Tag: Pakistan cricket board

  • PCB announces nominations for 2021 Awards, Rizwan gets 3 and Babar 2

    PCB announces nominations for 2021 Awards, Rizwan gets 3 and Babar 2

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the nominees for the annual cricket awards 2021.

    “We are all set to bring to you the PCB Awards 2021,” the board announced on its official Twitter handle on Monday.

    Shedding light on further details, the PCB said that the categories and nominations will be revealed on Tuesday.

    Taking to Twitter, PCB shared Impactful Performance of The Year Nominees. Fawad Alam was nominated for his impressive Test against South Africa, Hassan Ali for his 10-fer against South Africa, Mohammad Rizwan for his 79 not out against India in T20 World Cup and Shaheen Shah Afridi for his 3-31 against India in the same match.

    In emerging cricketers’ category, wicket-keeper-batter Azam Khan, young pacers Arshad Iqbal, Mohammad Wasim Jnr. and Shahnawaz Dahani are nominated.

    In Men’s ODI Cricketer of The Year category, skipper Babar Azam, power hitter Fakhar Zaman, pacers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi are nominated.

    On the other hand Women’s Cricketers of the year nominations include Aliya Riaz, Anum Amin, Fatima Sana and Nida Dar.

    Revealing Test Player of the Year of Award, PCB wrote: “Many thrilling performances in the Test cricket format, here are the stars who made it to the nominations for “Test Cricketer of the Year.” Players included in this category are Test opener Abid Ali, batter Fawad Alam, pacers Shaheen and Hassan.

    In the T20 Player of the Year category, all-rounder Shadab Khan, Haris, Shaheen and Rizwan are included.

    PCB named five cricketers in Domestic Cricketer Of The Year Nominees. Cricketers in this category include Asif Afridi, Mohammad Huraira, Iktikhar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan and Tayyab Tahir.

    The last category for today, “Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year” but certainly not the least. A valuable player not only performs exceptionally well but also inspires others to do more,” wrote PCB.

    Here are the nominees: Babar Azam, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been shortlisted in five categories for the PCB Awards 2021.

    Rizwan has earned nominations for the Impactful Performance of the Year, T20I Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year, Hasan Ali has been shortlisted for the Impactful Performance of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year awards.

    Babar Azam, Fawad Alam and Haris Rauf have been shortlisted in two categories each.

    For the Emerging Cricketer of the Year, Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Junior and Shahnawaz Dahani have been shortlisted.

    The winners of the Umpire of the Year and Spirit of Cricket awards will be announced directly on Thursday, January 6.

  • 2021: The year of records in Pakistani cricket

    2021: The year of records in Pakistani cricket

    The Pakistan cricket team is considered to be the most unpredictable team of all. The Men in Green have seen many ups and downs this year but the green shirts flourished with bright colours, making record breaking partnerships, personal and team records and many more. We have collected some major events that happened in cricket in Pakistan and how the year 2021 was for the Shaheens.

    Our champions reshaped the face of T20I Cricket in 2021. Have a look at their phenomenal performance.

    PSL 6 Winners

    Mohammad Rizwan, leading the Multan Sultans, won the sixth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2021. Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs in the final to win their maiden trophy of the tournament in June, 2021. Rizwan replaced Shan Masood as the captain of the team after he was traded from the PSL franchise Karachi Kings.

    Sultans started at the second leg of the PSL fifth on the points table, having lost four of their first five matches but led by their captain Rizwan, went on to win four of the next five to finish the league stage second. They then swatted the Islamabad United challenge in the first qualifier and lead themselves to the win in the final, a crowning glory in their magnificent UAE leg of the season.

    Pakistan beats India in T20WC

    Pakistan made history by beating arch-rival India for the first time in a T20 World Cup match in October. The green shirts’ 10-wicket win ended a decades-long defeat streak that began in 1992. Pakistan had lost all 12 of their previous World Cup matches against India.

    The two former champions clashed after more than two years in the 2021 T20 World Cup opening fixture at the Dubai International Stadium.

    Pakistani openers Azam (68) and Mohammad Rizwan (79) produced a batting masterclass to chase down the 152-run target without losing a wicket, and finishing the game in the 18th over.

    Rizwan and Babar partnership

    Babar and Rizwan made a formidable partnership for Pakistan at the top of the order. They scored a total of 6 century stands, which is the most by a batting pair in the history of T20Is. Out of these, 4 were in excess of 150 runs which is also the most for a batting pair in T20Is and came against the likes of England, India, South Africa, and West Indies.

