam after Pakistan cricket team was defeated in the fifth T20I against New Zealand at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

    Pakistan set what seemed like a huge total of 194 runs, however, the Kiwis chased it with ease, Akmal said.

    The former wicket keeper criticized the captaincy skills of the national team skipper Babar Azam, after suffering defeat at the hands of New Zealand.

    Taking to his YouTube channel, Akmal slammed Babar, observing that after four years of captaincy, he still doesn’t know how to take a quick decision.

    “He does not even know which bowler will change the game,” Akmal stated, adding that two left handers were chewing up the bowling line-up, then asked why Azam did not give the bowling to Iftikhar Ahmed.

    “Speaking of their mistakes, they deflect and accuse us of criticism. But our focus is on their captaincy, not their performance. We’re not blind to their abilities.

    He (Babar Azam) still doesn’t know how to do captaincy after four years – he doesn’t even know which bowler to send out at what time. It’s no surprise that they lost when they continue to make the same mistakes. We didn’t control our errors, and that’s why they [New Zealand] emerged victorious,” he said.

    The 41-year-old also slammed the skipper for giving the ball to Shadab instead of Iftikhar Ahmed in the fifth T20I game. He believed it was a logical choice to go with Ahmed when both left-handed batsmen were on the crease.

    “If both the left-handed batsmen were on the crease, the logical choice would have been to give the ball to Iftikhar Ahmed. But instead, we saw the leg-spinner Shadab Khan was given the over and was being continuously beaten by the Blackcaps batters.

    It would have been wise to rest him and bring in another all-rounder to give the team a chance to regain their footing,” he concluded.

    Akmal was also of the view that Shadab Khan’s dropped catch cost the match, pointing out that he drops catches in all the important matches and still Babar is not dropping him.

  • Shaheens blows away Kiwis in opener of T20 series

    Shaheens blows away Kiwis in opener of T20 series

    Pakistan bowled out New Zealand for just 94 runs while celebrating skipper Babar Azam’s 100th match with a boombastic win in the first match of the T20 series.

    The Shaheens set a target of 184 before blowing away the Kiwis with a thumping 88 runs victory.

    Captain Babar Azam scored only nine runs but Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub stabilised the team, scoring 47 runs each while putting up a 79-run partnership for the third wicket to anchor Pakistan to 182 all out in 19.5 overs.

    Fast bowler Haris Rauf, one of five players who returned after being rested in Pakistan’s last series against Afghanistan, took career best figures of 4-18 as New Zealand were 94 all out in 15.3 overs.

    Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim finished with 2-2 in his only over — taking both his wickets off successive deliveries.

    Mark Chapman top-scored for the Kiwis with a 27-ball 34, inclusive of four boundaries and a six, while skipper Tom Latham made a 24-ball 20.

    Rauf’s previous best T20 figures of 4-22 had also come against New Zealand in Sharjah in 2021.

    Azam heaped praise on his bowling unit for sending the Kiwis back to the pavilion.

    “The pitch was assisting the bowlers so it was a good batting performance to get that total and then our complete bowling unit was excellent,” said Azam, happy at reaching the personal landmark of 100 T20 matches.

    “I had never expected this. I still remember the journey of starting off here as a ball-boy on the side-lines, and to now be here, it is a huge honour,” said Azam of serving as a ball-boy during the 2007 series against South Africa.

    Latham said his team did not adapt to the different conditions.

    “We did not quite adapt to the conditions early enough,” said Latham whose team are missing top eight players due to the Indian Premier League.

    “On that surface, the score was slightly above-par. We did not build partnerships with the bat.”

    Earlier, Zaman and Ayub lifted Pakistan from a poor start after they won the toss and chose to bat.

    Pakistan lost both their openers — Mohammad Rizwan leg-before for eight and then Azam bowled at 9– to pacer Adam Milne by the fifth over for just 30.

    Ayub lifted the tempo with two boundaries each off Milne and Ben Lister before he and Zaman hit a six each off spinner Ish Sodhi in the tenth over.

    Zaman struck four boundaries and two sixes in his 34-ball knock while Ayub’s rapid 28-ball innings featured two sixes and six fours.

    Ayub was run out while taking a second run before Zaman was caught at deep square-leg off Sodhi.

    Faheem Ashraf hit a 16-ball 22 while Wasim scored 16 off 13 balls to help Pakistan add 47 runs in the last five overs.

    New Zealand pacer Matt Henry took a hat trick in his figures of 3-32.

    Henry dismissed Shadab Khan (five) and Iftikhar Ahmed (nought) off the last two deliveries of his third over and then Shaheen Shah Afridi with the first of his fourth.

    Lister had figures of 2-30 while Milne finished with 2-51.

