Tag: Cricket

  • Najam Sethi appoints Haroon Rasheed as the new chief selector of Pakistan men’s cricket team

    Najam Sethi appoints Haroon Rasheed as the new chief selector of Pakistan men’s cricket team

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management committee Najam Sethi on Monday announced the appointment of men’s national team chief selector, Haroon Rasheed, who is a former Test cricketer.

    Haroon represented Pakistan in 23 Tests and 12 ODIs and was also a member of Shahid Afridi-led selection committee appointed only for the home series against New Zealand.

    Haroon Rasheed also served as national men’s team chief selector in 2015 World Cup. He was also the manager of the Pakistan Cricket Team from 2003 to 2005.

    In a press conference, Najam Sethi said, “I think Haroon is the best man for this job. I have worked with him. He is a competent individual and I have given him a free hand to make his team and take decisions.”

    PCB reportedly wanted Afridi to continue as the chief selector; however, the former all-rounder refused a permanent role, citing personal commitments.

  • 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 jumps to 2nd position in ICC Super League standings, India at top

    Pakistan has jumped to the second place on the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League table after beating New Zealand in the first One-Day international on Monday. Pakistan defeated the Kiwis by six wickets in the opening ODI.

    India is on top of the list with 139 points.

    What is the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League?

    The Super League is a brand new ODI competition, which takes place across two years. In its first edition, the Super League will help decide which teams feature in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.

    Thirteen teams are taking part in this competition. These are the 12 Full Member nations, along with the Netherlands.

  • Naseem Shah creates history, becomes first bowler to take 15 wickets in first four ODIs

    Naseem Shah creates history, becomes first bowler to take 15 wickets in first four ODIs

    Pakistan’s fast bowler Naseem Shah created history during the opening ODI against New Zealand at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi on Monday.

    The 19-year-old has set a new world record by taking 15 wickets in his first four One Day Internationals (ODIs). This achievement surpasses the previous record of 14 wickets, held by Ryan Harris and Gary Gilmour.

    According to Geo Super, Naseem Shah has started the home series versus New Zealand with a five-wicket haul. With impressive numbers of 5 for 57, Naseem Shah’s tally of ODI wickets reached 15 which is the most number of wickets taken by any bowler after playing only four ODI matches.

    Naseem’s 15 wickets also include two consecutive fifers. His impressive performance has garnered praise from cricket fans and experts on social media.

    https://twitter.com/AvinashArya09/status/1612439078661943297

    During the series against New Zealand, Pakistan has a chance to surpass New Zealand as the world’s best ODI team.

    If Pakistan whitewashes New Zealand 3-0 during the three-match series, it can jump to the number one spot in the rankings with 114 rating points.

  • Ramiz Out: PM approves Najam Sethi’s appointment as chairman PCB

    Ramiz Out: PM approves Najam Sethi’s appointment as chairman PCB

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has approved Najam Sethi’s appointment as chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Geo News has reported.

    The official notification of the appointment will be issued later.

    Najam Sethi served in 2013 as head of PCB. However, he faced a legal battle with Chaudhry Muhammad Zaka Ashraf, another former chairperson of PCB. He later took up the position again in 2014 but Shahryar Khan replaced him and Sethi was given the charge of the executive committee.

    In 2017, he was appointed again as PCB chairperson but after one year he soon gave up his position in 2018.

    Najam Sethi was the person who launched the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2016 and was the president of PSL at that time.

    This is a developing story.

  • Pakistan ‘played good cricket’ despite England’s 3-0 win: Brendon McCullum

    Pakistan ‘played good cricket’ despite England’s 3-0 win: Brendon McCullum

    The last Test match of the historic series between Pakistan and England was won by the visiting team by eight wickets at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi. This gave the visiting team a 3-0 series victory.

    For the first time ever, Pakistan was thoroughly defeated at home in a Test series. In addition, it is the first time in the previous 22 years that England has triumphed in a Test series against Pakistan.

    The Babar Azam-led team’s campaign for the 2021–23 ICC World Test Championship final, which is set to take place at Lord’s in the year 2023, has also come to an end as a result of the series loss.

    Pakistan has had trouble winning Test series this year because to its struggles in red-ball cricket. Earlier this year, they suffered a 0-1 home loss to Australia, while the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka ended in a draw.

