Tag: Babar Azam

  • 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.

  • ‘Memorable career’: Skipper, other cricketers pen notes for Hafeez

    ‘Memorable career’: Skipper, other cricketers pen notes for Hafeez

    Pakistani cricketers, along with skipper Babar Azam, took to their social media to congratulate and pen heartfelt notes for Professor aka Mohammad Hafeez after he announced his retirement from a successful career of 18 years in international cricket.

    Taking to Twitter, Babar wrote: “A memorable career comes to an end. I have learnt a lot from @mhafeez22 bhai and his experiences. Thank you for your guidance along the time we shared on the field. Happy retirement, professor!”

    Former Pakistani pacer Umar Gul wrote: “We started our career together and since that day, i have known u to be one of the most kindest and straightforward person. U have given so much to the world of cricket during these years n we will surely miss watchn u play for Pakistan. Wishing u prosperity ahead.”

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

    “Oye Ustaada @MHafeez22 great international career MaShAllah…You have been an outstanding player & a team mate.Thank you for serving Pakistan cricket. All the very best for future Happy Retirement Ustaad G,” said former Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal on Twitter.

    Former Pakistan Women Cricket team’s captain Sana Mir also penned a message for the batter, saying: “Congratulations @MHafeez22 on a gritty career. You have always held the honour of our country high and we are all very thank you to you for all your services. All the best for all future plans.”

    Several other cricketers extended well wishes for the former Pakistan captain with many hashtags like Happy Retirement, End of an Era, Professor and Mohammad Hafeez.

    Taking to Twitter, Hafeez said: “My journey of pride representing Pakistan came to an end & i m proudly retiring from international cricket with great satisfaction & joy. Thank u all for 18 years of support. Maintaining highest level of pride & dignity always is my most valuable achievement.”

    “Pakistan Zindabad,” he added.

    Former cricketers Bazid Khan and Saeed Ajmal also congratulated him under his tweet.

    “I’m extremely lucky & proud to have been considered worthy of donning the national kit for 18 years. Every time I stepped on the field, I tried to raise the country’s profile & image by playing hard & tough but within the traditions & spirit of cricket,” he said in a press conference at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Headquarters today (Monday) in Lahore.

    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.

    Meanwhile, Hafeez’z on-field opponent Dale Steyn took to Twitter and said: ” Many a great battle with this man, end of the day, we had the best time and memories we can enjoy forever!”

    “Congratulations on a wonderful international career! Inspired your nation and played the game the right way, well done,” he added.

  • 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.

  • ‘Can’t explain that moment’: Babar opens up about T20 win against India

    ‘Can’t explain that moment’: Babar opens up about T20 win against India

    Pakistan’s all-format cricket team captain Babar Azam has opened up about how he felt beating arch-rival India in the T20 World Cup 2021.

    Azam hailed his side’s record win against India in the event. Pakistan successfully played to a 10-wicket win, ending their World Cup drought against the Men in Blue.

    Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi was the star of the show, taking three for 31 from his four overs. Despite a 57 from former Indian T20 captain Virat Kohli, the Indians were not able to notch up an intimidating total on the scoreboard.

    Chasing 152 for victory, skipper Babar (68) and his partner Mohammad Rizwan (79) steered the national team home with 13 deliveries to spare.

    “I can’t explain that moment. We were not thinking about the past record, trying to stay in the present. The way we started and finished had a different feel and buzz to it.. and the response from fans was amazing too. We hadn’t registered a win (against India) in the World Cups and Allah helped us change that. It was a team effort. We had belief. There was no overconfidence,” said Babar in a PCB Podcast episode on YouTube.

    The Men in Green reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup after topping Group B. However, their impressive journey came to an end with a defeat to eventual champions Australia in the semis. Babar described it as a heartbreaking moment for Pakistan.

    “We had put in the effort… we had dominated the World Cup. But unfortunately, we couldn’t win that match. We made mistakes as a team but we need to learn from it and deliver a better performance next time,” said Babar, who finishes with the year with 939 runs from 29 T20 Internationals.

