Tag: Batter

  • Babar Azam accused of allegedly ‘sexting’ teammate’s girlfriend

    Babar Azam accused of allegedly ‘sexting’ teammate’s girlfriend

    Pakistan star-cricketer Babar Azam has landed in a controversy as his alleged personal videos and photos went viral on social media.

    According to Fox Cricket, Azam is being accused of allegedly sexting a teammate’s girlfriend after videos and voice recordings went viral online.

    While the authenticity of the material remains unclear, it allegedly shows a topless Babar in intimate chats with a woman.

    One of the accusations is that Babar promised the woman that her boyfriend’s spot in Pakistan’s XI was safe if she kept sexting him.

    Aur isko Kohli banna hai…” Twitterati roast Babar Azam after his private videos, intimate chats allegedly surface online

    The accusation was first posted by verified Twitter account Dr Nimo Yadav, saying: “Babar Azam sexting with GF of another Pakistan cricketer and promising her that her bf won’t be out of the team if she keeps sexting with him is just.”

    Babar posted a happy snap while appearing to be on holiday in Sydney on Monday.

    “Doesn’t take too much to be happy,” he captioned the photo with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background.

    Pakistani cricket fans took to their social media and started supporting Babar Azam after the video and photos went viral on social media. The alleged viral video of Babar caused a stir among the netizens. Some of his fans claimed that this is a conspiracy against Babar to spoil his image while others said the video has been morphed and urged not to spread lies against the star batter.

    Babar has been trending on Twitter since under the hashtag #StayStrongBabarAzam.

  • Pakistan’s ‘true warriors’

    Pakistan’s ‘true warriors’

    Khan called his winning ‘92 World Cup team, the ‘cornered tigers’. For Babar, the team that came so very close are the ‘true warriors’. And we couldn’t agree more. Pakistan lost the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup today to England after only scoring 137 runs, a low total but one that was not easily defended by the English batters. Pakistani batters may have struggled but our bowlers made even a low total like 137 difficult to score for the English team despite England’s strong batting lineup. It was bad luck for Pakistan in many ways. Not only were we 20 runs short but the way Stokes had nine lives (or more) and Shaheen Afridi’s injury just before his two crucial overs at the end made the loss even more heartbreaking for our Boys in Green who went all-out to win the final at the MCG today.

    It was indeed a heartbreaking moment for Pakistanis across the world as we came quite close to lifting the trophy but at the same time, we should celebrate the fact that we reached the final despite all odds and performed brilliantly. Our batting strategy leaves much to be desired, especially when it comes to difficult pitches. On the bowling front, from Haris Rauf to Naseem to Shadab to Shaheen Afridi, our bowlers put in their hearts to win the game. Alas, we couldn’t but our players did all they could.

    The way that Pakistan managed to reach the semi-finals when they had been written off clearly shows that our boys have what it takes to be a world-class team. In today’s game, we lost a toss that went in England’s favour. A World Cup final also comes with its pressure but our team did not show any jitters and were ready to defend a small total. Our batters did not perform as well as they could have and hit unnecessary shots to lose wickets when we shouldn’t have. To rely solely on the bowlers without giving them a defendable total may have been a bit much to ask but our bowlers did not disappoint and played splendidly well. They tried their best and got early wickets but luck favoured the English today. Known for playing a clinical game, the English seemed worried when our bowlers hit the right line and length.

    England was always going to be a tough team to play against given their performance throughout the tournament. And England did not disappoint. They bowled well and restricted Pakistan to a small total. But we can say that the best team — Pakistan — outperformed in the end. Even then, Babar Azam’s Playing XI has made the entire nation proud for playing almost till the last over. Pakistan cricket united the country in cheering for our cricket team at a time when we need unity the most.

  • ‘Become an example for others’: Afridi congratulates Ahmad Shahzad for being appointed as captain of a KPL team

    ‘Become an example for others’: Afridi congratulates Ahmad Shahzad for being appointed as captain of a KPL team

    Ahmad Shahzad has been appointed captain of defending champions Rawalakot Hawks for Season 2 of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL).

    Ahmad took to Twitter to thank the management of Rawalakot Hawks for selecting him.

    “I am very thankful to the management of Rawalakot Hawks & especially Mr Jan Wali for trusting in me Looking forward to LeadDefending Champions of KPL,” wrote the right-handed opening batter.

    Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi congratulated him.

