Tag: Former Captain

  • Angry Inzamam schools Babar after Karachi Kings’ fourth consecutive defeat

    Angry Inzamam schools Babar after Karachi Kings’ fourth consecutive defeat

    Former captain of Pakistan cricket team Inzamam-ul-Haq has schooled Karachi Kings captain Babar Azam for not finishing the match on Friday despite playing complete 20 overs against Peshawar Zalmi at National Stadium Karachi.

    Kings’ poor performance continued to frustrate the fans in the seventh edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the Babar-led side has lost all their matches in the tournament.

    Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Jashn-e-Cricket’, former chief selector Inzamam criticised Babar for not being able to finish the match with a win.

    “If you are the world’s number one cricket player and stands on wicket throughout 20 overs, then you should be finishing the match, otherwise get out without playing complete overs,” said Inzamam after the Kings failed to achieve the target of 174.

    Azam’s 63-ball 90 included 12 fours and a six.

    The former captain was also not pleased with the home team’s selection and batting order in the PSL 2022.

    Inzamam-ul-Haq also criticised Australian authorities for declaring Mohammad Husnain’s bowling action illegal.

    “Hasnain has been playing cricket for 2-3 years and his bowling action did not seem to be illegal,” he said.

    “Why do 90% of players get banned after going to Australia?” he questioned.

    Inzamam said that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should have sorted out Hasnain’s bowling action issue before the start of PSL.

    Meanwhile, PCB has said in a statement that the board will work on the young pacer’s bowling action and get it cleared as soon as possible.

  • ‘Memorable flashbacks’: Shahid Afridi gets nostalgic at NCA Lahore

    ‘Memorable flashbacks’: Shahid Afridi gets nostalgic at NCA Lahore

    Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi is feeling nostalgic after a training session at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

    He shared that one returning to NCA after a long time evoked nostalgia and brought back many memories.

    The NCA has now been named the National High Performance Centre.

    The Pakistani all-rounder took to Twitter to say he has come to “visit NCA after a very long time” and that the visit has brought back so many “memorable flashbacks.”

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1481121808770285568?s=20

    NCA Lahore’s facilities, according to Afridi, are good and should be offered at other NCA training centres across the country.

    “I had my training session without authorisation, hope that’s ok?” Afridi asked, tagging the official Twitter account of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    Afridi was Quetta Gladiators’ biggest pick during the players draft for Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022, as the 2019 winners look to win the second title when PSL 7 rolls into action on January 27.

    Both Afridi and England’s batter James Vince left Multan Sultans to join Quetta Gladiators.

  • Former Indian Cricket Team Captain MS Dhoni sends a special gift to Pakistani cricketer Haris Rauf

    Former Indian Cricket Team Captain MS Dhoni sends a special gift to Pakistani cricketer Haris Rauf

    Star Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has received a signed shirt from former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

    The 40-year-old sent a signed Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) jersey to the pacer.

    Rauf took to his Twitter account and expressed his joy and happiness on receiving the signed jersey from one of the game’s finest captains.

    Pacer Rauf also thanked CSK team manager Russell Radhakrishnan for his support.

    It is pertinent to mention that Rauf has played 34 T20Is for Pakistan and has taken 41 wickets, while in eight ODIs, he has taken 14 scalps. Currently, he is playing in Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia for the franchise Melbourne Stars.

  • The Professor Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from international cricket

    The Professor Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from international cricket

    Former Pakistan cricket team captain Mohammad Hafeez has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending a career spanning more than 18 years with the Pakistan side. His international debut was in an ODI against Zimbabwe in 2003, and his last match was Pakistan’s defeat against Australia in the T20 World Cup semi-final last November.

    The 41-year-old top-order batter and off-spinner, has signed up with Lahore Qalandars for the upcoming edition of the PSL and will continue to be available for franchise cricket around the world.

    As per his ESPN cricinfo, Hafeez played 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is while amassing 12,780 runs across formats, and grabbed 32 Player-of-the-Match awards, the fourth-highest among Pakistan players in all international cricket, with only Shahid Afridi (43), Wasim Akram (39) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (33) above him. In addition to that, Hafeez also earned nine Player-of-the-Series awards, joint-second with Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis.

    Hafeez retired from Test cricket in December 2018, with selectors later deciding to move on from him in ODIs after the 2019 World Cup, where he played his last match of the format – against Bangladesh at Lord’s.

