Tag: Babar Azam

  • IN PICTURES: Pakistan cricket team trains at Worcestershire

    IN PICTURES: Pakistan cricket team trains at Worcestershire

    The Pakistan cricket team has begun their training at Worcestershire for their upcoming matches against England.

    Read more – Mohammad Amir reveals why he backed out of England tour

    The team arrived in England on June 30, where they will play three Tests and as many Twenty20 internationals, starting in the first week of August. The players, who tested negative for COVID-19 and travelled to England included Azhar Ali (captain), Babar Azam (vice-captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, and Yasir Shah. Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Younis Khan (batting coach), Mushtaq Ahmed (spin bowling coach) and Waqar Younis also travelled with the team.

    According to PCB, the squad will undergo a 14-day isolation period on arrival before continuing their preparations ahead of the first Test with two four-day warm-up matches.

    Check out pictures from their training session below:

    Watch video:

    Babar Azam also shared pictures of himself at the practise and said that it felt great to be on the field again.

    It is expected that the first Test will take place in Manchester in August but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said the behind-closed-doors match schedule would be announced in “due course”.

  • ‘I will kill you’: Sania Mirza tells Babar Azam

    ‘I will kill you’: Sania Mirza tells Babar Azam

    Babar Azam and Indian tennis player and Shoaib Malik’s wife Sania Mirza were involved in a fun conversation during an Instagram live on Malik’s account.

    In the live conversation, both the Pakistani players’ Malik and Azam talked about their experiences, played a few games and when Shoaib asked the T20 captain about his favourite bhabi (brother’s wife), Azam replied that former captain Sarfraz Ahmed’s wife Khushbakht is his favourite.

    As Babar was answering this question, Sania commented: “I will kill you.”

    She also said that she won’t let him sleep on their couch anymore.

    Not only Sania, former Pakistani cricketer Azhar Mahmood’s wife, Ebba Qureshi also reacted for not being chosen as the favourite bhabi.

    Later, Azhar Ali laughed on their comments and said: ‘Ye tu hoga.’ Malik also liked Azhar’s response.

    Meanwhile, Khushbakht thanked Babar for choosing her.

    Watch the full live session here:

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBqgTczlmd_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  • Celebrities honour their ‘Ammis’ on Mother’s Day

    Celebrities honour their ‘Ammis’ on Mother’s Day

    Along with the rest of the world, Pakistan also celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday and paid a tribute to the real superheroes in our lives. Check out some sweet Mother’s Day wishes below, starting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, of course.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAAu-tQn1LV/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_-zsVBHVJM/?utm_source=ig_embed
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    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_-ryWyFP0C/?utm_source=ig_embed
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    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAAzWiDlvIT/
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    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAAefH3AIkd/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAAJSrfALyS/?utm_source=ig_embed
  • Rising batsman Haider Ali wants people to call him Babar Azam, not Virat Kohli

    Rising batsman Haider Ali wants people to call him Babar Azam, not Virat Kohli

    Haider Ali, the young Pakistan batsman, is widely tipped to be the next big player in the squad. He impressed everyone in the Under 19 World Cup and was also a star in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He has the talent to take the next step forward and the right-hander wants to keep improving his game so that people can talk about him in the same vein as Babar Azam.

    “A batsman can never become like his role models but can improve himself and develop shots as they play. I want to improve myself to the extent that people call me Babar Azam and not Kohli because Babar has good shots,” Haider said in a video on YouTube.

    However, he then went on to add that he wants to keep learning and imbibe the good qualities of Virat Kohli as well. “I cannot become Kohli but can develop shots like him through practice. I’m Haider Ali so I can only become Haider Ali,” he further added.

    “I met Babar Azam during the first-class tournament and he gave me tips regarding my batting. We also get to learn a lot from him in the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. He also supported me during PSL by boosting my confidence and advising me to keep scoring runs and leave the rest to Allah Almighty,” the young batsman added.

    Ali, who smacked four fours and the same number of sixes, also became the youngest batsman to score a half-century — which came off just 31 balls — in HBL PSL’s history aged just 19 years.