    “Doesn’t matter how you start when you finish well. We finished the year on an outstanding note. We played some positive cricket throughout the year and tried to leave an impact. We’ve had different Man of the Match contenders for every match. Unfortunately, we bowed out of T20 World Cup but we did learn from that defeat. We have had discussions on the mistakes and will try to improve day by day.”

    “Talking about performances, Rizwan and Shaheen were brilliant. Hasan too. Youngsters like Abdullah, Wasim and Dhani have been impressive too. It’s a plus point for us and hopefully, we carry on the momentum. We had assigned roles to players and that led to better performances. I had the belief that we had match-winners in our team and the boys proved that. Thanks to the fans too and we hope to get a similar kind of support next year,” said the 27-year-old batter.

    Babar stands on top of the table of both white-ball formats. While Rizwan stands on third position in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings for the first time in his career.

    Check out here:

  • 2021: The year of records in Pakistani cricket

    2021: The year of records in Pakistani cricket

    The Pakistan cricket team is considered to be the most unpredictable team of all. The Men in Green have seen many ups and downs this year but the green shirts flourished with bright colours, making record breaking partnerships, personal and team records and many more. We have collected some major events that happened in cricket in Pakistan and how the year 2021 was for the Shaheens.

    Our champions reshaped the face of T20I Cricket in 2021. Have a look at their phenomenal performance.

    PSL 6 Winners

    Mohammad Rizwan, leading the Multan Sultans, won the sixth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2021. Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs in the final to win their maiden trophy of the tournament in June, 2021. Rizwan replaced Shan Masood as the captain of the team after he was traded from the PSL franchise Karachi Kings.

    Sultans started at the second leg of the PSL fifth on the points table, having lost four of their first five matches but led by their captain Rizwan, went on to win four of the next five to finish the league stage second. They then swatted the Islamabad United challenge in the first qualifier and lead themselves to the win in the final, a crowning glory in their magnificent UAE leg of the season.

    Pakistan beats India in T20WC

    Pakistan made history by beating arch-rival India for the first time in a T20 World Cup match in October. The green shirts’ 10-wicket win ended a decades-long defeat streak that began in 1992. Pakistan had lost all 12 of their previous World Cup matches against India.

    The two former champions clashed after more than two years in the 2021 T20 World Cup opening fixture at the Dubai International Stadium.

    Pakistani openers Azam (68) and Mohammad Rizwan (79) produced a batting masterclass to chase down the 152-run target without losing a wicket, and finishing the game in the 18th over.

    Rizwan and Babar partnership

    Babar and Rizwan made a formidable partnership for Pakistan at the top of the order. They scored a total of 6 century stands, which is the most by a batting pair in the history of T20Is. Out of these, 4 were in excess of 150 runs which is also the most for a batting pair in T20Is and came against the likes of England, India, South Africa, and West Indies.

    The duo was magnificent for Pakistan throughout the 2021 T20 World Cup. They were influential as Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India for the first time in World Cup history. The batting pair scored an unbeaten knock of 152 runs and registered the highest opening stand in T20 World Cup history.

    Babar and Rizwan’s opening partnerships were all the more impressive because of pressure situations. Out of their six century partnerships, three came while chasing a target. This also included 197 run stand against South Africa at Centurion.

    The duo also became the first batting pair in history to score more than 1,000 runs in a year. They scored 1,380 runs at an average of 57.50 in 25 innings while batting together.

    Rizwan T20 Runs

    Mohammad Rizwan rounded off a magnificent year in T20 cricket by becoming the first batter in the history of the format to cross 2,000 runs in a calendar year. The wicket-keeper batter scored 2,036 runs at an average of 56.55 and a strike rate of 132.03 in 45 innings he played in the year. Rizwan also became the highest run-scorer in T20Is in a calendar year as he became the first batter in history to cross 1,000 runs in T20Is. He scored 1,326 runs at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89 in 26 innings.

    The star wicket-keeper batter was Pakistan’s most influential player in all formats this year. Rizwan won a total of 6 player-of-the-series awards in 2021, equaling the record of most player-of-the-series awards held by Sachin Tendulkar since 1998. Rizwan bagged 4 player-of-the-series awards in T20Is and 2 in red-ball cricket.