    The remaining four matches are in Lahore on April 15 and April 17 and Rawalpindi on April 20 and 24.

  • Fans back skipper Babar Azam over captaincy issue

    Fans back skipper Babar Azam over captaincy issue

    Babar Azam fans have slammed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi over speculation that the board is likely to change the captain of Pakistan cricket team, putting skipper Babar Azam out to pasture.

    Media reports have said that Najam Sethi has asked Mickey Arthur, former head coach, whether he wants one captain or two to lead the team, opening up the possibility of having different captains for different formats.

    After Najam Sethi took charge of the Management Committee at the Board, rumors of his alleged disliking for Babar Azam made the rounds.

    Matters heated up when Shadab Khan replaced Babar Azam as temporary captain for the Afghanistan series held in March. Khan, a strong contestant for the captain’s post, unfortunately could not lead his team to victory.

    The official account from PCB was that Babar, along with some other big names, had been rested for the Afghanistan series because they had been playing non-stop cricket for last two years and needed a well-deserved break.

    Sethi reportedly offered assurances that there is not even a remote threat to Babar’s captaincy and that he rules millions of hearts – he shall stay the captain of all three formats as long as he wants.

    Babar Azam was then recalled for the home series against New Zealand. But now there is a question mark on Babar Azam’s future as the national team’s skipper.

    Few days back, Sethi, in one of his interviews, subtly hinted that the interim selection committee- which was formulated in order to lead the selection of the test series against New Zealand – wanted a captaincy switch.

    Refuting this statement, Shahid Afridi, who was then leading the interim selection committee, said that it wasn’t him who suggested PCB to replace Babar as captain.

    Najam Sethi then took to Twitter and wrote about the future of Pakistan’s cricket.

    The controversial statements, the cover-ups, and the blame game disturbed cricket fans, especially Babar’s fandom. #StayInYourLimitsNajamSethi and #BabarAzamIsOurRedLine started trending on Twitter.

    Fans have gradually started to believe that an agenda has been plotted against Babar by the current board regime.

    Pakistan cricket team bears too many damages from the sudden changes in leadership and if this will happen again, it will destroy the unity of Pakistan team.
    Ahead of World Cup 2023 it is not in Pakistan’s favour to change captain or even think about it.

  • Here are the final squads of both Pak and NZ teams for the upcoming series

    Here are the final squads of both Pak and NZ teams for the upcoming series

    Pakistan will host New Zealand for a long awaited series, with five T20 internationals and five One Day internationals schedule to begin on April 14. The series has crucial significance for both teams as World Cup 2023 looms ahead towards the end of the year.

    Both teams are ready to put in extra effort in the series as the matches will be a tester for both teams’ weaknesses and strengths.

    New Zealand had pulled out of the Pakistan tour just before the start of the first ODI in 2021 citing a security threat. Now they will be playing extra games on this tour. This is the second time they are touring Pakistan in the space of five months.

    Across last December and January, they played two Tests that ended 0-0, followed by a three-match ODI series that New Zealand won 2-1.

    Pakistan has named full-strength squads for both the ODI and T20I series. Regular captain Babar Azam makes a comeback, along with the leader of the bowling attack Shaheen Shah Afridi. Senior players like Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf are also back following the rest they were given in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

    New Zealand, meanwhile, have been forced to name a severely depleted squad with most of their first-choice players occupied in the IPL. Tom Latham, who last played T20Is in 2021, will return to lead them in both formats.

    New Zealand will be banking on the experience they gained in their ODI series victory earlier this year in Pakistan, expecting to capitalise on the inputs of Saqlain Mushtaq, head coach of the Pakistan side until two months back. Saqlain has joined the New Zealand camp as an assistant coach.
    Here are the squads for both teams:

    PAK v NZ, 2023 T20I squad: Full team list for Pakistan v New Zealand T20Is
    Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zaman Khan

    New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Henry Shipley, Blair Tickner

    PAK v NZ, 2023 ODI squad: Full team list for Pakistan v New Zealand ODIs
    Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Usama Mir

    New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Chad Bowes, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Henry Shipley, Blair Tickner

  • Babar Azam tweets in support of Kane Williamson ahead of NZ series

    Babar Azam tweets in support of Kane Williamson ahead of NZ series

    Skipper Babar Azam, a true gentleman of the game, has once again made a touching gesture, tweeting his support for injured New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson.

    The Kiwi skipper is likely to miss the 50 overs World Cup to be held in India this year, after injuring the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

    The top-order batsman suffered the injury while fielding for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League last Friday and returned to New Zealand soon after.

    Scans conducted on Tuesday confirmed that the injury would require surgery, making it unlikely he will be fit and available for selection for the tournament in October and November.

