Tag: Fawad Alam

  • Fawad Alam reveals which bowler made his legs tremble

    Fawad Alam reveals which bowler made his legs tremble

    Test cricketer Fawad Alam has spoken about facing the most dangerous bowler in his career.

    Aisam ul Haq Qureshi and Fawad Alam appeared on the Geo News programme “Hasna Mana Hai,” where they both faced a flood of questions.

    Vicky Chaudhry, a cricket who played with Babar Azam at the Malton White Club, also took part in the show and posed the question to Fawad, “Which bowler makes your legs shiver?”

    To which he replied, “Shaun Tait is one such bowler who I played for the first time in Australia, so at that time I only played two balls of Tait.”

    “Although my legs do not tremble, there are some bowlers I enjoy playing with. Shaun Tait is one of the fastest bowlers I’ve enjoyed playing with, and I’ve never seen a bowler like that before,” Fawad added.

    Vicky asked whether there was a bowler he thought was easy to handle.

    Fawad said that it is possible to presume that some of a team’s bowlers may be attacked, but you can’t assume that all of the bowlers are “halwa” or easy to play.

  • Pakistani sportsmen extend support to Kashmiris as Pakistan observes Kashmir Solidarity Day

    Pakistani sportsmen extend support to Kashmiris as Pakistan observes Kashmir Solidarity Day

    The nation on Saturday observed Kashmir Solidarity Day and expressed solidarity with the people of Kashmir. Pakistani sportsmen, including cricketer Shahid Afridid and boxer Mohammad Waseem extended their support to the people of Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) who are living under atrocities of Indian government and army.

    Taking to Twitter, Shahid Afridi shared poetry and wrote: “On this #KashmirDay, I stand with all my brothers and sisters who continue to fight for their rights and freedom as a Nation. May Allah give us the strength to facilitate our brethren in need.”

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1489887400167985156?t=WKu7bjfWSQHdFfHi5_28mA&s=19

    Similarly, boxer Mohammad Waseem took to Twitter and wrote: “I express all my support and extend sincerest prayers for the courageous people of Kashmir. May they be blessed with their much longed right of freedom and peace ameen.”

    Other Pakistani cricketers also shared their thoughts and extended solidarity with the Kashmiri people on Twitter.

    In a statement on Twitter, Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed the incumbent Indian PM Narendra Modi’s policies in IOJK and paid tributes to the Kashmiri brethren.

    “It is time the world takes notice of India’s grave human rights violations in IIOJK which include crimes against humanity, war crimes & genocidal acts as well as the threat of forced demographic change,” he said in a series of tweets.

  • Babar Azam praises Fawad Alam after a comfortable win against West Indies

    Babar Azam praises Fawad Alam after a comfortable win against West Indies

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam praised his teammate and experienced batsman Fawad Alam after his side defeated West Indies by 109 runs in the second Test to level the two-match series.

    Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “A remarkable victory to draw the series. Absolutely brilliant game from @iShaheenAfridi, @iamfawadalam25, and @RealHa55an. Most importantly everyone from the team chipped in and tried to give their best. More power to you guys!”

    Fawad had scored an unbeaten 124 in the first innings of the Test to help Pakistan recover from 2/3 and post 309/9 in the first innings. Fawad’s inning was also backed by Babar who had scored 75.

    In a post-match statement released to the media, the Pakistan captain said that his partnership with Fawad laid the foundation for Pakistan’s success in the game.

    He also hailed the 35-year-old batsman and advised that all batsmen in the team should learn from him.

    “It was a great team effort specially after losing quick wickets on day one. Fawad and I managed to fight back through our partnership and then Shaheen Shah bowled outstandingly to put pressure on West Indies. We played according to our plan in the second innings and added quick runs to take advantage of the last session on day 4,” Babar said in the presentation ceremony.

    “Fawad Alam is an experienced player. He has scored tons of runs in first class cricket. He has handled the conditions and pressure well and set an example for all batsmen. We all must learn from him. He has proved himself which is an outstanding thing,” the Pakistan captain added.

    Babar also praised young fast bowler Shaheen Shah, saying that the 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler is improving every day and showing great confidence.

    “I am lucky to have a bowler like him in my squad,” he said.

    “Winning a match always give you confidence as a captain. The players gave their 100 per cent and remained confident throughout the Test,” said Babar.

