Tag: Babar Azam

  • ‘Aik over main 25 bhi kar leinge’: Asif Ali to Shoaib Malik

    ‘Aik over main 25 bhi kar leinge’: Asif Ali to Shoaib Malik

    Asif Ali clinched the match for Pakistan, beating Afghanistan with five wickets.

    At the post-match ceremony Asif said: “The boundary was small from this end so I told Shoaib Malik that I’d go for it this over. Thank God we pulled it off.”

    He further said: “I look at the situation and what it demands and which bowler has overs remaining, and the field setting.”

    “I told Shoaib [Malik] that Naveen was bowling well, and from this end I could even score 25 in an over. So I planned for it,” he concluded.

    “The bowlers bowled brilliantly at the start, but I think we gave 10-15 runs too many away,” said Babar at the post-match ceremony.

    “We didn’t quite use the Powerplay as well as we hoped but Asif and Shoaib Malik at the death were brilliant. The way Asif has played many innings at the PSL, I was very confident he’d get us out of any trouble we find ourselves in,” he added.

    Babar also said: “I wanted to stay till the end but got out, unfortunately. So credit to Asif Ali.”

    Pakistan needed 24 runs in the last two overs. Hitting four sixes in the 19th over, Asif sealed the deal for Pakistan.

    Many notables, cricketers and Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter to congratulate Pakistan and thank Asif for the win. Here are a few Tweets:

    https://twitter.com/76Shadabkhan/status/1454144930318852096?t=tOzd5GoPIMRudKDQzXldbA&s=19

    While former Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif wants to make a flyover in Asif Ali’s name.

    England’s all-rounder Ben Stokes took to Twitter and wrote: “Remember the name @AasifAli2018.”

    Meanwhile, the power hitter took to Twitter and wrote: “Aur koi hukam Pakistan? Shukriya @isbunited aur woh sub log jinho ne mere per belief rakha mere mushkil waqt mai. #PakistanZindabad.”

  • Mohammad Rizwan backs Shami after Indian social media abuse

    Mohammad Rizwan backs Shami after Indian social media abuse

    Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has backed Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami after he received hatred on social media by Indians for the loss against Pakistan.

    Taking to Twitter, Rizwan wrote: “The kind of pressure, struggles & sacrifices a player has to go through for his country & his people is immeasurable. @MdShami11 is a star and indeed of the best bowlers in the world.”

    He further requested fans to “respect your stars. This game should bring people together and not divide them.”

    Earlier, many notables extended their support to the Indian pacer. Former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan also came to Shami’s defence after the player was being subjected to abuse on the basis of his religion, with people accusing him of being a traitor.

    Along with him, many people from the cricketing fraternity extended their support to the 31-year-old player.

    South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi took to Twitter and said: “People who abuse players on social media because of a rough performance are IDIOTS!”

    “Neither the players or real sports loving fans appreciate that kind of behaviour,” he added.

    The left-armer also cheered his colleague, calling him a “champ”.

    Shami conceded 43 runs in 3.5 overs at an economy rate of 11.21. Rizwan and Babar Azam clinched the match from India, beating the neighbours by 10 wickets.

  • Actor Shaan terms Kohli’s innings ‘for self’, Babar’s for the team, backtracks later

    Actor Shaan terms Kohli’s innings ‘for self’, Babar’s for the team, backtracks later

    Pakistan’s leading film actor Shaan Shahid has apologised to his fans after he took to Twitter and said that Virat Kohli’s fifty was selfish and Babar Azam’s half century was for the team.

    The Khuda Kay Liye star took to Twitter and shared his thoughts on the scores of both the captains and said: “Kohli’s 51 was for himself but Baber’s 50 + was for the team. #baberazam mughlay Azam #greenpoweristhefuture.”

    Many fans criticised the Waar actor for his comments. Here are a few reactions:

    https://twitter.com/_AndLife_GoesOn/status/1452599279361658880?s=20

    Shaan later tweeted and said: “I agree with all of you kohli played a brilliant innings as well.”

    Pakistan crushed India by 10 wickets after a terrific inning by Babar and Mohammad Rizwan. Babar and Rizwan’s 152-run partnership for Pakistan was not just a match-winning stand, but also the biggest opening partnership in the history of the Men’s T20 World Cup and Pakistan’s second-biggest partnership in a T20I for any wicket.

    The Green Shirts will be facing New Zealand on Tuesday in their next match in the World Cup’s Super twelves.

  • ‘This is for you’: Babar Azam dedicates the win to Pakistani fans

    ‘This is for you’: Babar Azam dedicates the win to Pakistani fans

    Pakistani captain Babar Azam has dedicated the historic win against India to his fans.

    Taking to Twitter, he shared pictures of the winning moments and wrote: “This is for you, Pakistan. History made. All eyes on the next game, In Sha Allah #PakistanZindabad.”