    Record 20 T20I wins in a year

    During the year, Pakistan played 29 matches in the shortest format and won 20 – the most by any team. They lost six while three ended with no result.

    The Men in Green played seven bilateral T20 series, and won six – against South Africa, Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh. They only lost to England.

    Pakistan also won all group matches in the T20 World Cup – against India, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland. They lost the semi-final against Australia in a thriller.

    Babar number 1 T20 and ODI player

    Babar Azam’s incredible 2021 has been capped off with a number1 T20I batting ranking.

    Combining in an opening partnership of 158 with Mohammad Rizwan against the West Indies in Karachi to set up a 3-0 series win, Babar’s 79 from just 53 balls propelled him back to the top, overtaking Aiden Markram and Dawid Malan. He now sits number1 in both the men’s T20I and ODI rankings going into the final days of the year.

    This was only the second time in history that a batter was ranked number one in both formats at the end of a year. Australian legend, Ricky Ponting, achieved the feat in 2005.

    Babar Nominated for ODI Player of the Year Award

    The Skipper of Pakistan is also nominated for the ODI Player of the Year award. He scored 405 runs in six matches in the outgoing year at an average of 67.50 with two centuries in the 50-over format.

    Alongside Azam, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, Ireland’s Paul Stirling and South Africa’s Janneman Malan have been named as contenders for the award.

    Rizwan Nominated for T20Player of the Year Award

    The star batter is also nominated for the T20I Player of the Year award for his exceptional performances with the bat.

    Alongside Rizwan, Jos Buttler, Wanindu Hasaranga and Mitchell Marsh are the four nominees for the Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year Award.

    Two Consecutive Whitewash

    The Pakistan cricket team had a great two series against Bangladesh and West Indies. First the green shirts beat Bangladesh with a 2-0 clean sweep in Test matches and 3-0 whitewash in T20Is and the national team later triumphed a T20I series at home against West Indies.

    Meanwhile, led by the dynamic opening duo of Rizwan and Babar, Pakistan pulled off a record chase in the third and final T20 international to register a 3-0 series whitewash over the covid-hit West Indies team.

    Pakistan beats India in U19 Asia Cup

    Pakistan beat arch-rivals India by two wickets in a nail-biting match of the group stage of the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) Under-19s Asia Cup, with young stars Muhammad Shehzad and Zeeshan Zameer’s heroics leaving the Men In Blue surprised.

    Skipper Qasim Akram put India to bat after winning the toss and restricted the Men In Blue to 237 in the 50-over match at the ICC Academy Ground.

  • Babar Azam, Pakistani cricketers celebrate Quaid’s 146th birthday

    Babar Azam, Pakistani cricketers celebrate Quaid’s 146th birthday

    The nation is celebrating 146th birthday of Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah today (Saturday). Skipper of the national cricket team Babar Azam and other Pakistani cricketers also took to their social media accounts to pen heartfelt notes.

    “Visionary leader, ambassador of humanity, equality and tolerance. May all of us try to fulfill our obligations for our courageous country. Happy Birthday to our Quaid,” wrote Babar on Twitter.

    Taking to Twitter, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi thanked Quaid for this nation saying: “Let’s celebrate our founding Father by taking an oath to make Pakistan great, happy & prosperous by ensuring the well being of the masses & the poor. Join me by doing your part in actualizing Quaid’s vision of unity & equality.”

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1474601970287665152?t=zDsR3IyEVUPe8MYEyfxP1Q&s=19

    Similarly, Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Imam-ul-Haq, Ahmad Shahzad and Wahab Riaz took to their respective social media accounts to write a few words to thank the Father of the Nation.

    Pakistani woman cricketer Sidra Amin also shared Quaid’s quote.

    Former cricketer and current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja also thanked Quaid for this beautiful country.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan in his message on the occasion of birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, has emphasised upon the youth to adopt Quaid’s attributes of honesty, hard work, perseverance and dedication.

    He said we as a nation need to adopt these attributes to realize Quaid’s vision of a developed, progressive and tolerant Pakistan.

    The Prime Minister said Muhammad Ali Jinnah realised the importance of a separate homeland for Muslims of the subcontinent where all citizens could enjoy freedom of faith, occupation and equal opportunities.

