Tag: Cricket

  • Police give clean chit to Babar Azam in harassment case

    Police give clean chit to Babar Azam in harassment case

    Police have given a clean chit to Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam in the harassment case against him.

    According to reports, Additional Sessions Judge Nauman Naeem had taken up the petition of a woman, namely Hameeza Mukhtar, against the Pakistani skipper.

    During the proceedings, the counsel of the petitioner sought time to submit documents in the court and said that the entire case was based on medical reports.

    Azam’s counsel, Barrister Harris Azmat, while requesting the court to reject the petitioner’s plea, said that Azam was a national cricketer and hero, adding that Hameeza had started blackmailing the national cricket team captain in 2016 whereas the police had cleared him in an investigation.

    Police also submitted an investigation report in the court, as per which the national cricketer was found innocent and the woman was levelling baseless allegations.

    “The court should reject the petitioner’s plea,” he said.

    Barrister Azmat said that Azam’s case was being covered by Indian media and the woman may have targeted the national cricketer once again at the behest of someone.

    The court adjourned the case after summoning petitioner Hameeza Mukhtar’s counsel on December 15 (today) for final arguments.

  • Pakistan women cricket team to tour South Africa in January

    Pakistan women cricket team to tour South Africa in January

    The Pakistan women’s national cricket team is expected to tour South Africa next month. As per details, the team will play three ODIs and three T20Is during the tour in Durban and Pietermaritzburg from 20 January to 3 February.

    This series has been organised to prepare the team for ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier to be held in July 2021.

    Women’s chief selector and head of the women’s cricket, Urooj Mumtaz, in a statement, said: “I am delighted that Cricket South Africa have agreed to host us for a full tour despite having already qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022. This is yet another indicator and reflection of our relationship with the member boards who are willing to help and support each other in any possible way.”

    She added: “South Africa is ranked above us, both in the ODI and T20I formats and, as such, I am sure this series will go a long way in not only assisting us to further improve our standards but also prepare for June’s ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2021 as we aim to finish in the top three and progress to the event proper in early 2022 in New Zealand.”

    While the final squad for the tour is expected to be announced on Thursday, 31 December 2020, 27 probables for the tour include Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana Khan, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz and Syeda Aroob Shah.

    The above mentioned 27 players have been invited by the women’s national selection committee for a training and preparation camp, which will be held at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi from 20 December.

    Read more – Women cricketers travel to Karachi ‘in bags’

    Tour schedule:

    11 Jan – Departure for Durban

    13-19 Jan – Training, practice and intra-squad matches, Durban

    20 Jan – 1st ODI (d/n), Kingsmead Stadium, Durban

    23 Jan – 2nd ODI (d), Kingsmead Stadium, Durban

    26 Jan – 3rd ODI (d), Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg

    29 Jan – 1st T20I (d), Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg

    31 Jan – 2nd T20I (d), Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg

    3 Feb – 3rd T20I (d/n), Kingsmead Stadium, Durban

  • Wasim Akram urges authorities to look after players’ mental well-being

    Wasim Akram urges authorities to look after players’ mental well-being

    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.

    Akram also said that New Zealand team is in good form and Pakistan will have a tough time in the upcoming series.

    Akram’s remarks come after two England cricketers recently pulled out of Big Bash League in Australia complaining of biosecure bubble fatigue.

  • Shahid Afridi leaves LPL midway due to a ‘personal emergency’

    Shahid Afridi leaves LPL midway due to a ‘personal emergency’

    Shahid Afridi, who joined the Galle Gladiators squad after he missed his flight, has left the Lanka Premier League (LPL) midway due to a “personal emergency”.

    In a tweet, the cricketer who his captaining his team Galle Gladiators, said that he has “a personal emergency to attend to back home”. He added that he will rejoin the team “immediately after the situation is handled”.

    The team management has said that owing to the quarantine rules, Afridi is unlikely to return. In his absence, Bhanuka Rajapaksa will lead the team, while Afridi’s replacement has not yet been decided.

    Gladiators, who have lost all three of their matches will be playing tonight (Thursday) against the unbeaten Jaffna Stallions.

    Meanwhile, Sri Lankan media have revealed that Afridi is going back to Karachi to tend to his nine-month-old daughter who is reportedly unwell and has been admitted to the hospital. They also said that Lala joined the squad late because of his daughter’s illness.

    “The same daughter is not well again and he will be leaving the hotel in Hambantota at around 7 pm for Colombo, where he will catch a flight for Karachi at 1 am,” a team source told the media.

    Former Cricketer Umar Gul also commented on Afridi’s tweet to inquire if all is well.

  • PCB Challengers crowned winners of the T20 Women’s Cricket Championship

    PCB Challengers defeated PCB Dynamites by seven runs in a nerve-wracking final of the National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship, held at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

    Along with the trophy, the winning team also received Rs 1 million prize money while the runner-ups were awarded Rs 500,000.

    Read more – Women cricketers travel to Karachi ‘in bags’

    Dynamites won the toss and elected to bowl first. Batting first, Challengers gave a target of 134 to the opponent team. Chasing the target, Dynamites managed to score 126 only.

    Kainat Hafeez who was the top Scorer from Champion’s side with her 31- runs innings was named the Player of the Match.

