Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, and bowling coach Waqar Younis, in a recent media briefing, said that Mohammad Amir’s exclusion from the team was only due to his poor performance and refuted his claims of not selecting him due to personal dislike
In response, Mohammad Amir hit back at the duo, saying that they are portraying a different picture to take the blame off their backs.
Responding to cricket journalist Shoaib Jutt, who asked him to “please tell now what was that [mental] torture”, Amir said that Misbah and Waqar have twisted the whole scenario and that he will respond to their claims in due time.
will explain to everyone don’t worry yeah picture ko khin or le k ja rhe hain that’s not the case
Amir recently retired from all formats of international cricket, claiming he was mentally tortured by the current team management. He said that he will not play international cricket under this management.
Amir was dropped from the team in the series against Zimbabwe and was also not part of the 35-man squad for the tour of New Zealand.
Misbah and Waqar said that Amir’s recent performances have been really poor and he does not warrant a place in the squad. They did, however, say that Amir will be welcomed back into the team if he is able to perform better in the domestic circuit.
Meanwhile, according to reports, Misbah and Waqar’s future is to be decided after the South Africa series. The coaches were under fire after the Kiwis thrashed Pakistan, with the Men in Green winning only one out of three T20Is, and losing both matches of the Test series.
Social media is abuzz with reports that Pakistani fast bowler Junaid Khan is considering quitting Pakistan cricket as he has offers from the USA and UK.
According to numerous sports journalists, the left-arm fast bowler has offers from USA and UK for commercial cricket and he is going to meet top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) before taking a big step.
Fast bowler Junaid Khan is considering to leave Pakistan in this matter he is in consultation with close circle, he has offers from USA & UK for commercial , he is going to meet PCB top officials tomorrow before taking a big step. pic.twitter.com/l8f3NQv2fM
– Fast bowler Junaid Khan is weighing his options including moving to USA, UK. Further a close aide claims he is thinking about entering politics as well.
Another sports journalist claimed that domestic teams, KPK and Central Punjab preferred youngsters over Junaid and Kamran Akmal. Young pacers from KPK took their team into the finals this season while Akmal has been left out due to his relatively poor form.
The pacer has represented Pakistan in 22 Test matches, 76 ODIs and 9 T20Is.
Earlier, Kamran Akmal was also disappointed by the behavior of PCB as he was also left out of Pakistan Cup.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Amir was not satisfied with the behaviour of PCB either and he announced his retirement from Pakistan cricket in December 2020. Sami Aslam had left Pakistan cricket in December and joined hands with USA cricket.
Veteran wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal is shocked and disappointed over ignorance by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Taking to Twitter, Akmal expressed his feelings and wrote: “Shocked and disappointed. As a senior and season[ed] player, I have not been treated well.”
Akmal also requested PCB and Director Domestic Cricket Nadeem Khan to look into the matter.
“Cricket is my passion and I want to play it but…I rest my case to My Allah,” he added.
Later, while replying to Twitter users, the cricketer further expressed his disappointment over his non-selection.
Meanwhile, Akmal has been keeping himself busy in the gym and with his YouTube channel. He has interviewed many cricketers on his channel, including Mohammad Amir and Imam-ul-Haq.
Fellow cricketer, Mohammad Hafeez showed his support amd wished Kamran good luck for his future.
Obviously surprising but u r a Fighter & m sure u wil be back in the feild soon . U inspired & evolved many so stay strong & positive. Believe on working hard as u always do. Best wishes @KamiAkmal23https://t.co/UeNoJtAFuF
New Zealand bowled out Pakistan by 186 runs in the second Test match at Christchurch on Wednesday, beating by an innings and 176 runs to sweep the series 2-0 and top the world rankings for the first time.
The home team presented their career best performances while the visitors show-cased their career worst performances. Meanwhile, Shan Masood led the board with his quacktrick.
Kyle Jamieson took three of the four dismisals after lunch as Pakistan went to tea on day four in Christchurch at 134 for seven, needing a further 228 runs to make New Zealand bat again.
The 2.3 metre (6ft 8in) Jamieson had figures of six for 38 to go with his five for 69 in the first innings to become the first bowler to take more than 10 wickets in a Test at Hagley Oval.
Career-best innings figures ✔️ Career-best match figures ✔️
The Kiwi bowler with his 11 wickets was the nightmare for the opponent team as he became the first bowler to take more than 10 wickets in a Test at Hagley Oval, leading him to win the Player of the Match award.
Meanwhile, the Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson with Man of the Series performance led from the front taking his team to not only a series victory but also the number one ranked Test team in the world right now.
388 runs ️ 129.33 average Highest run-scorer of #NZvPAK Tests
The No.1 Test batsman, Kane Williamson, has been named the Player of the Series! pic.twitter.com/wmeTOH8ZrG
There was resistance from Azhar Ali (37), Abid Ali (26) and later Faheem Ashraf (28) and Zafar Gohar (37), but the batsmen couldn’t stitch together partnerships big enough to demotivate New Zealand, and that proved to be their undoing.