    In his tweet, Babar Azam wrote, “Bounce back stronger. Get well soon Kane Williamson.”

    The New Zealand Team is scheduled to tour Pakistan for an upcoming series in which they will play five T20 and five ODI matches in Pakistan. The series has a critical role in defining Pakistan team’s weakness and strengths before the upcoming World Cup in India.

    Before this crucial series, Kane Williamson’s injury will be a blow for the Kiwis and a plus point for Pakistan.

    The gesture of goodwill from Babar was widely appreciated by cricket fans around the world. Many people praised him for showing sportsmanship and solidarity with a fellow player who had suffered an injury.

    The Pakistan skipper is known both for his formidable skills on the pitch and his graciousness on and off the field. His tweet offering support to Williamson is just one example of the kind of sportsmanship and camaraderie that he embodies.

    Pakistan vs New Zealand series schedule:
    Apr 14, Fri Pakistan vs. New Zealand, 1st T20I
    Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
    7:30 PM
    Apr 15, Sat Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2nd T20I
    Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
    7:30 PM
    Apr 17, Mon Pakistan vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I
    Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
    7:30 PM
    Apr 20, Thu Pakistan vs New Zealand, 4th T20I
    Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
    7:30 PM
    Apr 24, Mon Pakistan vs New Zealand, 5th T20I
    Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
    7:30 PM
    Apr 27, Thu Pakistan vs New Zealand, 1st ODI
    Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
    2:30 PM
    Apr 29, Sat Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI
    Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
    2:30 PM
    May 03, Wed Pakistan vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI
    National Stadium, Karachi
    May 05, Fri Pakistan vs New Zealand, 4th ODI
    National Stadium, Karachi
    2:30 PM
    May 07, Sun Pakistan vs New Zealand, 5th ODI
    National Stadium, Karachi
    2:30 PM

  • Umar Akmal was not selected because he plays for the country: Kamran Akmal

    Umar Akmal was not selected because he plays for the country: Kamran Akmal

    Kamran Akmal, hero of the 2009 T20 World Cup and former wicket-keeper batsman has backed his brother Umar Akmal stating that it is clear that there the criteria for team selection is not based on performance.

    There are players who have just 30 or 32 runs as their highest and they still got selected because they have strong friendships in Pakistani team, the batsman implied.

    Yesterday Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced squads for T20 and ODI against New Zealand in a series scheduled to begin on April 14. Babar Azam will be the captain and Shadab Khan will hold the vice-captaincy spot.
    PCB crushed all rumors of looking for a replacement for Shadab Khan after he lost a series as captain against Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates.

    Fans, however, are excited to see their favorite players back in the squad particularly Muhammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi who will lead the pace attack will be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    On the other hand senior player Kamran Akmal is not so happy with the selection of the squad, lashing out at the Pakistan cricket board management and selection committee for not selecting Umar Akmal in the T20 squad.

    “I am talking about Umar. They announced the T20 team and didn’t include him in the squad. Why? He played last year’s PSL and this year’s PSL in very tough conditions He tried his best to deliver whenever given an opportunity, a chance, limited amount of balls or overs, etc.,” Akmal said.

    “I don’t need to explain or tell anyone; everyone is well aware of the reality. Yet, I still cannot comprehend why he isn’t being given a chance in the national team, particularly on the batting number where almost every player has been tried,” he added.

    Kamran Akmal stressed that his younger brother doesn’t indulge in flattery, which is why he goes unnoticed.

    “The performance of all these players is crystal clear in front of everyone; despite that, you are still not including Umar because he isn’t in the likings or good books of the selection committee? Or maybe because he doesn’t greet you guys well, doesn’t invest a lot of time in flattering – this is what I can conclude as to why he isn’t a part of the national team.”

    Continuing in the same vein, Kamran Akmal said that it is crystal clear that performance is not the criteria for the selection, adding that one has to be a foot licker or employ flattery for selection in the Pakistan team.

    The 34-year-old Umar, who last played a T20I match against Sri Lanka way back in 2019, stated that his recent performances in domestic cricket are in front of everyone, and it’s up to the selection committee to pick him in the national side.

    “I leave the decision of selection for the upcoming series against New Zealand to the PCB and the selection committee. I take cricket very seriously, be it club cricket, domestic cricket, or international cricket. As you can see, I don’t miss a single club cricket game, and I always give my 100%. I will continue to perform like this till the end,” he said.

  • A friend in need’s a friend indeed: Babar Azam saves Shadab Khan as vice-captain

    A friend in need’s a friend indeed: Babar Azam saves Shadab Khan as vice-captain

    From the last couple of weeks speculation was rife in media reports that officials of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are not happy with the vice-captain of the national cricket team, Shadab Khan. Sources had told news media that PCB are looking for a new vice-captain while considering resting Shadab Khan for the New Zealand series.