  • Rizwan chasing number one Babar, succeeds to register name at third position in T20Is

    Rizwan chasing number one Babar, succeeds to register name at third position in T20Is

    Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar Azam is back on number one position in the T20 Internationals but wicket-keeper-batter and Pakistan’s star opener Mohammad Rizwan has secured third position in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings for the first time in his career.

    Babar is on top with 805 points and England’s David Malan is sharing the spot with him with the same points. While Rizwan is chasing the skipper on the points table with 798 rating.

    Azam reclaimed the top spot in the list for batters after just one week of losing it.

    With scores of 0 and 7 in the first two T20Is against the West Indies, Babar dropped two spots to number 3 in last week’s rankings update. He came roaring back and is now tied at the top of the rankings with Dawid Malan after a brilliant 79 in the final T20I that helped Pakistan complete a clean sweep over West Indies.

    However Rizwan, who has had a tremendous 2021, capped the year by climbing to number 3 in T20I batters’ rankings with career-best ratings of 798. Rizwan was the Player of the Match in the final T20I against West Indies, helping Pakistan chase 208 in less than 19 overs with a brilliant 45-ball 87.

    Australian middle-order batter Marnus Labuschagne topped the table of the ICC Test Player Rankings for batters for the very first time after sensational performances in the two matches of the Ashes so far.

    Meanwhile, Shaheen Shah Afridi retained his third spot in the Test rankings.

  • Shaheen Afridi ranks Rizwan ‘best’ and Babar ‘second’ best captain

    Shaheen Afridi ranks Rizwan ‘best’ and Babar ‘second’ best captain

    Pakistan’s young fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was recently appointed as the new captain of Lahore Qalandars, has revealed that he ranks Mohammad Rizwan as a better captain than Babar Azam.

    While attending a press conference where Shaheen was officially announced as the new captain of the Lahore Qalandars team, the left-arm pacer was asked about his opinion regarding Babar Azam’s captaincy.

    “Babar Azam is my favorite batsman and he is the number one batter as well. He has done fantastically well as a captain for the national team and we are reaching new heights under him,” responded Shaheen.

    Shaheen was then asked to reveal who he believes has been the best captain near him since he started playing.

    “I like [Mohammad] Rizwan’s personality. I started playing domestic competition with him from KPK’s side and I would rate him as the best. Since Babar has done a fantastic job with the national team, I will rank him second,” said the newly appointed captain of the Lahore Qalandars team.

  • 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.

  • Shaheen Afridi climbs to third spot in Tests, Babar Azam loses top rank

    Shaheen Afridi climbs to third spot in Tests, Babar Azam loses top rank

    In the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Dawid Malan is back to number one among batters with Pakistan captain Babar Azam unable to hold on to the top spot after two matches of their series against the West Indies.

    Shaheen headlines the bowling rankings in the latest weekly update for men, which is carried out on Wednesdays and includes the second Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan, which Pakistan won by an innings and eight runs to clinch full ICC World Test Championship points from the series.

    Shaheen has continued his climb with three wickets in the match while off-spinner Sajid Khan has zoomed up 52 places to 49th after a 12-wicket haul that won him the Player of the Match award. Mohammad Rizwan (up five places to 18th) and Fawad Alam (up seven places to 20th) have moved up in the batters’ list after their useful half-centuries.

    In the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Dawid Malan is back to number one among batters with Pakistan captain Babar Azam unable to hold on to the top spot after two matches of their series against the West Indies. He moves to number 3 while Mohammad Rizwan has retained his fourth spot.

    Pakistan’s Haider Ali has gained 86 slots to reach 98th position after scores of 68 and 31 while the rankings for bowlers see spinner Shadab Khan back in the top 10, moving up five slots to ninth position.

    Fast bowler Haris Rauf is up three places to 19th while Mohammad Nawaz has gained 29 slots to reach 54th position. For the West Indies, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosen has gained 73 slots and is now 68th among bowlers.

    Team Pakistan has won two out of three matches in the three-match T20I series with West Indies in Karachi. Babar has scored 0 and 7 runs in both the matches respectively. While the Men in Green are set to play their third and final match against the Windies tomorrow (Thursday) in National Stadium Karachi.