Tag: Cricket

  • Naseem Shah’s international career at risk as cricket board awaits crucial scans

    Naseem Shah’s international career at risk as cricket board awaits crucial scans

    Pakistan’s fast bowler, Naseem Shah, is facing the grim prospect of missing the entire World Cup due to a severe right shoulder injury that has been revealed to be more serious than initially anticipated. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is actively considering seeking a second medical opinion, but initial scans conducted in Dubai indicate that this injury may sideline him for the remainder of the year. 

    If subsequent medical assessments corroborate the initial findings, Naseem could potentially face an extended period of absence from the cricket arena. His participation in the upcoming Test series in Australia, scheduled for the beginning of the year, now hangs in the balance. Furthermore, there is a growing concern that he might also be unavailable for the next edition of the Pakistan Super League in 2024. 

    Naseem Shah’s injury ordeal commenced during Pakistan’s recent clash against India in the Asia Cup. He had to leave the field during the 46th over on the reserve day designated for that game and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament.

    The PCB had advocated for the inclusion of the reserve day in the schedule, particularly for the India match, as a concession following the decision not to move the matches to Hambantota, a venue expected to offer drier conditions. It was on this very reserve day that Naseem sustained the injury, specifically to a muscle located just below his bowling shoulder. This injury is distinct from any prior shoulder issues he may have had. 

    According to ESPNcricinfo, Naseem Shah’s absence from the World Cup, along with his uncertain participation in the upcoming Australian series, represents a significant setback for Pakistan. In the past year, Naseem has transitioned from being a specialist red-ball bowler to becoming an integral part of Pakistan’s bowling attack across all formats. His current form indicates that he is the standout performer among Pakistan’s highly regarded trio of fast bowlers, which includes Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf. 

    The PCB is expected to make an official decision once they receive the results of his follow-up scans in the coming days. During his absence from the Asia Cup, Naseem Shah was replaced by Zaman Khan, while Mohammad Hasnain, another potential replacement, is currently nursing an injury. 

    Naseem has grappled with injury issues early in his cricketing career. A back injury, sustained just a year into his international career when he was only 17, sidelined him from the sport for a lengthy 14 months. Six weeks after his return, he suffered a shoulder injury during his debut in the County Championship with Gloucestershire, which kept him out of action for another month. 

    Over the past 18 months, Naseem’s workload has considerably increased. Initially regarded as a red-ball specialist, he has evolved into a crucial bowler for Pakistan in all formats of the game. Since his ODI debut, he has emerged as Pakistan’s most potent bowler, amassing 32 wickets in just 14 matches at an impressive average of under 17. 

    Additionally, Naseem has been in high demand on the T20 circuit, recently participating in the LPL. His inclusion in the SA20 auction shortlist on Friday is now a likely casualty of his unfortunate injury situation. 

  • ‘Chin up King’: Celebs rally behind cricket team after Pakistan loses to Sri Lanka

    ‘Chin up King’: Celebs rally behind cricket team after Pakistan loses to Sri Lanka

    In a exhilarating match on Thursday, the Pakistani cricket team were officially out of Asia Cup 2023 after losing to Sri Lanka by two wickets, paving the way for the island nation to face off against India in Colombo. Although many expressed their disappointment at the lack of performance, including former captain Shahid Afridi, many were still proud of the effort the boys in green displayed. Since yesterday, prominent celebrities like Shahista Lodhi and Mawra Hocane sent uplifting messages to the cricket team, especially to captain Babar Azam for his efforts to make it this far.

    The aesthetic surgeon and actress took to Instagram to express her pride at the way Babar Azam kept fighting till the end.

    “Dear skipper Babar Azam, proud of the way you fought. I will never stop supporting you no matter what. Chin up King don’t let your crown fall.”

    Hocane sisters Mawra and Urwa rallied behind the boys in green, commending them for their hard work and prayed that more achievements will arrive soon.

    Singer Falak Shabir shared a screenshot of Zaman Khan and wrote:

    “Headsup Zaman Khan you tried his best, we are proud of you. Sri Lanka well played. Pakistan hum tumharay saath hain next time In Sha Allah.”

  • Naseem out, Zaman in; Rauf to possibly play today against Sri Lanka

    Naseem out, Zaman in; Rauf to possibly play today against Sri Lanka

    Right-arm fast bowler Zaman Khan has replaced Naseem Shah in today’s Asia Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka.