    “Yes, for sure you can lead, work hard and become an example for others. All the best Ahmad,” tweeted Afridi.

    Recently in a TV programme, Shahzad complained about not being selected for domestic and national squads.

    Opener batter Ahmad Shahzad in July made an appearance on Samaa News along with Shahid Afridi. During the show, Afridi advised Shahzad to enjoy his life.

    “Ahmad was targeted because of me because I supported him a lot. I gave him a lot of chances, which turned out to be a negative thing for him when I left captaincy. I think people thought he was my favourite,” Afridi said while extending his support for Ahmad.

    “I supported him a lot because I wasn’t able to find an opener of his ability in Pakistan. He was performing as well. Obviously, he couldn’t perform in all games but he was targeted because of me as well.” he added.

    “I want you to score runs, and enjoy your life with your wife and kids. Allah has made life beautiful for you,” Afridi added.
    Shahzad while replying to Afridi said, “I keep saying that. I want to score runs, but at least don’t deny me the platforms where I can score. I will ask you when sides in PSL want to pick me, who comes in and says no? “
    “You tell me, where do I score runs? At my home?” he questioned Afridi.

    Kashmir Premier League (KPL) Season 2 will take place from August 11 to 26 in Muzaffarabad, Jammu, and Azad Kashmir.
    Seven teams including Hawks, Janbaz, Mirpur Royals, Muzaffarabad Tigers, Kotli Lions, Overseas Warriors, and Bagh Stallions will compete against each other.

  • Asia Cup 2022: Shoaib Malik not part of Pakistan squad

    Asia Cup 2022: Shoaib Malik not part of Pakistan squad

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced a 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2022.

    The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced last month that the Asia Cup 2022 will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from August 27 to September 11. However, Sri Lanka will still officially have hosting rights.  The Asia Cup, which was last played in 2018, will be played in the T20 format, with nine teams participating.

    Shoaib Malik and Shan Masood are not part of Pakistan’s batting squad while fast bowler Naseem Shah has replaced Hasan Ali.

    Shoaib Malik is Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Asia Cup. He has scored 907 runs in 21 matches with an average of 64.78.

    Shoaib Malik was part of the T20 World Cup 2021 and scored 101 runs in the tournament with a match-winning knock of 54 on 18 balls against Scotland.

    “It’s been 25 years but Pakistan has not found a replacement for Shoaib Malik,” said former Pakistani cricketer Aaqib Javed said in an interview.

    Read more – Asia Cup 2022 to be held in UAE

    People are expressing their disappointment over the decision to drop Shoaib Malik and Shan Masood.

    Have a look at some of the tweets:

    https://twitter.com/aleeybae/status/1554740957286785024

    Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2022: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir

  • Babar Azam still No 1, Imam-ul-Haq jumps past Kohli to No 2 in ODI rankings

    Babar Azam still No 1, Imam-ul-Haq jumps past Kohli to No 2 in ODI rankings

    Pakistan is ruling the ICC One-Day International (ODI) batter rankings with skipper Babar Azam on the top while opener Imam-ul-Haq jumped past Virat Kohli to get to the second spot. Earlier, Imam was in the third place in the rankings just below Babar Azam and former India skipper Virat Kohli.

    Very well deserved, Babar Azam: ICC

    Babar Azam tweeted a picture with his ODI and T20I caps after being named ICC 2021 Team of the Year in both formats.

    Meanwhile, Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi jumped two places to fourth in the ICC ODI bowling rankings.

  • Cricket fraternity mourns the death of former Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds

    Cricket fraternity mourns the death of former Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds

    Former Australia cricketer Andrew Symonds died in a car crash in Queensland today (May 15) at the age of 46.

    “We are shocked and saddened by the loss of the loveable Queenslander, who has tragically passed away at the age of 46,” Cricket Australia announced his death in a poignant message.

    The all-rounder played 26 Tests, 198 One-Day internationals and 14 Twenty20s for Australia between 1998 and 2009.

    Cricketers expressed their shock and paid glowing tributes to Symonds.

    Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said he was devastated to hear the news. “We shared a great relationship on & off the field.”

    Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said, “If Roy shook your hand you had his word, that’s the sort of bloke he was and that’s why I always wanted him on my team.”

    Former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar tweeted: “Not only was he a brilliant all-rounder, but also a live-wire on the field.”