    Regarding the third game, only the captain managed to get a half-century as Pakistan was bowled out for 304 runs in the first innings. In response, England lost early wickets but gained a 50-run lead thanks to their tailenders.

    Rehan Ahmad, a debutant leg-spinner, grabbed five wickets for 48 runs to help the home team collapse in the second innings and be dismissed for 215 runs.

    The team captained by Ben Stokes had a 170 run target to reach in two days, which they did with the loss of two wickets. Zak Crawley scored 41 runs off of 41 while Ben Duckett quickly scored 75 runs at a strike rate of over 100.

    England’s head coach Brendon McCullum said that Pakistan played well despite England’s 3-0 win against the home team, according to Geo Super.

    “I think Pakistan has actually played some really good cricket throughout the series. If we look at all three Test matches, I think there was some defining moments in each of those Tests. And, whilst we might have maybe dominated a little bit more throughout the series, I think, Pakistan certainly had their opportunities and played their part,” he said.

    “I look at it from a holistic point of view, I think the series has been a really watchable one for people around the around the world and Test cricket has always been like that. I take my hat off to Pakistan for the part that I’ve played in it and obviously to our boys for how we’ve played also,” McCullum added.

  • Lahore police arrests three people involved in online gambling

    Lahore police arrests three people involved in online gambling

    Lahore police arrested three people for engaging in online (digital) gambling and recovered Rs1 lakh cash and three cell phones from their possession.

    According to The News, the accused were named as Shoaib, Salim, and the ringleader, Faizan.

    The accused Faizan developed the betting app, in which more than 100 people were involved. The accused used to bet on all sporting events, including football, hockey, tennis, and cricket, through the app.

    Besides this, there are still a number of gambling applications available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store that anybody can download and use for betting purposes.

    Numerous websites provide advice on how to gamble, such as by changing a few personal details or signing up to bet using a random name.

  • ‘I think our team looks good, we might just win the final’: Imran Khan

    ‘I think our team looks good, we might just win the final’: Imran Khan

    Imran Khan, the chairman of PTI, expressed high hopes for the victory of Pakistan’s cricket team in the Twenty20 World Cup final.

    “I’m confident that Pakistan has a team capable of winning the World Cup InshAllah,” Imran Khan said, speaking at Piers Morgan’s TalkTV show.

    Imran Khan, who was delighted with the Men in Green’s thrilling victory, compared it to the 1992 World Cup, saying, “We overcame New Zealand in the semifinal and then we played England in the final.”

    The victory has brought much-needed encouragement to the Green Shirts, who are now looking forward to the final, Khan stated with a smile. “The entire country is celebrating the success,” he said.

    “I think our team looks good. I think we might just win the final.”

    The group led by Babar Azam prevailed by seven wickets in the semifinals. The Men in Green easily attained the 153-run mark that the Black Caps had set for Pakistan.

    Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batsman, and captain Babar Azam combined for a 105-run partnership. The partnership was broken when New Zealand dismissed Babar for 53 in the 12th over. Pakistan needed to make 47 runs off of 43 balls at that point.

    But the Men In Green had made significant progress by that point. The scoreboard was maintained moving along by Rizwan and Mohammad Haris till the wicketkeeper went out caught at run out at 57.

    The final ball of the 19th over resulted in Haris being caught at short fine leg. Pakistan won the game by seven wickets in the very next over.

  • ‘Pakistan definitely out-bowled, out-batted and out-fielded New Zealand’: Former Indian captain Anil Kumble

    ‘Pakistan definitely out-bowled, out-batted and out-fielded New Zealand’: Former Indian captain Anil Kumble

    Anil Kumble, a former captain of India, said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out show that Pakistan “definitely out-bowled New Zealand, they out-batted New Zealand, but most importantly, they out-fielded New Zealand, which is very, very rare.”

    Tom Moody, a former all-rounder for Australia, picked up a specific moment during New Zealand’s powerplay that was a reflection of Pakistan’s level of dedication on Wednesday.

    “The tone for me was set with one piece of fielding,” Moody said. “And it’s not the run-out. It’s before the run-out [of Devon Conway]. It was by Shadab [Khan], who was at mid-on, dived and stopped the ball from going for four.

    “Kane Williamson played a beautiful on-drive, a straight on-drive, and he [Shadab] saved two runs. And that to me set the tone for the way they were going to operate as a team. You talk about body language but you need moments like that to lift the unit and that’s the standard that he basically said ‘this is the standard we are going to set today.”