    According to a press release issued by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Naseem Shah got injured on Monday in the last match against India. Pakistan team’s medical panel is continuously monitoring his health as the upcoming one-day international World Cup is going to start on October 5.

    Zaman Khan joined the team on Thursday and will bowl against Sri Lanka in today’s crucial match.

    PCB also said about pacer Haris Rauf that he “continues to recover well” after he felt discomfort in his right flank in the match against India.

    “These two fast bowlers are our assets, and the team’s medical panel will provide them the best possible care ahead of the all-important World Cup,” the press release quoted the team’s doctor, Sohail Saleem, as saying.

    Shahnwaz Dhani also joined the 17-player squad on Thursday.

  • Venkatesh Prasad deletes viral tweet about Jay Shah, abuses Muslim journalist for sharing screenshot

    Former Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad on Saturday tweeted what many social media users believe was a cryptic tweet targeting Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Jay Shah, who is also secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

    “It takes one corrupt, arrogant guy to take away the hard work of an organisation that is generally non-corrupt and get a stamp of corruption on the whole leadership, not just on a micro level but at a large level.”

    Prasad’s tweet made many X (former Twitter) users speculate if the former cricketer had targeted BCCI and Jay Shah, son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah. However, Prasad soon deleted his tweet.

    Indian journalist and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair posted a screenshot of the tweet deleted by Prasad.

    AltNews co-founder Zubair was not the only one who posted a screenshot of Prasad’s deleted tweet. Many news outlets did a story on it as well. However, Prasad chose to target and abuse Zubair in a racist and bigoted tweet.

    Prasad quote-tweeted Zubair and wrote: “Haha.. Says a serial hate- monger, who has put so many lives in danger for his agenda. You disguising as a fact-checker is like Terrorists talking about peace. Now post that you need money to survive and ask for donation for your website, no shame in living off by fooling people.”

    In response, Zubair said that he hopes Prasad will be forgiven for his tweet on BCCI by his “political masters for compensating by abusing and comparing” him to “terrorists”.

    One user pointed out that Venkatesh Prasad’s manager is Amritanshu Gupta, a known right-wing BJP supporter, which is why Prasad’s language is of right-wing trolls.

    Many X users called out the former Indian cricketer for his bigoted and hateful tweet against a Muslim journalist in India.

    Prasad posted a new version of his deleted tweet a day later.

  • Wasim Akram’s hilarious response to question about his 90’s haircut has internet in hysterics

    Wasim Akram’s hilarious response to question about his 90’s haircut has internet in hysterics

    A clip from the sports podcast Batta Fast is going viral on Twitter where left-arn great Wasim Akram finally addresses an important question: How he led the burger haircut wave throughout Pakistan because of his hairstyle in the 90’s.

    “I suppose 90’s mein I do feel responsible’ cackled the Sultan of Swing. “I don’t know mera kis ne karwaya tha because when I look at it and think, what the hell was I doing,” Akram said as hosts Osman Samiuddin and Ahmer Naqvi burst into laughter.

    “I didn’t have any idea about fashion, whatever the nai in Lahore used to say I had done it. ‘Sir ye naya fashion aya hai Lahore mein’.”

    The tweet since then has gone viral and has social media in fits.

    https://twitter.com/faizanusuf/status/1699964150435213633?s=20

  • Fact check: Is the viral Virat Kohli fan Pakistani?

    Fact check: Is the viral Virat Kohli fan Pakistani?

    After the highly anticipated cricket match between India and Pakistan on Saturday in Sri Lanka, a video went viral where a girl, allegedly a Pakistani, was seen saying that she was a huge fan of batting maestro Virat Kohli. When the video went viral, several Pakistani social media users slammed the as fake, saying that the girl’s accent was not typical of the country.

    The woman in question is indeed from Pakistan, and is fluent in Saraiki, the language of South Punjab. A user shared multiple videos where she could be speaking in both Saraiki and Urdu both.

    Her official Tiktok account is Khaani, where she can be seen showing her Pakistani passport and has the same yellow nail polish as well as the flags of both India and Pakistan painted on her cheeks as in the viral video.