  • Pakistan wins first Test by an innings and 116 runs

    Pakistan wins first Test by an innings and 116 runs

    Pakistan bowled Zimbabwe out for 134 to register a win in the first Test by an innings and 116 runs. They go 1-0 up in the two-Test series.

    Pakistan demolished Zimbabwe for the second time in three days just over half an hour after tea. Zimbabwe lasted all of 105.3 overs in the match while Pakistan batted 133 in their only innings.

    Zimbabwean openers went on scoring 36/0 before walking out for lunch. Kasuzu was not out for 21 whereas Tarisai Musakanda remained not out for 14.

    Returning from lunch, Zimbabwe started losing wickets with Hasan taking charge. The proceedings started with Hasan bagging Kevin Kasuza at 48. Tarisai Musakanda scored 48 before being run out.

    Brendan Taylor tried hard to rescue his team but he managed to score just 29 runs. Regis Chakabva made 14.

    Earlier, Fawad Alam got out for an unbeaten 140 that led Pakistan to gain the 250-runs lead against hosts.

    Resuming Day 3 at 374-6, Pakistan lost Hasan Ali and Nauman Ali in quick succession to suffer at 395-8. Hasan scored 30 runs off 26 balls with the help of three boundaries and two sixes.

    Sajid Khan got out after scoring 7 runs whereas Fawad ended his long run at 140 off 204 balls laced with 20 boundaries. Pakistan added 48 runs on Day 3 finishing their turn at 426-10.

    Blessing Muzarabani bagged four wickets while Donald Tiripano took three wickets for Zimbabwe. Richard Ngarava took two wickets while Tendai Chisoro managed to take a wicket.

    Meanwhile, Hassan managed to get nine wickets in the match, scores his fourth Test five-for and completed 50 Test wickets in just 12 matches. He also bagged Player of the Match award for his extraordinary performance.

  • Fawad Alam turns jilted lover for acting debut

    Fawad Alam turns jilted lover for acting debut

    The trailer of Fawad Alam’s acting debut Khudkash Mohabbat has dropped and fans of the cricketer are excited to see him show his talent on the screen. The series will be available for streaming soon on Urduflix.

    Khudkash Mohabbat marks Alam’s entry into the entertainment industry as an actor. According to a press release, the series is a “touching story of love and loss and the complexity of going after what you want in a world filled with people who won’t let you find your happiness and peace”. It has been directed by Rao Ayaz Shehzad and executively produced by Farhan Gauher.

    Talking about why he decided to foray into the world of acting, Alam while speaking to Independent Urdu, said that he was free the month the opportunity came and did not want to let it go.

    “We’ve been talking about this for two or three years, but I didn’t get a chance,” said Alam. “Now I got the chance and I hope everyone enjoys the series.”

    Sharing details about his character, Alam said that he plays a jilted lover, remarking that love is suicidal.

    “It’s a love story and must be watched,” said Fawad, adding: “When I was offered this role, I instantly said yes to it.”

    Talking about the difference between performing on-field and on-screen, Alam said: “Cricket and acting are two different things. Being a hero is not easy and takes a lot of hard work.”

    “Whether it’s cricket or acting, you have to work hard because both are difficult in their own right. Acting in front of the camera and speaking dialogues written by the scriptwriter and doing what the director tells you to is not an easy task,” he shared.

    Fawad also shared that he aspires to work in a film on the big screen and would go for it if he ever gets the chance.

    On whether he’d like to work with Mehwish Hayat, Maya Ali or Mahira Khan, Fawad said he’d like to work with all three of them together.

    “Whichever of the three heroines will work with me, it will be a source of pride for me because these are well-known names and there will be a lot to learn from them,” said the cricketer.

    Meanwhile, Alam’s colleagues and other members of the Pakistan Cricket Team including Sarfaraz Ahmed and Imam ul Haq have sent him best wishes for his upcoming project.

    https://twitter.com/SarfarazA_54/status/1380149484039012358?s=20

  • Fawad Alam to make his acting debut with ‘Khudkash Mohabbat’

    Fawad Alam is all set to make his acting debut with a web series titled Khudkash Muhabbat, scheduled to release on Pakistan’s first OTT platform, UrduFlix.

    “UrduFlix recently launched as Pakistan’s first-ever Urdu OTT platform has upped the game with brilliant new content and has kept the surprises coming. In a recent poster for their latest web series Khudkash Muhabbat – it was revealed that the cricketing hero would be making his debut on UrduFlix,” read a press release by the streaming service.