New Zealand win by an innings and 176 runs
An all-round performance has helped to a big victory over Pakistan in the second Test.
Zafar Gohar, the debutant, resisted well thereafter, but Williamson got into the act with the ball at the other end, dismissing Shaheen Afridi (7). When Gohar then holed out off Boult, history was sealed.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s performance was the worst. Worst bowling, fielding and performances by the players except for Muhammad Rizwan, who tried his best in both the matches with his three half-centuries.
Netizens criticised Masood for his performance in the Tests – the left-handed Pakistan opener scored a pair of ducks in the second Test against New Zealand, which when paired with his duck from the second innings of the previous Test gave him three straight failures.
Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi also expressed his disappointment over the national squad’s hapless performance in the second Test at Christchurch, describing it as “very poor”.
His comments come in the wake of Pakistan’s crushing defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the second Test match at Christchurch by an innings and 176 runs.
Congratulations to NZ for becoming #1 Test team, great performance by @KanyWilliamson & team. Really disappointing to see the performance in 2nd Test after a good fight in 1st Test.The players need to apply talent& courage to survive in Test cricket.The results in NZ r very poor.
The Pakistan Cricket team, who will play its second and final game of the two-match Test series against New Zealand at Hagley Oval (Christchurch) on Sunday, took some time out from their busy practise schedule to pay a visit to the families of the victims of Christchurch Mosque attack.
In a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the cricketers can be seen interacting with the families and spending time with them.
Talking to the families of victims, batting coach Younis Khan said: “We can feel your pain and we are with you in your grief.”
Pakistan Test team spent Saturday afternoon with the families of Christchurch mosque attack victims at the Hagley Oval. pic.twitter.com/VbIGS1hb2L
In March 2019, a mass killer attacked two mosques in Christchurch. 51 people were killed and many were injured during the shooting. The killer was later sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Pakistani right-arm fast bowler Haris Rauf has ended his 2020 with a bang, taking as many as 57 wickets and becomes leading wicket taker in the Twenty20 format.
No bowler has taken more wickets in T20 cricket this year than Haris Rauf
This year has been lucky for three pacers, which leads with Rauf taking 57 wickets in 35 innings. Shaheen Shah Afridi follows him with 52 wickets in hand, which he took in 37 innings and Mohammad Amir has also taken 42 wickets in 36 innings in the calendar year.
Among Pakistan players, only Wahab Riaz was able to grab 60 wickets in 2019 and Azhar Mahmood took 60 wickets in 2013 and have claimed more T20 wickets in a calendar year than Rauf.
Though the year has been very difficult due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Rauf has managed to show his class and skills. The 150 kilometres per hour speedster joined the National T20 side in January 2020.
The 27-year-old recently took three wickets in the three T20I matches against New Zealand. He has also taken second most wickets in T20I this year.
Most wickets in T20s: Haris Rauf (57) Most runs in T20s: Babar Azam (1242) Most runs in T20Is: M Hafeez (415) Second most wickets in T20Is: Haris Rauf (16) Second most wickets in T20s: Shaheen Afridi (52)
After his career best performance in second T20I against New Zealand, Hafeez has achieved another milestone, reinventing himself at the age of 40.
Hafeez who is fondly referred to as ‘Professor’ has achieved a milestone by equalling Shoaib Malik’s 2323 T20I runs for Pakistan. Showing his class, which comes with experience, Hafeez not coming slow at this age.
Scoring 99 runs and not out in the second T20I against the black caps, Hafeez helped Pakistan win in the third and final match, achieving the most T20I runs scored by a player in the year 2020, that is 415 runs in total.
Continuing his dream run in the shortest format, Hafeez pumped the New Zealand bowlers for three sixes and two fours in his valuable contribution of 41 runs.
Another stunning knock from Mohammad Hafeez, but New Zealand have sent him back to break the 72-run stand
Hafeez’s departure was followed by Muhammad Rizwan stamping his authority on the proceedings and punishing the bowlers for their wayward lengths.
Rizwan hit three delightful sixes, all off length deliveries, during his excellent innings and pierced the gaps with surgical precision to take his team closer to the finishing line and got out at 89 in the final over.
Mohammad Rizwan’s 89 leads Pakistan to four-wicket win in third T20I
Iftikhar Ahmed sealed the deal with an enormous six that touched the rooftop, stealing a win for Pakistan, beating the Kiwis with four wickets in hand.
A six and a win
Iftikhar Ahmed pulls a short ball from Kyle Jamieson for a six and Pakistan seal a tense four-wicket win!
Hafeez will now come back to Pakistan, while the national side will now face New Zealand in two Test Matches, starting December 26 under Rizwan’s captaincy.