    @lovekhaani ✈️ Babar Aur Kohli #srilanka #khaani ♬ original sound – Khaani

    @lovekhaani #khaani ♬ original sound – Khaani

  • Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak dies after long battle with cancer

    Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak dies after long battle with cancer

    Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak has died at the age of 49 after a prolonged battle with advanced colon and liver cancer. He is survived by his wife, Nadine, and four children.

    Nadine posted on social media: “In the early hours of this morning, Sunday the 3rd of September 2023, the greatest love of my life and the father of my beautiful children, was carried to be with the Angels from his home where he wished to spend his last days surrounded by his family and closest loved ones,”

    Streak was Zimbabwe’s biggest cricketing star of the 1990s. He represented his country in 65 Tests, making him their second-most capped Test player, and 189 ODIs between 1993 and 2005. He was the team’s leading bowler, with 216 Test wickets and 239 ODI wickets, and the only Zimbabwe bowler to take more than 100 Test wickets and over 200 ODI wickets. He was also the seventh-highest Test run-scorer, with 1990 runs, and one of 16 Zimbabwe batters to score more than 2000 ODI runs, finishing with 2943.

    “This is a very sad day for Zimbabwe and a sad day for cricket as we, on the one hand, mourn the demise of a true great of our beautiful game and, on the other, celebrate the greatness of what Heath gave us: he played with passion, spirit and was nothing less than an inspirational figure who raised our flag high and touched lives within the sport and beyond,” Zimbabwe Cricket chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani said.

    At the age of 19, Heath Streak made his international debut with a match against South Africa during the 1993 Hero Cup.

    The same year, he played a test match against Pakistan in Karachi, during which he took eight wickets in a match in Rawalpindi.

    Streak became the captain of Zimbabwe in 2000 but resigned in 2001 as his leadership had an impact on his performance.

    His career as a cricketer was also interfered with by the introduction of quota systems. Hence, selection interference and payment issues led to Streak’s first resignation as captain. He, however, became the captain again in 2002, and the team qualified for 2003 World Cup, where Zimbabwe were co-hosts.

    In 2004, Streak resigned as captain for the second time after his friction with the board, resulting in 13 other white players walking out from the national side.

    Inexperienced players led to poor results. Streak, being the only one, rejoined following year. He played six Tests and six ODIs (two for Africa XI against Asia XI in August 2005) before retiring from international cricket at the age of 32 in 2005.

    Streak then played for Warwickshire and was their captain briefly. He joined Ahmedabad Rockets in Indian Cricket League. He returned to Zimbabwe once again, now as a coach. In 2013, however, Streak’s contract was not renewed.

    He coached at domestic union, Matabeleland Tuskers, and founded his own academy, the Heath Streak Academy, in Bulawayo in 2014.

    He also found gigs as a bowling coach across the world and had stints with Bangladesh (2014-2016) and Gujarat Lions (in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the IPL). He again returned to Zimbabwe as head coach in 2016. During the 2018 World Cup qualifier held in Zimbabwe, the team lost an important match to the UAE and missed out on the World Cup. Streak and his entire coaching staff were sacked. He went on to have short stints with Scotland, Somerset, and Kolkata Knight Riders.

    In 2021, Streak was banned for eight years after being charged with five breaches of the ICC’s anti-corruption code, including accepting payment in bitcoins from a potential corruptor – all of which he admitted. However, he later denied attempts to fix matches but admitted to disclosing inside information in regards to international matches.

  • Nepal, Pakistan: anything better than cricket to bring people together?

    Nepal, Pakistan: anything better than cricket to bring people together?

    Pakistan v Nepal from Moorhead to Multan: A Journey of Friendship and Fervour

    Picture this: a chilly midnight in Moorhead, a tiny university town near Fargo. Amidst the freezing air, two cricket fanatics — me and my Pakistani roommate, Shehzad — walk to the end of 20th Street just off campus to a house full of friends from Nepal. Our connection with these guys? Cricket. We had known each other through an indoor tape ball cricket tournament we played together.

    It was the turn of the millennium; TV apps and online streaming weren’t a thing back then. These guys from Nepal were our cricket saviours, the only ones in the area with Direct TV and video on demand available to watch Pakistan vs India 2004 Test series. I remember the first Test was in Multan. Sehwag smashed a triple ton and Tendulkar 194 to stamp their authority on the game. India won the match by an innings and also the series 2-1.