    “Fawad Alam, who has given remarkable performances in his cricketing career will soon be seen on the screens in what looks like an unconventional role in a unique story,” it added, without going into further details about the series and Fawad’s role in it.

    UrduFlix is Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform. It went live on March 5 and will provide viewers with access to original Urdu films, series, documentaries, cartoons, and Urdu dubbed Turkish dramas among other exclusively made shows for the platform.

    The first few shows on the platform would include Mashal Khan’s Lifafa Dayaan and Hareem Shah’s Raaz among others. The first exclusively available show going up on the platform with its launch is Dulhan Aur 1 Raat featuring Alizeh Shah in the lead.

    Fawad, who has was ignored by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for almost eleven years, recently scored a century during the Pakistan vs South Africa series. It was the cricketer’s third century. He scored his first in 2009 when he hit 168 on his Test debut against Sri Lanka while opening the innings. Since then Alam has played just six Tests having made a comeback in 2020. He scored his second hundred in New Zealand during the Pakistan vs New Zealand Test series after he got a chance to play when captain Babar Azam was ruled out due to his thumb injury.

  • Rizwan, Fawad promoted to Category A and C

    Rizwan, Fawad promoted to Category A and C

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Test Cricketer of the year 2020, Mohammad Rizwan, has been promoted to Category A of PCB’s Central Contract List 2020-21 following stellar performances across all formats in the ongoing season. In the elite category, the 28-year-old has now joined Pakistan captain Babar Azam, former captain Azhar Ali and star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    Since the current central contracts were announced on May 13, 2020, Rizwan is Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Tests with 529 runs in seven matches at an average of 52.90, while he is overall the third leading run-scorer in T20Is with 325 runs at an average of 65 and strike-rate of just under 139. In the three ODIs against Zimbabwe, he scored 25 runs.

    Behind the wickets, Rizwan has accounted for 16 batsmen in Tests, three in ODIs and eight in T20Is in the season during which Pakistan played international cricket against England, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and South Africa. Their upcoming assignments are in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

    As part of its policy to acknowledge, incentivise and reward high-performing cricketers, the PCB has also elevated Fawad Alam from A+ domestic contract category to Category C of the PCB Central Contract List 2020-21, while it also offered Category C contract to T20I specialist Mohammad Hafeez, which he politely turned down.

    Fawad Alam scored centuries against New Zealand and South Africa and has now aggregated 320 runs in 11 innings of six Tests. His 102 against New Zealand in the Boxing Day Test earned him the PCB Individual Performance of 2020 award.

    PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan while talking about the promotions said: “I want to congratulate Rizwan and Fawad for earning well-deserved and well-earned promotions. This is a reward for their hard work and high-quality performances during the difficult and challenging bio-secure environments that tested their determination, resolve, commitment, mental toughness and physical fitness to the limits.

    “The decision to promote the players was made during a meeting with the Chair of the Selection Committee, Muhammad Wasim, while we were reviewing player performances in the 2020-21 season and discussing the upcoming commitments.

    “It was agreed during the meeting that three players were the most deserving and outstanding performers in the season to date and, as such, they needed to be rewarded now instead of waiting for the time when PCB Central Contract List for 2021-22 will be reviewed and announced.

    “However, Mohammad Hafeez declined the reward and while I am disappointed, I fully respect his decision. He wants to wait for the PCB Central Contract 2021-22 list, which he is fully entitled to. Hafeez has been one of our star performers of the season and we hope he will carry the form and momentum to Africa.

    “I am sure this merit and performance-based decision will once again send out a loud and clear message to all professional cricketers that the PCB will not only recognise, appreciate and acknowledge their performances and achievements, but will also reward them so that they can strive to do better next time.”

    Taking to Twitter, Alam expressed his happiness over the promotion, writing: “Alhamdulillah! Can’t thank Allah enough for always being in my favour and granting me successes. Hard work pays off indeed. Thank you PCB for elevating me to category C of the PCB’s Central Contract list 2020-21.”

    Read more – Fahad Mustafa says ignoring Fawad Alam for a decade was ‘a failure of our system’

    Similarly, Rizwan also expressed his “relief” over the promotion on social media.