    Kainat Imtiaz from Dynamites who gave an all-round performance throughout the tournament (111 runs and three wickets) was declared player of the tournament and was awarded Rs 50,000. Meanwhile, Subhana Tariq was the most successful bowler for PCB Dynamites. She picked three wickets.

    Earlier this year, Champions won the first edition of the tournament by defeating PCB Blasters in the final.

  • LPL 2020: Shahid Afridi’s clash with Afghanistan’s Naveenul Haq goes viral

    LPL 2020: Shahid Afridi’s clash with Afghanistan’s Naveenul Haq goes viral

    Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi’s clash with Afghanistan’s Naveenul Haq has gone viral over the internet.

    As per the details, the clash followed a heated exchange of words between Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir and Haq during a match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) on Monday.

    Haq’s Kandy Tuskers beat Afridi and Amir’s Galle Gladiators by 25 runs.

    As the match continued, Haq misbehaved with Amir during the latter part of the game. Everyone tried to stop him, including India’s Munaf Patel, but he continued hurling abuses even after winning the match.

    It had all started when Naveen was bowling to Amir and he hit a six.

    During final fist-pump, Afridi asked him angrily “Kia hogya hai [what’s the matter]?” while also giving him the now viral death stare.

    Naveen was also seen saying something to Afridi.

    Meanwhile, Gladiators lost their third match in a row. Their next match is on Thursday.

  • PCB reacts to sexual abuse allegations against skipper Babar Azam

    PCB reacts to sexual abuse allegations against skipper Babar Azam

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of Media and Communications Samiul Hassan has said that the sexual violence allegations against skipper Babar Azam were a personal matter and the board could not comment on it.

    According to Jang, the board’s spokesperson was responding to a question posed by the Urdu daily after a damning press conference by one Hamiza of Lahore, who claims to be Babar’s schoolfellow and neighbour.

    Addressing the presser on Saturday, the woman had claimed that the young cricketer tricked her into love and marriage.

    “When I asked him to marry me, he tortured me,” she said.

    Hamiza said that she had financially supported Babar when he was struggling with his career, adding that she spent millions of rupees on him.

    “When I called the PCB to lodge a complaint, they said that it was a personal matter,” she continued.

    While PCB’s response to media queries adds weight to the woman’s claims, her lawyer says that an FIR [First Information Report] had been lodged with the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) regarding the matter but no action was taken. 

    Hamiza’s petition is now pending at a sessions court, which is scheduled for a hearing on December 4. The sexual harassment case will be heard on December 5.

    Babar, who is in New Zealand for a three-match T20I series and a two-match Test series, on the other hand, is yet to make a statement on the matter.

     

  • Hassan Ali is expecting his first child with wife Samiya

    Hassan Ali is expecting his first child with wife Samiya

    Congratulations are in order for Hassan Ali and his wife Samiya who are expecting their first child together.

    While the couple has not yet made an official announcement or shared any details, the news came after Samiya posted a picture of herself cradling her belly.

    “No matter how bad my day’s been, it takes a little kick to make everything feel alright,” she captioned her post.

    Fans and followers of the cricketer and his wife sent their love and best wishes to the couple in the comments section of Samiya’s post.

    Read more – It’s raining…celebrity babies

    Last week, Samiya had shared a picture of herself with Sania Mirza in which her baby bump was visible.

    Hassan and Samiya tied the knot in an elaborate wedding in Dubai in August 2019. While Hassan hails from Gujranwala, Samiya is from Haryana, India. They reportedly met in 2018 through a close friend in Dubai.

    Ali is the fourth Pakistani cricketer to marry an Indian girl after Zaheer Abbas, Mohsin Khan and Shoaib Malik.

  • Hafeez says his 12-year-old son has better game awareness than Ramiz Raja

    Hafeez says his 12-year-old son has better game awareness than Ramiz Raja

    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.

  • Pakistan cricket team departs for NZ without Fakhar Zaman

    The Pakistan cricket team departed for their month-long tour of New Zealand in the wee hours of Monday. Upon arrival, the team will enter a two-week quarantine period in Lincoln in line with the New Zealand government’s COVID-19 protocols.

    The 54-member squad includes 34 players and 20 officials.

    Pakistan is scheduled to play three T20Is and two Tests during the tour. The T20 matches will be played on December 18, 20 and 22 whereas the two Test matches are scheduled to be played on December 26 and January 3.

    According to details, the squad will be in isolation for the first three days after arriving in NZ. After the first phase of COVID-19 testing, the players will be divided into groups and all activities, including training, will continue in those respective groups.

    During quarantine, there will be three rounds of COVID-19 tests and after 14 days, the squad will be allowed to move around freely.

    Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the tour to New Zealand after showing symptoms of COVID-19 before the squad’s departure. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in a press release, confirmed that Fakhar has fever and is yet to recover in time for the Pakistan squad’s departure for the tour.

    The board said the decision to withdraw Fakhar from the tour was made keeping the health of the rest of the squad members as a top priority.

    “Fakhar has been isolated in the team hotel in Lahore as soon as his condition was detected and the PCB’s medical panel is now monitoring him,” stated PCB.

    Earlier on November 11, Head Coach Misbah-ul-Haq had announced the 35-player squad for Pakistan’s tour to New Zealand.