Wasim Akram on Tuesday emphasised on the mental well-being of cricketers going through tough isolation, calling authorities to ensure there are measures that can counter the implications of quarantine restrictions.
Akram, while speaking to media outlets, maintained that it is never easy for an individual to spend two weeks in isolation, adding that such circumstances can have serious implications on one’s mental health.
“It is imperative to look after players’ mental well-being in this scenario in order to keep them positive and motivated for the game. There’s a serious need to have a regular psychologist with teams when they travel to new environments,” said the legendary fast bowler.
“I’m sure seniors like Waqar Younis and Misbah would have spoken to players in New Zealand to keep them motivated during isolation period,” added Akram.
Calling for a uniform policy worldwide, the former cricketer said that it is never easy for anyone to move from one isolation to another.
“I think ICC should talk to governments in this regard,” he shared.
Green shirts were kept in strictly managed isolation in New Zealand for the last 14 days before the isolation period ended today (Tuesday). The team has been in a biosecure bubble since summer, playing back-to-back cricket.
Pakistan cricket legend Shoaib Akhtar has hit out at New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for threatening to cancel Pakistan’s tour after six Pakistani players tested positive for COVID-19 at their managed isolation facility in Christchurch.
Akhtar warned NZC to “behave” themselves for threatening to cancel the tour, accusing the New Zealand governing body of “treating the Pakistan team like a club team”.
“New Zealand’s comment that if Pakistan team’s SOPs (standard operating procedures) are not in place then they will cancel the tour, is below the belt,” Akhtar said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“I want to give a message to NZC that this is not a club team, it’s Pakistan national cricket team,” said the former cricketer. “We don’t need you. Our cricket has not finished.”
Akhtar went on to say, “You will get money for broadcasting rights. So, you should be indebted to us that we decided to tour your country in such difficult times.”
“You are talking about Pakistan — the greatest country on the planet — so behave yourself and stop giving such statements. Be careful next time. Pakistan team now needs to smash them in T20 series.”
“The PCB should show some toughness,” he remarked.
Akhtar also said, “If I was in their place, I would have given a statement saying that if NZC isn’t happy, we won’t play them and will bring our team back and we won’t play against you for five years.”
Earlier, NZC was appraised that some members of the Pakistan team had violated protocols on the first day of managed isolation. The entire team was given a “final warning” by the government for breaching rules.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Health stated that several team members had been seen on CCTV at the facility breaching managed isolation rules despite “clear, consistent and detailed communication of expected behaviors while in the facility”.
In a statement, the ministry said that the team as a whole has been issued a final warning.
The health ministry shared that the 53 members of the squad arrived in Christchurch on November 24 and were tested on day one, with the six cases coming as a result of the tests.
All cases were being moved to quarantine rooms within the facility. Members of the team will be tested a minimum of four times while in managed isolation, the health ministry informed.
While Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not officially confirmed the names, journalists have shared their pictures which include former captain Sarfraz Ahmed, Abid Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Rohail Nazir, Danish Aziz and Naseem Shah.
According to reports, the players are unhappy in quarantine, especially after the positive cases and the isolation feels like a prison sentence for them.
Players weren’t able to condole with middle-order batsman Khushdil Shah, whose father passed away recently. The process was carried out through phone calls, instead.
Pakistan is set to face the Black Caps in three T20 internationals and two tests, with the first match on December 18.
Mohammad Hafeez’s induction into Pakistan’s squad for the New Zealand tour has led to a rift between the all-rounder and cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja.
According to reports, the war of words got intensified after Hafeez stated that his 12-year-old son has better game awareness than Raja.
The episode began after Ramiz Raja showed disinterest over Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) backing experienced players and not giving enough chances to the youth ahead of the upcoming men’s T20 World Cup in India.
The former Pakistan cricketer asked senior cricketers like Hafeez to retire gracefully and give opportunity to the youngsters to showcase their skills on a stage like the upcoming World Cup.
Disagreeing to Raja’s views, Hafeez gave a controversial statement during a conversation with Cricket Pakistan.
“I acknowledge Ramiz [Raja] services for Pakistan cricket as a player. I respect his opinion but I have reservations over his cricketing sense and game awareness. If you talk to my 12-year-old son, even his game awareness is better than Ramiz Bhai,” Hafeez told Cricket Pakistan.
“If Ramiz bhai wants to continue saying such things to boost his YouTube channel, then I can’t stop him but I will continue to play for Pakistan as long as I’m fit and performing,” he further added.
Hafeez asserted that as long as he is fit and performing on the field, he deserves a place in the Pakistan dressing room.
“If I’m unable to meet the fitness and performance standards, or believe there is a better product ready for Pakistan, I’d happily leave. I’m very satisfied with my cricketing career,” Mohammad Hafeez said.