    Updated PCB Men’s Central Contract List for 2020-21:

    Category A: Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Babar Azam (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

    Category B: Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Asad Shafiq (Sindh), Haris Sohail (Balochistan), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Shadab Khan (Northern), Shan Masood (Southern Punjab) and Yasir Shah (Balochistan)

    Category C: Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imad Wasim (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab) and Usman Shinwari (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

    Emerging Players’ Category: Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Rauf (Northern) and Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh)

  • Sarfaraz Ahmed celebrates son’s birthday with fellow cricketers

    Sarfaraz Ahmed celebrates son’s birthday with fellow cricketers

    Imagine being four years old and having some of Pakistan’s best cricket players celebrate your birthday?

    Sarfaraz Ahmed’s son Abdullah Sarfaraz got just that as Babar Azam, Hassan Ali, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Muhammad Rizwan, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Faheem Ashraf and Azhar Ali all came to celebrate his birthday at the Movenpick Hotel in Karachi.

    Sharing pictures from the celebrations, Ahmed thanked everyone for coming and making Abdullah’s day.

    The excited father also shared a video of the celebrations on social media.

    https://twitter.com/SarfarazA_54/status/1355597546828169217?s=20
  • Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali help Pakistan sail past South Africa in first Test

    Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali help Pakistan sail past South Africa in first Test

    Pakistan defeated South Africa by seven wickets on day four of the first Test match in Karachi on Friday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series that marks the Proteas’ first tour to the country in almost 14 years.

    Fawad Alam hit the winning runs with a square cut to Keshav Maharaj for four to seal what has been a remarkable comeback for him to the Test unit as Pakistan easily chased the 88 runs set by South Africa for victory.

    Pakistan, needing 88 for victory, had reached 22 without loss at lunch with Abid Ali on 10 and Imran Butt on 12. But even as the openers departed after adding just a run after lunch, there seemed to be no panic as captain Babar Azam and veteran Azhar Ali coasted to within two runs of victory.

    Maharaj trapped Babar in front for 30, Azhar was 31 not out while Alam — who hit a fighting hundred in the first innings — hit the winning boundary.

    Earlier, debutant Nauman Ali took five wickets and fellow spinner Yasir Shah grabbed four to give Pakistan a solid opportunity to take lead in the series.

    Left-arm spinner Nauman took 5-35 while Yasir finished with 4-79 after South Africa resumed at 187-4 at the start of the day. Temba Bavuma was the last man out for 40.

    On Thursday, Yasir and Nauman grabbed three wickets in the space of ten runs to halt South Africa’s fightback on the third day of the first Test in Karachi.

    When it looked like South Africa would end the day at parity after wiping out Pakistan’s big 158-run first-innings lead, Yasir struck twice and Nauman once to leave the tourists on 187-4 at close.

    Earlier, Pakistan scored 378 to take a crucial lead over South Africa’s first innings total of 220.

    Read more – Fahad Mustafa says ignoring Fawad Alam for a decade was ‘a failure of our system’

    Meanwhile, the centurion, Alam got man of the match award for getting Pakistan out of trouble.

    The two-match Test series is South Africa’s first in Pakistan for 14 years. The second Test will be played in Rawalpindi from February 4.

    The hosts have won only one of their previous seven Tests against South Africa in Pakistan, with the visitors claiming two victories to go with four draws.

    Pakistan’s bowling coach congratulated the team for a win as well as Fawad for his outclass performance in his debut match at home ground. He also congratulated Yasir and Nauman for an incredible bowling and helping Pakistan beat the visitors.

  • Fahad Mustafa says ignoring Fawad Alam for a decade was ‘a failure of our system’

    Fahad Mustafa has condemned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for ignoring Fawad Alam for a decade.

    “If you want to witness what a failure of our system really is, watch Fawad Alam playing like a champ that he really is. We have wasted 10 years of this incredibly talented athlete,” wrote Fahad on social media.

    Fawad, who was ignored for almost eleven years, has gone on to score a century during the Pakistan vs South Africa series, happening in Karachi. This is the cricketer’s third century. He scored his first in 2009 when he hit 168 on his Test debut against Sri Lanka while opening the innings. Since then Alam has played just six Tests having made a comeback in 2020. He scored his second hundred in New Zealand during the Pakistan vs New Zealand Test series after he got a chance to play when Babar Azam was ruled out due to his thumb injury.

    Meanwhile, Pakistanis including celebrities, politicians and sports analysts cannot stop praising Alam for his brilliant feat and many have called out the previous selectors for ignoring his talent.