Tag: One-Day International

  • New Zealand’s disappointing decision

    New Zealand’s disappointing decision

    Yesterday was a dark day for Pakistan cricket when New Zealand unilaterally decided to abandon the Pakistan series over “security threats” just minutes before the first One-Day International (ODI) match was about to begin in Rawalpindi. This decision was taken without sharing any details of the security threat with the host country. New Zealand was visiting Pakistan after 18 years.

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja tweeted how frustrating it was and said that New Zealand will “hear us at ICC”. Prime Minister Imran Khan also spoke with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern but could not convince her to reconsider this unilateral decision. “When I spoke with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, I conveyed our thanks for taking care of the New Zealand Cricket team. I know how disappointing it will be for everyone that the game hasn’t gone ahead, but we totally support the decision that’s been made. Player safety has to be paramount,” PM Ardern told Reuters.

    New Zealand’s decision is a huge blow and setback to Pakistan cricket. The terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March 2009 left Pakistan cricket in chaos for years. There were no international cricket matches in Pakistan and it took us many years to convince smaller cricketing nations to gradually but surely bring back cricket to Pakistan. Former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi managed to convince teams and international players to visit Pakistan. Our security forces, police, cricket management, and many others made sure that all visiting teams and players were given fool-proof security, even if it meant shutting down cities.

    Cricket fans did not complain about the inconvenience either because they understood how vital it was to make the visiting teams feel safe so as to make sure that international cricket properly returns to Pakistan. This year was going to be extremely important with New Zealand and English cricket teams’ tours. Next year, Australia is also supposed to tour Pakistan. Now – with New Zealand abandoning its tour – the England tour is also up in the air for another 24 hours as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said yesterday that due to the security threat to New Zealand, the ECB will “decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed”.

    PCB officials told Dawn that Pakistan will suffer financial losses in millions. And it is not just about the financial loss but the loss of so many years of efforts made by the security officials, PCB, Pakistani players, and many other unsung heroes who made sure that cricket comes back to Pakistan. Pakistani cricket fans are disappointed, angry and depressed, and rightly so. We know that Pakistan cricket will overcome this. But it hurts. Pakistan Zindabad!

  • Ramiz Raja, Michael Vaughan hit out at Pakistan’s ‘pathetic’ performance after England loss

    Ramiz Raja, Michael Vaughan hit out at Pakistan’s ‘pathetic’ performance after England loss

    Former cricketers and commentators Ramiz Raja and Michael Vaughan hit out at the “pathetic” performance of Pakistan cricket team after losing to England by nine wickets in the first One-Day International (ODI) match on Thursday.

    Taking to Twitter, Raja wrote: “#PakvsEng a bit of a disaster this  getting a pasting from an England second XI, losing with 169 balls to spare. Pretty rubbish we were today!”

    In a tweet, Vaughan said, “Love watching Pakistan play Cricket. A team that can beat any team in the world on any given day but also lose to any team on any given day.”

    In another tweet, former England captain wrote: “For England, to rock up only yesterday as a team and perform like they did tells us so much about the culture of the white ball team, very, very impressive. For Pakistan they were PATHETIC. It’s the only way to describe a performance like that.”

    England’s makeshift ODI team put the Covid-19 issues that hit the previous squad behind them to bowl out Pakistan for 141 runs before cruising to a clinical nine-wicket win in the three-match series opener.

    Read More – Nine uncapped players included in England’s revised squad for Pakistan ODIs

    Stand-in skipper Ben Stokes led an entirely fresh England XI, including five debutants, after a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad. All 16 players initially selected for Pakistan series had to self-isolate.

    Chasing 142 for a 1-0 lead in the series, England cruised home in 21.5 overs.

    Meanwhile, Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Hafeez tweeted: “Can any one please share the right streaming link to watch live #ENGvPAK ODI match? Regards.”