    Babar and Mohammad Rizwan’s 152-run partnership for Pakistan was not just a match-winning stand, but also the biggest opening partnership in the history of the Men’s T20 World Cup and Pakistan’s second-biggest partnership in a T20I for any wicket.

    Azam and Rizwan’s combined efforts overtook Chris Gayle and Devon Smith’s 145 against South Africa in 2007 as the top opening stand in Men’s T20 World Cups.

    Speaking after the match, Azam explained how he and his partner approached the record run-chase.

    “The plan with Rizwan is always to keep it simple,” he said. “We tried to get deep in the crease and from about the eighth over the dew came in and the ball came on nicely.

    “This is just the start, we have confidence to build on now. It will remain match by match for us.

    “The pressure on us wasn’t that much – we weren’t thinking of the record against India at all. I only wanted to back all our players who’ve been preparing well.”

    Meanwhile, Azam and Rizwan’s 152 is the second biggest partnership for any wicket in Men’s T20 World Cup history, 14 runs shy of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene’s extraordinary 166 against West Indies in 2010.

    The partnership is also the biggest for any wicket in a T20I against India, and consigned India to their first-ever ten-wicket defeat in T20s.

    Shaheen Shah Afridi also bagged three big Indian wickets on a big night. For his performance with the ball, Afridi got Player of the Match award.

    Other team members also took to the social media to express their happiness:

    https://twitter.com/76Shadabkhan/status/1452333304997421057?s=20

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is in Saudi Arabia, was also watching the match and later took to Twitter to share the picture and congratulated Pakistan for this historic win.

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Qamar Javed Bajwa also congratulated the team for the “outstanding performance and comprehensive win against India.”

    Beating India by 10 wickets, Pakistan is eyeing its next victory in the match against New Zealand on Tuesday.

  • Maryam Nawaz criticises PM Khan for watching the Pak vs Ind T20 match

    Maryam Nawaz criticises PM Khan for watching the Pak vs Ind T20 match

    As the world celebrated the historic victory of the Men in Green, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz did not let go of a chance to criticise Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for watching the Pakistan and India T20 World Cup match.

    PM Khan shared a picture on Twitter watching the match along with various other government figures and ministers, saying that the “entire nation was proud of the Pakistan team.”

    Maryam Nawaz, tweeting the photo PM Khan tweeted, wrote, “God! People in the country are dying of hunger, inflation, and incompetence, and look at them!”

    PM Khan is currently in Saudi Arabia for a three-day visit. The premier performed Umrah along with his accompanying delegation.

    The prime minister is visiting Saudi Arabia to attend the launch of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit being held in Riyadh, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

  • Pakistan crushes India: All the memes you cannot miss

    Pakistan crushes India: All the memes you cannot miss

    History has been made. Pakistan defeated India for the first time in a World Cup fixture by 10 wickets after losing 12 straight matches to the Men in Blue.

    While chasing 152, Pakistani openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan played till the end. Shaheen Shah Afridi remained in the limelight by taking three blue wickets, including skipper Virat Kohli’s at 57.

    Since Sunday night, hashtags related to the match have been trending as Pakistanis were cheering the brilliant victory of boys in green.

    Memes were all over Pakistani Twitter so here are all the MUST-SEE memes that you cannot miss.

    Sorry neighbour, we rock!

  • Babar vs Kohli: Who is the better player? Pak-Ind experts weigh in

    Babar vs Kohli: Who is the better player? Pak-Ind experts weigh in

    As cricket fever reaches its peak, fans around the world are looking forward to the upcoming Pakistan-India blockbuster T20 World Cup match.

    Geo News brought together cricketing legends from both countries for two high-octane exchanges on Saturday.

    Veterans like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Sohail Tanveer where Pakistani panelists and host was Shahzad Iqbal, while Indian side had Sunil Gavaskar, Harbhajan Singh and Madan Lal on the Geo News/Aaj Tak ‘taakra’.

    When the question was asked by Shahzad that who is the better player among both skippers Babar Azam and Virat Kohli in T20 cricket, all the panelists gave their opinions on it.

    Madan Lal said: “Virat is way ahead than Babar as we all have witnessed his performance in all three formats of cricket and it has always been better than Babar.”

    While Sunil said: “Virat has played a lot of cricket so he has a better record but the talenr Babar holds, gives him a better chance to him to get more runs in the future.”

    He also added that Virat used to score 60, 70 runs but after when he scored centuries, he was also counted in great players. Babar has the potential as he is a very good batsman and easily scores 60, 70 runs but then get out after that. When he will score hundreds in Tests and One Days, he will be counted among number one batsmen. He has that potential.

    “Virat Kohli is a great player and I think he is a legend in modern day cricket. Yes Babar need some time to get to that mark but but he has that game and definitely he can become one of cricketing greats of Pakistan like Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saeed Anwar,” said former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh.

    Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said: “Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are both great players, but the way Babar is batting, I think he will break all records.”

    He further added: “Kohli has given a lot of performances for his country, but Babar’s record is better than Kohli’s in terms of the amount of cricket he has played, Babar has yet to reach the heights of his career, Babar’s best game is yet to come. Babar’s hunger for runs makes him better than others. I have never seen such hunger for runs in any other batsman. Virat has a lot of aggression. If I compare the technique, Babar’s technique looks better than Kohli’s.”

    “I agree with Inzi and Sunny (Inzamam and Sunil) that both are great players. Virat’s stats are very strong and Babar is still not there but I’ll agree with Inzi that Babar can be at number one forever,” said Pakistan’s great spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.

    While Tanveer said that it took a long time for Kohli to become what he is and if we take a look at current form and performances of last three-four years of Babar, “He has that guts and he has all the skills to become world number one player and has become the number one.”
    “By the time and experience he will become more confident and his abilities will also come to the fore,” he added.

    It’s pertinent to mention here that the arch-rivals will be facing each other on Sunday 7pm PST at the Dubai International Stadium.

  • Pak vs Ind: Are you ready?

    Everyone is sitting in the same room, some very close to the TV as if they can control things by sitting close to the screen. Some outside the lounge to avoid the visuals, responding only to the audio cues. Some trying to change fate by doing tasbeeh. And some holding a chappal permanently pose an imminent danger to either the TV screen or to the people around them. Because if things went south, the chappal will go north. And who even has the mental presence to timely register the oncoming chappal? I mean who even cares whatever the world is coming to when Pakistan is playing against India in a World Cup match?

    This is how this grand event has been witnessed in my family. This is how it has always been. I am sure this is how it is for every cricket-obsessed home in Pakistan and perhaps even across the border. The historical fact that Pakistan continues its tradition of losing to India in grand cricket events gets completely lost on us whenever we have to face India. Even the people who have given up on cricket and believe it is a personality trait to say “I don’t watch cricket anymore” metamorphose overnight and become senior cricket analysts on match day. They are kind of annoying but we, the cricket enthusiasts, let them be part of our world as it is Pakistan playing against India.

    From jingoist expressions to “what a ridiculously talented Indian team is”, the emotions vary among people but the focus remains the same: win against India. Thrash them. Humiliate them. None of these events happen in the World Cup but the sentiments remain the same. Every match against India becomes an opportunity for the Pakistani team to rise from the ashes. I mean, they aren’t even in ashes though but you get what I am saying, right? It is an opportunity for the revival of faith in this country for at least one week. The entire country goes into a trance. You go to a local grocery store, tandoor or even a random corner of the street, all you would hear is, “Fer, tayaari ay?” (Are you ready?). I have been a regular witness of analysis at tandoor shops where they don’t have a TV and solely rely on radio commentary on their phones. You can easily get away with stealing things at shops with TV because the shopkeeper will be lost on the screen. Their positivity is contagious. Their josh and daleri are difficult to find anywhere else. It gives you hope even when Pakistan has to score 70 runs off 2 balls to win the match. It’s insane, I know.

    In an attempt to keep my josh under control, I remind myself of Pakistan’s defeat against India in the quarter-final match of the 1996 World Cup. The Bangalore Defeat, I call it. I can still recall the pain of that defeat. I remember locking myself in the bathroom and crying uncontrollably. I felt for the first time that this is it. No more cricket for me. That loss still haunts me whenever the Pakistan vs India discussion begins. I often find myself recalling this truly tragic loss even during conversations that have nothing to do with cricket. For instance, I had amazing seafood in Karachi and I was like, “Glad I had it as Lahore doesn’t offer much taste,” followed by my internal scream, “Haan but we didn’t win against India in 96. Who is gonna fill that void?”. Do you understand the gravity of this loss yet?

    And now that we are set to play our first match against India in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, that same loss has taken over my life and I am looking forward to the 190th attempt to fill that void by winning against India. The odds are against us, the world is against us, and even we are against ourselves as we keep playing the dinosaurs in our team but nothing could be against our josh for this game. We are gonna give it our best. We will forget what the petrol rate is for 12 hours. We will forget how we love Rohit Sharma or Kohli. We will forget how Shah Rukh Khan is the best thing to come out of India. And of course, we will forget that the notification for DG ISI hasn’t been released. We will remember just one thing. Cricket.

    Hope in Babar Azam, pride in Shaheen Afridi, love for Rizwan, and faith in Haris Rauf to not bowl the death overs. Over to you, Team Pakistan. You might not have done it before but you can do it now!

    As for Kohli, I love Anushka more.

  • Pakistan announces 12-men squad for clash against India

    Pakistan announces 12-men squad for clash against India

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the 12-men squad for the clash between Pakistan and India at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday.