    The duo was magnificent for Pakistan throughout the 2021 T20 World Cup. They were influential as Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India for the first time in World Cup history. The batting pair scored an unbeaten knock of 152 runs and registered the highest opening stand in T20 World Cup history.

    Babar and Rizwan’s opening partnerships were all the more impressive because of pressure situations. Out of their six century partnerships, three came while chasing a target. This also included 197 run stand against South Africa at Centurion.

    The duo also became the first batting pair in history to score more than 1,000 runs in a year. They scored 1,380 runs at an average of 57.50 in 25 innings while batting together.

    Rizwan T20 Runs

    Mohammad Rizwan rounded off a magnificent year in T20 cricket by becoming the first batter in the history of the format to cross 2,000 runs in a calendar year. The wicket-keeper batter scored 2,036 runs at an average of 56.55 and a strike rate of 132.03 in 45 innings he played in the year. Rizwan also became the highest run-scorer in T20Is in a calendar year as he became the first batter in history to cross 1,000 runs in T20Is. He scored 1,326 runs at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89 in 26 innings.

    The star wicket-keeper batter was Pakistan’s most influential player in all formats this year. Rizwan won a total of 6 player-of-the-series awards in 2021, equaling the record of most player-of-the-series awards held by Sachin Tendulkar since 1998. Rizwan bagged 4 player-of-the-series awards in T20Is and 2 in red-ball cricket.

    Record 20 T20I wins in a year

    During the year, Pakistan played 29 matches in the shortest format and won 20 – the most by any team. They lost six while three ended with no result.

    The Men in Green played seven bilateral T20 series, and won six – against South Africa, Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh. They only lost to England.

    Pakistan also won all group matches in the T20 World Cup – against India, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland. They lost the semi-final against Australia in a thriller.

    Babar number 1 T20 and ODI player

    Babar Azam’s incredible 2021 has been capped off with a number1 T20I batting ranking.

    Combining in an opening partnership of 158 with Mohammad Rizwan against the West Indies in Karachi to set up a 3-0 series win, Babar’s 79 from just 53 balls propelled him back to the top, overtaking Aiden Markram and Dawid Malan. He now sits number1 in both the men’s T20I and ODI rankings going into the final days of the year.

    This was only the second time in history that a batter was ranked number one in both formats at the end of a year. Australian legend, Ricky Ponting, achieved the feat in 2005.

    Babar Nominated for ODI Player of the Year Award

    The Skipper of Pakistan is also nominated for the ODI Player of the Year award. He scored 405 runs in six matches in the outgoing year at an average of 67.50 with two centuries in the 50-over format.

    Alongside Azam, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, Ireland’s Paul Stirling and South Africa’s Janneman Malan have been named as contenders for the award.

    Rizwan Nominated for T20Player of the Year Award

    The star batter is also nominated for the T20I Player of the Year award for his exceptional performances with the bat.

    Alongside Rizwan, Jos Buttler, Wanindu Hasaranga and Mitchell Marsh are the four nominees for the Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year Award.

    Two Consecutive Whitewash

    The Pakistan cricket team had a great two series against Bangladesh and West Indies. First the green shirts beat Bangladesh with a 2-0 clean sweep in Test matches and 3-0 whitewash in T20Is and the national team later triumphed a T20I series at home against West Indies.

    Meanwhile, led by the dynamic opening duo of Rizwan and Babar, Pakistan pulled off a record chase in the third and final T20 international to register a 3-0 series whitewash over the covid-hit West Indies team.

    Pakistan beats India in U19 Asia Cup

    Pakistan beat arch-rivals India by two wickets in a nail-biting match of the group stage of the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) Under-19s Asia Cup, with young stars Muhammad Shehzad and Zeeshan Zameer’s heroics leaving the Men In Blue surprised.

    Skipper Qasim Akram put India to bat after winning the toss and restricted the Men In Blue to 237 in the 50-over match at the ICC Academy Ground.

  • Asad Umar urges PCB to give students free entrance to watch Pak vs Windies matches

    Asad Umar urges PCB to give students free entrance to watch Pak vs Windies matches

    National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) head Asad Umar has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to allow free entry for students in the stadium during the Pakistan and West Indies matches.

    Talking to the media outside National Stadium Karachi (NSK), while urging PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja, he said: “This is not the time to make money.”

    The federal minister also asked Karachiites to come to National Stadium and support their team.

    Speaking about PSL attendance, the minister said that PCB and NCOC are working jointly over Covid situation.

    “There will be 100pc attendance during PSL 7 matches if Covid-19 situation did not worsen,” Asad added.