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1525771814575677440

    Symonds’ death has shocked the cricketing world. His tragic demise follows the death of former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, who died at the age of 52 earlier this year in March.

  • ‘My mother always told me never ever sell your country,’ says Shoaib Akhtar

    ‘My mother always told me never ever sell your country,’ says Shoaib Akhtar

    The former Pakistani pacer, Shoaib Akhtar in an interview stated that his mother constantly counseled him to protect Pakistan’s pride.

    Akhtar also revealed that 12 of his fellow players had been engaged in match-fixing but he said nothing.

    “I can’t stand lying, so I’ve never fixed or even considered fixing a game,” he explained. “Match-fixing was a problem for 12 of my former teammates. I was aware, but I said nothing. ‘Never ever sell your nation,’ my mum used to say “cricketer-turned-YouTuber expressed his sentiments.

    Conversely, Akhtar, who is known for his strong words and anger, claimed that he have hit the umpires and batters with the bat at least 30-40 times.

    Shoaib Akhtar reflected on his background and said he had seen a lot of unfairness. He mentioned the 1999 World Cup, when Steve Waugh was plumb out but the umpire denied the appeal, provoking him to kick his leg and even scream at him.

  • Wasim Akram, Wahab Riaz, Haider Ali test positive for Covid ahead of PSL 7

    Wasim Akram, Wahab Riaz, Haider Ali test positive for Covid ahead of PSL 7

    Former cricketer and Karachi Kings’ President Wasim Akram and two Peshawar Zalmi’s players — Wahab Riaz and Haider Ali — tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    As per The News, Wasim Akram and the players of the PSL franchise have quarantined themselves after their test for the virus came back positive.

    It is a big blow for Zalmi as its two key players tested positive for the virus days before the start of the mega event.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the total toll of coronavirus positive players for the Zalmis has reached four as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed the franchise’s Kamran Akmal and Arshad Iqbal had tested positive for Covid-19 and were replaced by players from the reserves pool.

    The replacement, according to the PCB, will be temporary and the replaced players can re-integrate into the squad after completing isolation and receiving negative PCR results.

    On January 21, the PCB had confirmed that three cricketers and five members of the support staff from different franchises had contracted the virus.

    Earlier, 40 staff memebers of the hotel reserved for PSL 7 bio-secure bubble had tested positive for Covid-19.

    The seventh edition of the PSL is scheduled to kickoff at Karachi’s National Stadium from January 27. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had allowed 25 per cent crowd attendance for the Karachi-leg of the tournament after the surge in cases in the city. NCOC will make a decision closer to the time for the Lahore-leg matches scheduled to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium from February 10-27.

  • VIDEO: Younis Khan recalls time when crowd wanted him out so Afridi could bat

    VIDEO: Younis Khan recalls time when crowd wanted him out so Afridi could bat

    An old video of Former Pakistan Cricket Team Captain Younis Khan is doing the rounds on social media in which he can be seen talking about Pakistan’s most loved cricketer Shahid Afridi and his fan following. The cricketer recalled the time when he was on the crease at 150 score and the crowd wanted him dismissed to watch Afridi play.

    In the video of an old interview, Younis shared: “I was playing on 150 and Mohammad Yousuf was playing on 170 and we were playing against India. What we were hearing from the crowd was ‘dismiss Younis Khan, dismiss Mohammad Yousuf’. Why? Because Shahid bhai had worn his pads.”

    Shahid, who was also sitting in front of him started laughing.

    Younis further added that the crowd left as soon as Afridi got out and nobody waited for his double hundred.

    “Shahid Afridi came to the crease. Hit a few sixes here and there and got out. Amazingly, the crowd left with him. They got value for their money. But here I was nearing a double hundred in front of an empty stand,” he added.

    “What we see later was that the crowd was also leaving. I stood there and wondered: my 200 is almost done, watch me do that too. No, they were like ‘we have seen Shahid bhai hitting sixes, now we are going, Goodbye’.”

    Younis did not clarify which match he was talking about but there is only one Test in Pakistan in which both he and Yousuf got hundreds against India. It took place in Lahore in 2006.

    Younis had scored 199 while Yousuf slammed 173 as Pakistan pummelled the Indian bowling attack on a flat track. They ended up scoring 679/7 batting first.

    Afridi, however had smashed a hundred in that match. The attacking all-rounder hit 7 sixes in his 80-ball 103.

  • 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.