  • From Inzamam-ul-Haq to Babar Azam, here are all the Pakistani cricketers who have been part of ICC’s ‘ODI Team of the Year’

    From Inzamam-ul-Haq to Babar Azam, here are all the Pakistani cricketers who have been part of ICC’s ‘ODI Team of the Year’

    The International Cricket Council announced its ODI team of the year and Pakistan’s Babar Azam made it to the list, which also included (in batting order) Rohit Sharma (India), Shai Hope (West Indies), Virat Kohli (India, captain), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Ben Stokes (England), Jos Buttler (England, wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc (Australia), Trent Boult (New Zealand), Mohammed Shami (India) and Kuldeep Yadav (India).

    Babar was also part of the list in 2017.

    In the 2019 calendar year, Babar scored 1,092 runs in 20 ODIs at an impressive average of 60.66. He also scored three centuries and six half centuries. His centuries came against England at Trent Bridge (115), New Zealand at Edgbaston (101 not out) during ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and Sri Lanka at National Stadium (115).

    According to a press release by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), “Since the inception of the ICC awards in 2004, Babar Azam is the eighth Pakistan player to feature in the ICC ODI Team of the Year. Other Pakistan players to find their places in the teams of the year include Inzamam-ul-Haq, Rana Naved Ul Hasan (2005), Umar Gul (2009 and 2011), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal (both 2012), Saeed Ajmal (2013), Mohammad Hafeez (2014), Babar Azam and Hasan Ali (2017).”

    Earlier, Nida Dar was named in the ICC T20I Women’s Team of 2019.

  • PCB will deduct players’ salaries if they don’t meet fitness standards

    PCB will deduct players’ salaries if they don’t meet fitness standards

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that it will deduct salaries of the players who do not meet the fitness requirements.

    According to a press release by the cricket board, “A player failing to meet the minimum fitness requirements will be fined 15 per cent of his monthly retainer, which will remain effective until he achieves the standards. Player failing consecutive tests will risk the chances of retaining his central contract category and may face demotion.”

    All centrally contracted players have to undergo the fitness test which will be held on January 6 and 7. The available players will attend the two-day testing, which is aligned to their contracts.

    Meanwhile, “Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir and Shadab Khan, who will be occupied with their commitments in the Bangladesh Premier League, will undergo the tests on 20 and 21 January.“

    Players will be tested in five major areas namely fat analysis, strength, endurance, speed endurance and cross-fit, with all areas carrying equal marks.

    Currently 19 top players are under contract in A, B and C categories and get monthly salaries ranging from 1.1 million to 0.5 million rupees based on their contract.

    Director of International Cricket PCB Zahir Khan said that the players have been informed about the board’s expectations and sanctions, adding, “This time we have decided to enforce penalties, which is in accordance with the contracts, as part of our objective to make the players more accountable and responsible for maintaining high fitness standards throughout the year.”

    Meanwhile, Imam ul Haq posted a picture of himself with his teammates “getting ready for the fitness test” while enjoying the winter sun and fresh oranges.

    Centrally contracted players:

    Category A – Babar Azam (Central Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh) and Yasir Shah (Balochistan)

    Category B – Asad Shafiq (Sindh), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Haris Sohail (Balochistan), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Shadab Khan (Northern) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Northern)

    Category C – Abid Ali (Sindh), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imad Wasim (Northern), Mohammad Amir (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shan Masood (Southern Punjab), Usman Shinwari (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Wahab Riaz (Southern Punjab)

  • ‘Misbah was made chief selector, coach on Maulana Tariq Jamil’s recommendation’

    Pakistani journalist Sohail Warraich has claimed that Misbahul Haq was given the role of both chief selector and head coach on the recommendation of famous religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil.

    The journalist has made these claims in his latest column, in which he has said that no one in this country knows cricket better than Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and claimed that every change in Pakistan cricket is happening on PM Imran’s order.

    Sohail said that Maulana Tariq Jamil is one of Pakistan’s most loved personality and rejecting his orders is considered as a grave sin, therefore PM Imran while honouring his love with Maulana Tariq “gave these responsibilities to Misbah”.

    Warraich further claimed that batsman Babar Azam was made the captain of cricket team on Imran Khan’s order.

    “Khan appointed Misbah as coach and chief selector and Babaq Azam as team’s captain, but he [Imran] shouldn’t be held responsible for their poor performance”, Sohail added.

    Earlier, Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed had said that PM Imran Khan will now focus on improving sports, especially cricket.