    However, the management has followed the advice of captain Babar Azam and retained Shadab as vice-captain.

    Reportedly Babar Azam excluded Imad Wasim from the ODI squad but kept him in the T20 Squad with PCB backing the captain’s decisions.

    According to media reports, PCB initially planned to give rest to Shadab Khan while Usama Mir was under consideration to play in the home series against New Zealand.

    Shadab Khan’s relations with management seem to be rocky.
    Shadab was appointed as the stand-in captain for the Afghanistan series but the team suffered a historic defeat in the matches.

    Matters got worse when in the post-match press conference, Shadab said that now the management and nation will know the importance of key senior players.
    Higher authorities were purportedly displeased with the statement.

    Rumors of removing Khan from vice-captaincy faced backlash from former Test stars and social media with the hashtag #DestroyerNajamSethi trending on Twitter against the chairman of the PCB Management Committee.

    Sources reveal that the captain has reportedly urged the board to avoid further experimentation ahead of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 scheduled in India.

    Given the current schedule, players cannot be afforded rest, and therefore, the decision was made to retain Shadab Khan as vice-captain due to his performance.

    However, all is not well, as Imad Wasim has expressed disappointment over Babar Azam’s alleged condition of being made captain of the PSL franchise Karachi Kings, and the subsequent lack of trust shown towards him in that role.

    However, Imad has reclaimed the reins of Karachi Kings following Babar’s move to Peshawar Zalmi, and his impressive performance in Sharjah makes it difficult for the team management to leave him out of the playing eleven.

  • Babar Azam shares pictures from Masjid-e-Nabawi ahead of New Zealand series

    Babar Azam shares pictures from Masjid-e-Nabawi ahead of New Zealand series

    Skipper of the Pakistan cricket team, Babar Azam, has shared pictures from Masjid-e-Nabawi on Thursday.

    In the photos, the star batsman is standing in the courtyard of Masjid-e-Nabawi, the second holiest place for Muslims worldwide. In 2022, pictures of Babar Azam performing Umrah also went viral on social media.

    He surprised his fans by sharing recent pictures of his spiritual trip to Masjid-e-Nabawi. Babar, who was earlier scheduled to participate in a Ramadan tournament in Lahore, will perform Umrah in the ongoing holy month.

    Fans congratulated him for performing Umrah again and asked him to pray for winning the World Cup.

    Meanwhile, Babar’s teammate Haris Rauf also performed Umrah on Thursday and shared his picture on Twitter.

    Test Cricketer Muhammad Abbas also performed Umrah this year. Babar, Shaheen, and Muhammad Rizwan were on rest during the Afghanistan series, and now the Men in Green are preparing for the New Zealand series.

    New Zealand is scheduled to play four T20, five ODI’s, and three test matches in Pakistan. The current Pakistan versus New Zealand schedule is as follows:

    April 14 – 1st T20I, Lahore

    April 15 – 2nd T20I, Lahore

    April 17 – 3rd T20I, Lahore

    April 20 – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi

    April 24 – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi

    April 26 – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi

    April 30 – 2nd ODI, Karachi

    May 3 – 3rd ODI, Karachi

    May 5 – 4th ODI, Karachi

    May 7 – 5th ODI, Karachi

  • Babar Azam is the best player of Pakistan but is afraid of getting out: Simon Doull

    Babar Azam is the best player of Pakistan but is afraid of getting out: Simon Doull

    Kiwi Commentator Simon Doull has landed in hot waters after his sharp criticism of Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

    Opening up about the one on one conversation he had with Babar Azam during the Pakistan super league match between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, Doull said in a video that he thinks Babar Azam is afraid of getting out and that is where he needs to work.

    “I told Babar that you are the best player in the country but you are afraid of getting out. At some point of your innigns you need to play aggressive cricket and that was kind of the gist of my whole chat with him,” Doull said in the clip.

    “Someone texted me yesterday that Quinton de Kock slows down his innings while close to 100, did they win? Yes it’s ok to slow down the innings when you have a solid start and you are chasing at the home conditions but it’s not a good approach when there is not a set target ahead of you and you slow down the innings just for your personal milestone,” he added.

    “That was the whole crux of the comment. At times it gets blown out of proportion.

    I’ll never ever hide behind anything that I say. I said it at the time, I stuck by it, and I have no issue that I said it,” Simon concluded.

    Babar was criticised by Doull for slowing down to complete his maiden PSL century during the match between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators in PSL. Doull got a lot of flak from the star batsman’s fans.