    Separately today, the Karachi police have issued a traffic plan in connection with three T20Is and as many ODIs to be played between Pakistan and West Indies at National Stadium Karachi.

    According to a plan issued by the traffic police, the Hassan Square flyover will remain closed for all types of traffic during T20Is and ODI matches.

    In a bid to ensure foolproof security of the players, the traffic police in a statement said that Sir Shah Muhammad Suleman Road from Hasan Square to the National Stadium will remain closed for all kinds of traffic during the matches.

  • Here is what you need to know about PSL 7 draft, schedule

    Here is what you need to know about PSL 7 draft, schedule

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition will begin on January 27, 2022, with the draft to be held on December 12. The league, which begins about a month earlier than usual to make room for Australia’s upcoming tour in March-April, will have the final take place on February 27.

    “Following an opening ceremony, defending champions Multan Sultans will take on hosts and 2020 champions Karachi Kings at the National Stadium with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm” on January 27, a PCB press release said, adding that 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators would go toe to toe with 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi the following day.

    “After Karachi, which will host 15 matches from January 27 to February 7, action will shift to the Gaddafi Stadium where the remaining 15 league matches and the four play-offs will be played from February 10-27,” the PCB said.

    It will be the first time since 2017 when the headquarters of Pakistan cricket will host the PSL final.

    The National Stadium in Karachi had staged the league’s finals from 2018 to 2020, while Abu Dhabi was the venue for the 2021 final, where Multan Sultans defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs.

    Speaking on the matter, PCB Chairperson Ramiz Raja said: “I am delighted that the HBL PSL 7 schedule has been announced. This will now get the ball rolling with the teams to start planning and finalising their line-ups and the PCB increasing the pace of the operational delivery to ensure they provide quality playing facilities for the players as well as a five-star experience to the fans and our valued commercial partners.”

    “The HBL PSL 7 will also kickstart what will be a bumper year for Pakistan cricket with the Australia men’s cricket team to play a full series in March-April with England men’s cricket side to tour Pakistan twice for white-ball and red-ball cricket,” Raja added.

    Player draft

    According to the press release, the PCB has decided to hold the player draft for the league at its National High Performance Centre in Lahore on December 12.

    “Each side will come to the draft with a maximum of eight-player retentions from the last event,” it further stated. “Following the finalisation of player categories, the transfer and retention window is now officially open and will close on December 10.”

    According to the press release, Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick in the Platinum category, Diamond category, Gold category and Emerging category, Peshawar Zalmi will have the first pick in the Silver category, and Quetta Gladiators will have the first pick in the Supplementary category.

    Local players’ category renewals

    The press release said the PCB, after a review and assessment process, had updated local players’ categories.

    “In the biggest moves, Pakistan wicketkeeper/batter and Multan Sultan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan (previously Silver), Asif Ali of Islamabad United (previously Gold) and Lahore Qalandars’ Haris Rauf (previously Diamond) have been placed in Platinum Category.”

    Moreover, Multan Sultans’ Sohaib Maqsood, who was named the Player of HBL PSL’s sixth edition, and Haider Ali of Peshawar Zalmi have moved up from Silver and Gold categories to Diamond category, respectively.

    Schedule for matches in Karachi:

    • Jan 27: Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans

    • Jan 28: Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Jan 29: Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars; Karachi Kings vsQuetta Gladiators

    • Jan 30: Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United; Karachi Kings vsLahore Qalandars

    • Jan 31: Quetta Gladiators vs Multan Sultans

    • Feb 1: Islamabad United vs Multan Sultans

    • Feb 2: Peshawar Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars

    • Feb 3: Quetta Gladiators vs Islamabad United

    • Feb 4: Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Feb 5: Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars; Peshawar Zalmi vs Multan Sultans

    • Feb 6: Karachi Kings vs Islamabad United

    • Feb 7: Quetta Gladiators vs Lahore Qalandars

    Schedule for matches in Lahore:

    • Feb 10: Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Feb 11: Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans

    • Feb 12: Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators

    • Feb 13: Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings; Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators

    • Feb 14: Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings

    • Feb 15: Peshawar Zalmi vs Quetta Gladiators

    • Feb 16: Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings

    • Feb 17: Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Feb 18: Multan Sultans vs Quetta Gladiators; Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings

    • Feb 19: Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United

    • Feb 20: Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings; Multan Sultans vsIslamabad United

    • Feb 21: Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Feb 23: Qualifier (1 vs 2)

    • Feb 24: Eliminator 1 (3 vs 4)

    • Feb 25: Eliminator 2 (Loser Qualifier 1 vs Winner Eliminator 1)

    • Feb 27: (Qualifier v Eliminator 2) Final

  • Pakistan to host 2025 Champions Trophy as ICC announces 8 tournaments, Ramiz cheers

    Pakistan to host 2025 Champions Trophy as ICC announces 8 tournaments, Ramiz cheers

    Pakistan will host the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, which means that the Pakistan cricket team will defend its title in its own home ground. Pakistan won the last Champions Trophy in 2017.