    “The premier could not concentrate on cricket earlier as he was focused on stabilising the economy and strengthening the institutions, which were in shambles”, reports quoted Faisal Javed as saying.

    The statement from the senator came after Pakistan cricket team’s poor performance against Australia and Srilanka in Test and T20 series, respectively.

  • ‘Babar Azam is a classy player’; Ricky Ponting all praise over ‘extraordinary batting skills’

    Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has labelled Pakistani batsman and skipper Babar Azam a “classy player” and praised him for his “extraordinary batting skills”, Cricket Pakistan reported.

    According to the details, Ricky Ponting while speaking during an interview said, “We have not seen the best of him [Babar Azam] yet. 20 odd Tests for an average of 35 – he is better than that. He averages 54 in one-day cricket at a strike-rate of about 90. He is a very, very classy player”.

    He added, “He is a really exciting talent and probably the guy I am looking forward to seeing the most this summer. I have seen the Aussies a lot and I have seen a lot of the Kiwis, but I am really excited to see him”.

    The former Australian skipper believes that Pakistan need to utilise Babar in a better way in the longer format, adding that Australia needs to be wary of him in the upcoming two-match Test series between the two sides.

    After scoring back to back fifties in the recently concluded T20I series against Australia, Babar played a brisk 157-run knock in the four-day practice match against Australia A in Perth.

    It remains to be seen whether the 25-year-old can perform well in the Test series against the hosts, starting from November 21 at Gabba, Brisbane.

  • ‘Babar Azam is Jinnah’s grandson’ among other statements attributed to JUI-F leader

    Ever since Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah has made a statement about Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s former wife, Jemima Goldsmith; that ‘Wiki of Wikileaks’ is her cousin, social media is flooded with funny quotes.

    Dr Farhan Virk, a social worker from Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf (PTI) had recently started a Twitter trend called “KifayatQuote” after Wiki-Jamima blunder and asked its followers to come up with funny quotes that they can attribute to JUI-F leader.

    Soon after Dr Farhan began the trend by sharing a meme on his Twitter handle which said, “Kartarpur is the cousin of Faryal Talpur” and wrote, “Guys, Grab your keyboards and start trending KifayatQuotes as it is now time to pay a tribute to this great legend of social media and Azadi March”.

    Since then the Twitter users across Pakistan are sharing funny quotes and attributing all of them to Mufti Kifayat.

    One of the users wrote that Pakistan Cricket team’s skipper and batsman Babar Azam is the grandson of Quaide Azam.

    https://twitter.com/Shaziaa24/status/1193963917141262336

    Another wrote that “Babar Azam and PM Imran are cousins”.

    https://twitter.com/saadiraja183/status/1193963531957362691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1193963531957362691&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftwitter.com%252Fsaadiraja183%252Fstatus%252F1193963531957362691%26widget%3DTweet

    While the rest of the users are making all kinds of random hilarious quotes and they are funny.

    https://twitter.com/umama86/status/1193965849750777856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1193965849750777856&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftwitter.com%252Fumama86%252Fstatus%252F1193965849750777856%26widget%3DTweet
    https://twitter.com/qijalali/status/1193963853782102017
    https://twitter.com/Arman2k3/status/1193963690703433729
  • Babar Azam beats Kohli, becomes 3rd fastest to reach 11 ODI hundreds

    Babar Azam beats Kohli, becomes 3rd fastest to reach 11 ODI hundreds

    Pakistan top-order batsman Babar Azam has surpassed Indian captain Virat Kohli to become the third-fastest player to reach 11 one-day international (ODI) hundreds. Babar reached this milestone in just 71 innings while Kohli needed 82, The News International reported.

    According to the details, the right-handed batsmen, who had scored 96 in Pakistan’s last ODI against Bangladesh during the 2019 World Cup, smashed his eleventh ODI century while playing against Sri Lanka in the second ODI at the National Stadium in Karachi on Monday.

    The first match was washed out without a ball being bowled at the same venue on Friday.

    South Africa’s batsman Hashim Amla remains the quickest to 11 ODI hundreds, getting there in only 64 innings. Another South African Quinton de Kock reached hi 11 hundreds mark in only 65 innings.

    Babar Azam also became the quickest to score 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year for Pakistan, reaching to the milestone in only 19 innings.

    Babar has so far scored two centuries and seven half-centuries in this year.