Tag: Cricket in Pakistan

  • Wahaj Ali, Hareem Farooq’s upcoming drama ’22 Qadam’ is an ode to women in sports

    If fans haven’t had enough of Wahaj Ali in ‘Tere Bin’ and ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’ then they’re in for a treat. His next drama is unique because it explores the issue of women in sports.

    Ali shared a first look of the venture where he will be playing a cricketer, writing on Instagram about the drama’s premise which is about supporting women cricket players.

    “As a society we need to promote women coming into all professional fields – from sports to sciences. The roots of 22 Qadam are embedded in inspiring and taking pride in the dreams and achievements of our women.”

    The female lead of this drama is going to be played by ‘Sar-e-Rah’ actor Hareem Farooq, who will essay the role of a small town girl named Fari, who dreams of becoming a cricketer.

    The Current reached out to Farooq on why she had chosen to become a part of this project, and she responded:

    “When we came up with this concept, the thought behind it was that we need to empower women in the best way possible and there is no way better than projecting women in sports. Cricket, especially being the most loved sport in South-Asia.”

    Farooq also reflected on how women like Sana Mir, who is a commentator and former cricket captain, served as inspiration for the drama by breaking stereotypes:

    “The first person that comes to our mind when you talk about women and cricket is Sana Mir, she’s been an inspiration for so many women out there. It is just about breaking stereotypes and the taboos out there that women can also excel in sports, and if nothing else it makes you more independent and gives you that confidence that allows you to face the world in the best way possible.”

    Hareem Farooq said that she feels that society needs the kind of entertainment where people are not just enjoying themselves but are also educated that stereotypes and taboos can be broken. “Even women, infact everybody, can achieve their dreams if they’re passionate about it.”

    Speaking about her character, the actress said that her character Fari dreams of playing for the national cricket team and making her country proud:

    “I play the character of Fari, who is this bubbly and happy girl who wants to spread joy and happiness where ever she goes. But she has a dream and a passion she wants to follow and she is determined to do that. In this way breaking stereotypes and taboos by playing for the national team and make her country proud, and make her parents proud. It is a journey of achieving that dream and the up’s and down’s she goes through, and how or will she ever be able to achieve that dream.”

    In many ways, Farooq says that ’22 Qadam’ is a groundbreaking show because it is “the voice of the unheard.”

    The drama is written by Zeeshan Ilyas and directed by Anjum Shahzad.

  • ‘Back-to-back weddings just coincidence’: Shadab addresses consecutive weddings in Pakistani team

    ‘Back-to-back weddings just coincidence’: Shadab addresses consecutive weddings in Pakistani team

    Shadab Khan tied the knot with former Test cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq’s daughter on February 9.

    “It’s a big moment for me and my family,” said Shadab Khan while talking about his wedding in a video shared by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
    “To be honest, it happened all of a sudden. I was scheduled to travel to Australia but due to injury, I couldn’t. Meanwhile, this happened,” he said.

    “Haris Rauf and I were not prepared for marriage. Shaheen and Shan had already planned their marriage. Back-to-back weddings are just a coincidence,” he said while talking about the rapid fire weddings of team members.

    “A candid conversation with Shadab Khan on tying the knot. Congratulations to him!” wrote PCB while sharing the video of Shadab.

  • Babar Azam is the best player in the world, says Saqlain Mushtaq

    Babar Azam is the best player in the world, says Saqlain Mushtaq

    Head Coach of Pakistan cricket team Saqlain Mushtaq has said that Babar Azam is the best player in the world.

    The head coach of the national team said that when cricket started, it was his dream to play for Pakistan. He wanted to serve Pakistan even after retirement.

    While talking about Australia’s tour to Pakistan, he said that the arrival of the Australian cricket team in Pakistan is welcome, for which he is grateful to Australia and Government of Pakistan. Saqlain said the whole nation is looking forward to this tour.

    Mushtaq said that they will form their own team keeping in view the Australian team, the home series is beneficial for the national side but Australia is the top team at the moment, they are planning for the series.

    In response to a question, the head coach said: “Captain Babar Azam is the best player in the world, he has given very good performances in the past also, Babar Azam plays every format and bowling well.”

    He said that if there are no good spinners now, then there will be in the future. “My thinking about spinners is very positive.” He also added that we will see which pitch will support us.

    Talking about Mohammad Yousuf, he added that he believes in his expertise, he is also working for high performance center. “We have to complete our preparations.”

    The Australian cricket team is scheduled to tour Pakistan in March and April 2022 to play three Tests, three One Day Internationals (ODIs), and one Twenty20 International (T20I) match.

  • Australia’s white-ball captain Aaron Finch ‘can’t wait’ to tour Pakistan

    Australia’s white-ball captain Aaron Finch ‘can’t wait’ to tour Pakistan

    Australian captain Aaron Finch has said that he cannot wait to go to Pakistan for the white-ball leg, consisting of three ODIs and one T20I.