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday confirmed the 14 host countries of the ICC men’s white ball events from 2024-2031. Eleven Full Members and three Associate Members have been selected to host two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, four ICC Men’s T20 World Cups and two ICC Men’s Champions Trophy events.

    The USA and Namibia will host an ICC World Cup event for the first time. While Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe have previously staged major events and will do so again over the next decade.

    The hosts were selected via a competitive bidding process overseen by a Board sub-committee chaired by Martin Snedden along with Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Skerritt. The ICC Board accepted the recommendations of the committee who conducted a thorough review of each bid along with the ICC management. A similar process to identify the hosts for ICC Women’s and U19s events for the next cycle will be undertaken early next year.

    Reacting to the development, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja said, “It’s a matter of great pride and delight that Pakistan will be hosting ICC Champions Trophy 2025.”

    ICC Chair Greg Barclay said: “We are delighted to have concluded this competitive bidding process for the first time for ICC events. To have 14 Members hosting 8 events is a reflection of the truly global nature of our sport and I’d like to thank every Member that submitted a bid and offer our congratulations to the successful bidders.”

    “It is fantastic to be returning to so many previous hosts, but what is really exciting about this process is the countries who will stage ICC events for the first time including the USA which is a strategic growth market for us. This gives us the opportunity to deepen our connection with fans in traditional cricket nations and also reach new fans around the world.”

    2024 T20 World Cup: USA and West Indies

    2025 Champions Trophy: Pakistan

    2026 T20 World Cup: India and Sri Lanka

    2027 ODI World Cup: Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa

    2028 T20 World Cup: Australia and New Zealand

    2029 Champions Trophy: India

    2030 T20 World Cup: England, Ireland and Scotland

    2031 ODI World Cup: India and Bangladesh

    It should be noted that Pakistan is set to host Australia in 2022 and England will be visiting Pakistan next year with additional two T20Is that will be played in Pakistan after England’s chief Tom Harrison visited Pakistan.

  • Wasim Akram disappointed with facilities provided by National Cricket Academy

    Wasim Akram disappointed with facilities provided by National Cricket Academy

    Pakistan’s former captain Wasim Akram, talking about the standards of National Cricket Academy (NCA) and its gyms, has said that he is disappointed with the facilities provided to our athletes.

    Akram, while talking to host Fakhr-e-Alam on A sports, said: “I was invited by a club in Australia, it was a football club and I saw their gym and swimming pool inside the ground where they practice. It was out of this world and the gyms in NCA Lahore, which is operational from when I used to play, has just been renovated and only a few dumbbells have been added and that too one-one set each. When you buy dumbbells, you buy two or three sets of each pair because when the team comes to practice, more people can use them instead of waiting for the other guy to finish. So, we still have the old machines installed since 2001 and look at how much we earn from cricket.”

    Pakistan national cricketer Wahab Riaz also said the place was just renovated recently and said that one or two new machines have been installed and agreeing with Akram, he said that since 2001, only one pair of dumbbells are available in the gyms provided to the players.

    The host then asked Wahab if you compare the gym of NCA with any private gym, what kind of difference do they see?

    Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq dived in and said that he would rather gym at his house than doing it there.

    Wasim Akram added: “So many chairmen came but no one thought about this issue.”

    Have a look:

  • ‘ICC a politicised body, we need to reduce our dependence on it’: Ramiz Raja

    ‘ICC a politicised body, we need to reduce our dependence on it’: Ramiz Raja

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja has disclosed that 50 per cent of the board’s budget is based around the funds it gets from the International Cricket Council (ICC) whose “revenues are generated mainly from India”.

    Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial affairs on Thursday in Islamabad, Ramiz said it was time for PCB to reduce its dependence on funding from the ICC and start tapping the local market.

    “ICC is a politicised body divided between the Asian and Western blocs and 90 per cent of its revenues are generated from India,” the PCB Chairman said.

    Ramiz said the ICC had become more of an event management company and PCB would have to make its voice heard if it does not want a repeat of the cancellation of confirmed series by New Zealand and England.

    What New Zealand did was unacceptable because till now they have not shared any information with us on what led them to abandon the series in Pakistan. But they are now trying to reschedule the series, he said.