    New Zealand was limited to 38 for 2 on the powerplay as a result of Pakistan’s outstanding fielding in the circle. Shadab’s straight shot to run out Conway produced the second wicket. Pakistan eventually managed to restrict New Zealand to 152 for 8, winning with seven wickets and five balls remaining.

    Kumble applauded Haris’ contribution to the match, which includes his 89 runs with a strike rate of 161.81 since joining the team to fill in for Fakhar Zaman.

    “Looking at him [Haris], he looks like a free spirit,” Kumble said. “He’s not bothered about getting his eye in or what if the first ball he gets out. That’s what you want in a T20 game.”

    New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said that “We were put under pressure early, they bowled really well and it was thanks to an unbelievable knock from Daryl Mitchell that we got some momentum back.

    Read more: ‘I think our team looks good, we might just win the final’: Imran Khan

    “At halfway, we thought it was a competitive total because we knew the pitch was a used surface, it was tough.

    “But it’s really disappointing to not make Pakistan work harder for those runs, they were absolutely outstanding today and credit has to go to them.”

    In the meantime, Shoaib Akhtar, a Pakistani fast bowler, was also overjoyed with Pakistan’s victory.

    Former South African allrounder Vernon Philander joined in congratulating Pakistan for making it into the final.

    Wasim Akram added his congratulations to those on the side of Pakistani team.

    Irfan Pathan, an Indian all-rounder, sent a message as well, praising the Pakistani team for overcoming a near-certain elimination from the competition to reach the final.

  • ‘I am captain who brought neutral umpires’: IK on whether he wants military out of politics or not

    ‘I am captain who brought neutral umpires’: IK on whether he wants military out of politics or not

    Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that he is the one who in the entire history of the game, brought in a neutral umpire to get fair results.

    Khan was talking on TRT World’s “The Newsmakers” with Andrea Sanke, when the anchor asked, “You want the military out of Pakistan’s politics, or do you want the military on your side in Pakistan’s politics?”

    Khan replied: “Let me say one thing. In the two hundred year history of test cricket, and international cricket, I am the captain who brought the neutral umpires. I am the one who actually brought in the neutral umpires in cricket because we wanted a fair result.”

    “You must understand, for me right now, the most important thing in Pakistan is how do we get out of the quagmire, how do we get out of this situation”, he stated.

    During the interview, Khan again mentioned the names of PM Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal Naseer as the minds behind the assassination attempt on his life. “We are governed by criminals”, Khan said.

    He reiterated that he wants an independent investigation. “We are a popular party in Punjab but we couldn’t get a case registered against them because the provincial police refused,” he told the host.

    “If they turned out to be innocent in the investigation so it’s fine. At least it’s my right, they almost killed me”, Khan said.

    He claimed that all the investigative agencies in the country are under these three people [Shehbaz, Sanaullah and Faisal Naseer].

    About Naveed, the gunman who shot at the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan said, “After 20 minutes of the incident, a man appears and says that I shot Imran”.

    Khan raised a question: “Who brought him on television? Police are not allowed to do this unless a proper investigation is carried out.”

    Stressing that he was more determined now, Imran Khan said that he was expecting something to happen. “I predicted this four months ago that there was a plot against me,” he said.

    Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister and a senior leader of the ruling coalition, also spoke with The Newsmakers and called the allegations levelled by Khan tragic. “It is a tragedy that a person of Imran Khan’s stature, who served as the prime minister of the country, would stoop so low to accuse the [sitting] prime minister and intelligence officials of being behind this shooting,” he said.

    Abbasi said the shooting took place in a province that Khan’s PTI party controls and called for an investigation to ascertain the motivation behind this shooting. “The shooter has been arrested and the truth should come out. I think for Imran Khan to speculate and try to gain political points out of this is something that is very much not acceptable,” Abbasi said.

    Imran Khan rejected Abbasi’s statement, saying he does not need popularity gained by accusing others.

    Khan called on the Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to be “more assertive” when it comes to dispensing justice.

    “Justice persists when every person, even the most powerful, is brought under the rule of law. I, as the head of a province, can’t get the three people to be investigated, imagine what the situation will be for the common man,” he said, adding that PTI’s movement for “real struggle” demanded rule of law.