    “As a player, I can’t wait to go to Pakistan for the white-ball leg,” said Finch, according to Sportstar.

    The right-handed batter said that Pakistan has not been able to play cricket at home for a long time.

    “That’s one part of the world that’s been deprived of (international) cricket for a long time now, and world cricket’s in a much better place when Pakistan’s thriving as a cricket nation,” he added.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket Australia (CA) on Friday announced the revised schedule of the Australia men’s cricket team’s tour of Pakistan in 2022.

    The Australian cricket team will arrive in Pakistan in the last week to play three Tests, three ODIs, and one T20I at three different venues Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Lahore.

    It will be Australia’s first tour of Pakistan after 24 long years. The Aussies’ last tour of Pakistan was in 1998 when they won the three-match Test series by 1-0 as two matches were drawn.

  • Fawad Chaudhry welcomes Australian team, recommends Lahore and Karachi’s desi food

    Fawad Chaudhry welcomes Australian team, recommends Lahore and Karachi’s desi food

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has welcomed the Australian cricket team to Pakistan after they confirmed their tour to Pakistan for the first time in 24 years. Australia will play a full-fledged series in three Tests, three ODIs and a solitary T20I on their tour starting March 4.

    The minister also recommended the Australian team to try desi food in Lahore and Karachi.

    Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “Welcome to Pakistan a beautiful country of ours, May you enjoy your trip and do try Our very Desi food in Karachi and Lahore.”

    Rawalpindi will host the tour-opening first Test, swapping with Karachi, which will now host the second Test from March 12.

    The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will be the venue for the final Test.

    The schedule has been revised to ease logistical and operational challenges as well as to avoid Pakistan Day rehearsals, which usually commence in Islamabad in the second week of March.

    The two cricket boards have also agreed that the Australia Test side will complete their isolation in Australia, before arriving in Islamabad on February 27 on a chartered flight. After a one-day room isolation, they will hold training sessions at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

    Australia’s white-ball players are expected to arrive in Lahore on March 24 following isolation in Australia. After a one-day isolation upon arrival, they will integrate with other members of the side and travel to Islamabad for the first ODI in Rawalpindi on March 29.

  • PCB announces revised schedule of Australia’s tour to Pakistan

    PCB announces revised schedule of Australia’s tour to Pakistan

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the revised schedule of Australia’s tour to Pakistan. The tour will comprise of three Tests, three ODIs, and one T20I.

    The tour will now start and end in Rawalpindi with the opening Test to be played from March 4-8 and the four white-ball matches to be played from March 29 to April 5.

    The change in the first Test venue means that the second Test will be played in Karachi from March 12-16 and the third in Lahore from March 21-25.

    PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain said: “We are pleased that the Cricket Australia Board has formally approved their side’s five-week tour itinerary and confirmed that their best available players will visit Pakistan for the first time in 24 years. We are really excited to host Pat Cummins and his players, and look forward to a competitive series that will comprise three Tests, three ODIs and a T20I.”

    “While Australia will arrive at the back of strong performances in their home series against England, our team has been playing excellent cricket resulting in our players sweeping the ICC Awards. This braces for a keenly contested series, something that the fans will thoroughly enjoy and remember for a long time,” he added.

    The schedule has been revised to ease logistical and operational challenges as well as to avoid Pakistan Day rehearsals, which usually commence in Islamabad in the second week of March.

    The two cricket boards have also agreed that the Australia Test side will complete their isolation in Australia, before arriving in Islamabad on February 27 on a chartered flight. After a one-day room isolation, they will hold training sessions at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

    Australia’s white-ball players are expected to arrive in Lahore on March 24 following isolation in Australia. After a one-day isolation upon arrival, they will integrate with other members of the side and travel to Islamabad for the first ODI in Rawalpindi on March 29.

    The Tests will be part of the ICC World Test Championship, while the ODIs are linked to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League from which the top eight sides, including hosts India, will qualify directly for the 2023 50-over World Cup.

    Earlier, Australia’s Test team captain Pat Cummins had said that a near full-strength squad will tour Pakistan as only a few players have security concerns for the forthcoming tour.

    Revised schedule:

    Feb 27 – Arrival in Islamabad

    Mar 4-8 – 1st Test, Rawalpindi

    Mar 12-16 – 2nd Test, Karachi

    Mar 21-25 – 3rd Test, Lahore

    Mar 29 – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi

    Mar 31 – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi

    April 2 – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi

    Apr 5 – one-off T20I, Rawalpindi

    Apr 6 – Departure

  • Pat Cummins hopes ‘close to a full-strength’ squad to tour Pakistan

    Pat Cummins hopes ‘close to a full-strength’ squad to tour Pakistan

    Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins is confident that a near full-strength squad will tour Pakistan as only a few players have security concerns for the forthcoming tour.