    He is the only Pakistan player to have played in all but one T20 World Cup – the one Pakistan ended up winning in 2009 – and holds the Pakistan record for most T20 World Cup appearances. Hafeez also led Pakistan to the 2012 World T20 semi-final.

    After he announced his retirement, his colleagues and Twitterati wished him good luck with heart-warming messages.

    https://twitter.com/mdk_gul/status/1477901591277555712?s=20

  • Younis Khan’s shocking revelations

    Younis Khan’s shocking revelations

    Former captain of Pakistan Men’s cricket team Younis Khan has said that if he had to resign from his batting coach position over the incident with Hassan Ali, he would have done so four or five months ago. “My resignation does not match with the rhythm of the incident with Ali.”

    Read more – Younis Khan breaks silence on feud with Hassan Ali

    “I was told that Hassan Ali was sorry, so I went to him myself,” Khan said in 11th Hour.

    Explaining the reasons for his resignation as batting coach, the former captain said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not tell him about the bio-secure bubble for England tour. He had a surgery but he was informed later that his flight has been booked.

    Khan said the doctor’s call came on June 22 that you have not joined the bio-secure bubble, I told him I have surgery I can’t come in the bio-secure bubble.

    “I got another call. I can’t tell you his name yet. I told him I have surgery. I can’t join. I am exhausted. He said if you don’t come, there could be a situation like Muhammad Hafeez. The caller said that just like what happened to Hafeez, it can also happen to you,” shared the 2009 T20 World Cup captain.

    “I told him that I am not Hafeez but Younis Khan and I have no other option, if I will not be respected then how will a player be respected,” he questioned.

    The former captain further said: “I complained to the MD PCB about the NHPC coaches, telling Wasim Khan how outsiders were giving tips when we were there. I was the batting coach of the national team and I was being ignored. If I’ll go to the PCB again, I will write everything on a contract.”

    Host Wasim Badami asked if it was Zakir Khan who called him from PCB. Khan said that he resigned because of the call but will not reveal that person’s name.

    2009 uprising: “Shahid Afridi may be the mastermind if he has said that”

    Younis shared about the 2009 uprising that anyone could have been the mastermind of the incident. “I don’t know, it seems that the whole matter was about the captaincy.”

    The former captain said that the one who spoke in front of the PCB Chairman would be the mastermind of the incident, and if Shahid Afridi spoke, then maybe he was the mastermind.

    He said that Afridi came to Lahore from Karachi to meet the PCB Chairman. A player also took the Holy Quran from me to take an oath against me. A player was sent to me to bring the Holy Quran. He told me that he wants to recite the Quran before the match.

    Badami asked if the player who came to get the Holy Quran was Umar Akmal. On this, Younis Khan said that there are big leaks in the PCB and news has always been leaking.

    Khan said that if a player makes a mistake in the match, you cannot ask him, otherwise, problems will arise. Doubts will arise. And next time, if the player gets out by hitting a short, then what should be done, if the player does not ask for guidance, then there will be suspicions of spot-fixing.

    In response to a question, Khan said that for the last five years he used to stay locked in his room and play his cricket.

  • Shaheen Shah apologises after verbal spat with Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Shaheen Shah apologises after verbal spat with Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Lahore Qalandars’ pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has apologised after his verbal spat with Quetta Gladiators’ skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed during Tuesday’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six clash.

    Taking to Twitter, Shaheen wrote he always had respect for Champions Trophy-winning skipper. “Saifi Bhai is the pride of all of us. He was and will always remain a captain for me. Whatever happened in the game that day was the heat of the moment. I should have stayed quiet in respect of him. I have always respected my seniors and pray and wish the best for Sarfaraz Bhai,” he penned.

    Words were exchanged between Sarfaraz and Shaheen after the pacer hit the Quetta skipper on his helmet with a bouncer, during the first innings. It sparked controversy on media. Cricketers and people criticised the young bowler for disrespecting the senior wicket-keeper batter.

    Senior cricketer Mohammad Hafeez also lauded the pacer for his apology, saying: “Shabash. Stay blessed.”

    Replying to Shaheen on Twitter, Sarfaraz wrote: “It’s all good bro. Whatever happened in the field, it should stay in the field,” adding, “You are the star of Pakistan too. May Allah give you more success in life.”

    “You are little brother to me. All is well,” added Sarfaraz.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the Gladiators got eliminated from the tournament after they were beaten by Multan Sultans with the historic margin of 110 runs.