    According to the press release shared by PCB, the players that will be included in the match are: Babar azam (c), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    Pakistan and India first met in T20 format in the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 in Durban, which India won in Bowl-Out after both the sides ended up on 141 runs each. Since then, the two sides have played each other four more times – including the 2007 edition’s final – in the T20 World Cup.

    After Sunday’s fixture, Pakistan will play New Zealand on Tuesday, Afghanistan on Friday, while their next week’s matches will be against Namibia on November 2 and Scotland on November 7.

    Meanwhile, apart from a mission of beating India for the first time in the ICC T20 World Cup, the other incentive for Pakistan will be their victory will narrow the gap between the two sides to one point with India dropping to 264 points and Pakistan rising to 263 points. A win on Tuesday over New Zealand will potentially put Pakistan in second place on the ICC T20 Team Rankings.

    The match between the two former champions will commence at 7pm PST.

  • Super Sunday: Here is why October 24 will be a treat for sports fans

    Super Sunday: Here is why October 24 will be a treat for sports fans

    October 24, 2021, will be marked with a star by all sports fans. On this day, all sports fans, especially cricket and football fans, will be glued to their seats as they witness the sports’ biggest rivalries in just one day. There will be five biggest rivalries on the pitch that day.

    Pakistan vs India T20 World Cup Face-off

    So we will witness the biggest cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan on October 24, 2021. The cricket rivalry between Pakistan-India is one of the most intense in the world. The strained relationship, resulting from the bitter diplomatic relationship between the two countries resulting from the partition of the Subcontinent laid the groundwork for an intense sporting rivalry between the two nations, who share a cricket heritage.

    India and Pakistan are set to start their campaign in the T20 World Cup on October 24. International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that Group 2 will start the World Cup campaign with an intense showdown between India and Pakistan. Indian and Pakistani cricket fans are eagerly awaiting this clash.This match ignites a flame of rivalry between the two groups of players and fans.

    FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid

    The world’s greatest football rivalry between Spanish football titans FC Barcelona and Real Madrid can be seen on the same day. Few rivalries in sports can compare with the spectacle, the passion and the sheer football brilliance of Barcelona and Real Madrid.  The El Classico represents a clash of cultures between the Castilian Spanish and the Catalan. But for a true football fan, a match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid quite simply represents a great football match between two great clubs.

    Barcelona and Real Madrid enter the 2021-22 season with a point to prove after both the sides were to beaten to La Liga glory by Athletico Madrid last season. Athletico were crowned champions while Real Madrid finished second and Barcelona third. Many big names have exited from both the clubs like Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Lionel Messi, so many will look forward to the match as to see again who emerges victorious in the first El Classico of 2021-22 campaign.

    Manchester United vs Liverpool FC

    Another high profile inter-city rivalry and one of the biggest in the premier league is the match between Manchester United and Liverpool. This match will also be taking place on this Super Sunday. The North-West derby never fails to surprise the imagination of football fans all over the world. This intense rivalry between these two clubs does not stop in football but extends to their economic and cultural enmity.

    The raw passion involved in a football match between Manchester United and Liverpool is a symbol of inter-city contention for over two years. Like every year, this year also the match between Manchester United and Liverpool will spark a spirit of excitement and rivalry among the fans. Both the teams look strong and will be aiming this season to win the Premier League title after their defeat last Season to Manchester City.

    Juventus vs Inter Milan

    The Derby d’Italia is the match between Inter Milan and Juventus, two of the greatest clubs in Italian football. This match will also be played on October 24. This matchup between Inter Milan and Juventus is considered to be one of the greatest and the most intense in Italian football. The rivalry between Juventus and Inter became more bitter after the scandal of Calciopoli.

    Juventus lost the Serie A title last season after 9 years. Inter Milan dominated the Serie A and won the title breaking Juventus’s 9 consecutive title win streak. Both the teams will fight neck to neck in the Serie A. Juventus will be looking forward to winning the title again after their last season defeat while Inter Milan will be focusing on continuing their winning streak. This match between the Italian giants will be one of a kind to watch.

    Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint Germain

    One of the greatest rivalries in the world and the greatest in France is the Le Classique, the match between the two French Supergiants Marseille and Paris Saint Germain. Le Classique will also be played on this day. The animosity between Marseille and PSG extends far outside of Football. These two have been dominating French football from the very beginning and have also won a combine of 40 domestic trophies.

    The rivalry between Marseille and PSG is neither the oldest nor the most traditional in Ligue 1, but it is without doubt the most fiercely contested on and off the pitch dividing loyalties across the country. With the recent signings of PSG (Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, Georgino Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnaruma), many football fans are looking forward to witness the greatest rivalry in France. PSG will definitely give a tough fight to Marseille and will definitely look to reclaim its title back in the French league this season.