    According to the Australian Associated Press (AAP), Cummins is optimistic, while also acknowledging the pre-tour preparations made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    “I think we’ll get close to a full-strength squad. There is still a little bit of more work to do,” he said.

    “We have received a lot of information and it has been great. All the pre-tour security and biosecurity work has been done and it’s been fantastic,” he added.

    Australia’s red ball captain also revealed that the majority of the players are confident in the tour’s continuation, while the others are concerned about security. Cummins, on the other hand, is committed to back his teammates if anyone withdraws.

    “There are a couple of players still keen to get a bit more information but everyone is really pumped and feeling relatively comfortable,” he said.

    “If anyone doesn’t make the tour it is absolutely okay, we will back them for sure,” he added.

    Earlier, Australia’s pacer Josh Hazelwood had said that he will not be surprised if a few players will miss Pakistan tour.

    Meanwhile, it is worth mentioning that Australia’s historic tour to Pakistan comes after a gap of 24 years and is set to begin on March 3. The tour is comprised of three Test matches that will be contested in Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, followed by a three-match ODI series from March 29 to April 2. On April 5, a single T20I will be played to conclude the tour.

  • Josh Hazelwood will not be surprised if some Australian players skip Pak tour

    Josh Hazelwood will not be surprised if some Australian players skip Pak tour

    Australian fast bowler Josh Hazelwood has said on Wednesday he would not be surprised if security fears prompt some players to opt out of the upcoming Pakistan tour, as he eyes a comeback to the national team after recovering from injury.

    A media report last week said many in the Australian camp were apprehensive about whether Pakistan would be safe.

    Hazlewood said Cricket Australia’s reassurances had eased his concern.

    “There’s a lot of things in place and there’s been a lot of work in the background … so the trust is quite high there from the players,” Hazlewood told cricket.com.au.

    “But there’d certainly be some concerns from the players and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them don’t make the tour.

    “And that’s very fair. People will discuss it with their families … and come up with an answer and everyone respects that.”

    Read More – Australian A-List cricketers to miss Sri Lanka tour to prepare for Pak series

    Hazlewood, 31, part of a 16-man Australian squad for the five-match Twenty20 home series against Sri Lanka starting on Feb 11, is raring to go after missing all but the first Test in the recent Ashes series.

    Sidelined by a side strain after the first Test in Brisbane, he was forced to watch on as his teammates celebrated a 4-0 series shellacking.

    “I’ve certainly had a typical side strain, where you tear your oblique (muscle), you can’t bowl another ball and are out for at least six or seven weeks,” he said.

    “This one was different … the strength came back really quickly, and I could do a lot of things in the gym. It was just bowling, that dynamic movement, that caused a bit of grief. It was an unusual one.”

    Long part of Australia’s three-pronged pace attack with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood has taken 215 test wickets at an average of 25 runs per wicket.

    But he must now wrest his test place back from Scott Boland, who took 18 wickets in three Tests, including an unlikely haul of six wickets for seven in the second innings of his debut.

    Australia are scheduled to play three Tests, three one-day internationals and one Twenty20 starting on March 3 in their first trip to Pakistan in 24 years.

  • PSL ‘not far off the IPL’ in terms of quality of cricket, says Michael Vaughan

    PSL ‘not far off the IPL’ in terms of quality of cricket, says Michael Vaughan

    Pakistan is hosting the seventh edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the excitement on social media is something that cannot be missed. Former English captain Michael Vaughan is quite impressed with the PSL and has said that it is the second-best league in the world after the Indian Premier League (IPL).

    “Pakistan Super league is the 2nd best T20 Tournament in the World .. it’s not far off the IPL either .. Outstanding standard of cricket,” Vaughan wrote on Twitter.

    Multan Sultans posted 217 runs, the highest total of PSL history on Tuesday and Shadab Khan’s fighting 91 off 42 balls went in vain for Islamabad United, as Sultans maintained their perfect start to the season by clinching a high-scoring match by 20 runs in Karachi.

    Shadab’s high-octane innings, in which he cracked five fours and nine sixes, tried to keep his side floating in the massive chase but the Sherus kept on losing wickets at regular intervals.

    Earlier, Tim David and Rilee Rossouw set Sultans up for a huge total by adding 110 for the fourth wicket in less than eight overs. David hammered 71 from only 29 balls on his way to smashing six fours and sixes each, while Rossouw hit an unbeaten 67 off 35 deliveries with four fours and six maximums.

    PSL and IPL are two of the biggest cricket leagues in the world with big names playing in the leagues. The quality of cricket that is played is also something to look out for.