    Even though we had great respect for each other, there were moments when we had tempers flared during this series as all of these guys were rooting for India. That’s the nature of this encounter, it’s an emotional rollercoaster. People from Pakistan and India living abroad will relate: no matter how close you are with each other, this game will always get your emotions out of control.

    Fast-forward to 2023. Two decades later, Asia Cup is being co-hosted in Pakistan. The venue for the first game was Multan where Nepal faced Pakistan head to head for the first time. I have been in touch with these guys on and off, mostly through Facebook. As the national anthem of Nepal was being played, I dropped a one-liner message about the clash to Pawan Adhikari, now living in Houston, Texas. His response, I can feel, triggered a cascade of emotions for him just like it did for me. Memories flood in of chai-fuelled nights, banter, and heated arguments at his apartment.

    This particular game in Multan seemed to create a nostalgia that’s etched in our memories. For me this wasn’t just a game where Pakistan was playing a minnow, it was a symphony of emotions that cricket had orchestrated two decades ago. This memory and this game flung the door open to tomorrow, to the possibility of sitting with old mates, Pawan, Neeraj, Prajowl, and Shehzad; watching Nepal and Pakistan take on the world in the West Indies and Americas next year.

    From that viral image of a packed cricket ground in Katmandu of their famous victory, Nepal’s cricketing journey is a tale of resilience, a narrative that echoed the nation’s spirit, much like conquering the Everest.

    In a world often divided, cricket emerges as the unifier, a magical thread that weaves tales transcending time zones and cultures. From Moorhead’s chilly cold streets to Multan’s scorching heat, this is more than just a cricket story; it’s a tale of friendships woven by cricket’s tapestry. It’s a reminder that amidst the chaos, there’s a language we all speak, a language that unites us, This is why we love this game.

  • After beating Nepal, Pakistani team is ready for India

    After beating Nepal, Pakistani team is ready for India

    After beating Nepal on Wednesday, captain Babar Azam has said that the Pakistani cricket team is ready to beat India on Saturday’s Asia Cup match, Dawn has reported.

    Iftikhar Ahmed scored an unbeaten 109 and Babar scored a masterful 151 runs in yesterday’s match held at Multan.

    Tournament co-hosts Pakistan bowled out Asia Cup debutants Nepal for 104 in 23.4 overs in their third-biggest victory in a one-day international.

    “This game was good preparation for the India game because it gave us confidence,” Babar, who was named Player of the Match for his 19th one-day hundred, said.

    “India-Pakistan will always bring high intensity. We want to give 100 percent in every match, and we hope to do that there as well.”

    “When I went in, the ball wasn’t coming on properly, so I was trying to build an innings with Rizwan,” Babar explained.

    “Iftikhar also played a great inning when he came on. I told him to play his natural game, and he was comfortable after hitting two-three boundaries,” the batting maestro stated.

  • Pakistan clinches thrilling victory against Afghanistan in 2nd ODI by one wicket

    Pakistan clinches thrilling victory against Afghanistan in 2nd ODI by one wicket

    In an intense match on Thursday in Hambantota, Pakistan narrowly defeated Afghanistan by one wicket, securing their series victory after a dominant performance in the first ODI.

    Naseem Shah, known for leading Pakistan to success in the Asia Cup 2022, once again played a pivotal role, guiding his team to victory in the final over when they needed 11 runs off 6 balls.

    During the chase of 301 runs, Pakistan faced setbacks with the early loss of Fakhar Zaman, but Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam’s partnership of 118 runs steadied the innings.

    After Babar’s dismissal, Pakistan’s victory seemed uncertain, but Shadab Khan’s 48 off 35 balls brought them back into the game. A dramatic final over included Shadab’s mankading and Naseem Shah’s heroics, ultimately leading Pakistan to triumph.

    In Afghanistan’s innings, Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s outstanding 151-run knock propelled his team to post 300-5, with a 227-run partnership alongside Ibrahim Zadran. Despite Gurbaz’s impressive display, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah secured crucial wickets.

    The match highlighted Afghanistan’s batting prowess, but Pakistan’s resilience and Naseem Shah’s performance stood out, sealing a thrilling victory.