    Ramiz hinted of some good news regarding the postponed New Zealand series in a week’s time.

    He indicated that the New Zealand cricket board was working on a new schedule to tour Pakistan.

    Read More – Ramiz Raja ‘erroneously’ tweets about ECB chairman’s resignation, deletes later

    Senator Raza Rabbani suggested that Pakistan should now not play against New Zealand and refuse any series but Ramiz pointed out that this would not be possible as Pakistan was part of the international cricket community.

    The good thing is that they are working on something, which means they want to amend things with us, he said.

    The New Zealand cricket team had arrived in Pakistan on September 11 for the first time in 18 years to play three ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals but left on September 19 without playing any match after their government and security agencies advised them to return home citing “security concerns”.

    Ramiz, in a candid briefing to the senators, also made it clear that he would unveil his plans for Pakistan cricket and the board in a week or 10-days’ time while in four weeks’ time he would have his team ready.

    Read More – New Zealand cricket chief open to rescheduling of abandoned Pakistan series

    “To me, it is simple if the national team cannot do well and win matches, it means that everyone in the board from the tea man to the top official have failed in their duties,” he said.

  • ‘They would not have done this to India’: Holding criticises ECB’s decision over not touring Pakistan

    ‘They would not have done this to India’: Holding criticises ECB’s decision over not touring Pakistan

    Former West Indies pacer Michael Holding has strongly criticised England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over the cancellation of the scheduled tour of Pakistan, saying it smacks of ‘western arrogance’.

    “What that signal sends to me is the same western arrogance,” said Holding while receiving Peter Smith Award.

    Read More – ‘Mujhe afsos hai, England’s tour not cancelled over security’: British High Commissioner

    “I will treat you how I feel like treating you – it doesn’t matter what you think, I will just do what I want.”

    “Four days in Pakistan [was all they would have spent], I am absolutely sure they would not have done that to India.”

    “You know why? Because India is rich and powerful. I am in total agreement with Mike Atherton and [cricket writer] George Dobell, who wrote articles condemning England and the ECB,” he added.

    Holding reminded ECB about Pakistan’s last tour of England during Covid-19 peak.

    The former cricketer further said: “They were going for four days. Pakistan went to England [in 2020] before vaccines were available for six, seven weeks, something like that. They stayed, they played their cricket, they were in that bubble.”

    Read More – ‘Decision of England board is cowardly, was made out of fear of the players and India’: British author

    “I was in that bubble and it wasn’t fantastic but it was better than going out into society, where we know Covid was and without any vaccinations available to anyone.”

    “They stayed, they played, and honoured what England wanted them to honour, and now you have an opportunity to try and repay them to a small degree,” he concluded.

  • PCB receive food bill of Rs 27 lakh for security hired for New Zealand team

    PCB receive food bill of Rs 27 lakh for security hired for New Zealand team

    New Zealand’s much-awaited tour of Pakistan was called off in an unfortunate manner. Although the Kiwi team landed in Pakistan for three ODIs and five T20Is, they were called back without playing a single match. The New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC) cited security concerns behind the sudden cancellation of the tour.

    With the significance of this series being so high, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had made several preparations. However, they faced disappointment as the tour was called off. As per the latest development, PCB are set to endure huge financial losses due to the cancellation of the series. In fact, the cricket board is staring at a hefty amount just to pay the food bills of security officials hired for the Kiwi team.

    As per reports, the security agencies hired for the Blackcaps came at a huge cost. If that was not enough, PCB needs to spend around Rs 27 lakhs just to pay off the food bills of the officers who were in charge of security of the New Zealand team. If reports are to be believed, five SPs and over 500 SSPs (police officers) were deployed for the security of the Kiwis along with the Pakistan Army in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

    As per a report, each security personnel was served Biriyani twice a day, the cost of which came to approximately Rs 27 lakhs. Meanwhile, the tour was called off hours before the first ODI was to begin in Rawalpindi.

    “The side was to play Pakistan this evening in the first of three ODIs in Rawalpindi, before moving to Lahore for a five-match T20 series. However, following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the BLACKCAPS will not continue with the tour,” NZC said in the statement calling off the tour.

    Meanwhile, both Pakistan and New Zealand are currently gearing up for the high-voltage T20 World Cup. While the Men in Green have clinched the 2009 edition of the competition, the trophy is still elusive for the Kiwis.

  • ‘Same route, same security but no threat today?’: Mohammad Hafeez questions the Black Caps departure

    ‘Same route, same security but no threat today?’: Mohammad Hafeez questions the Black Caps departure

    Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Hafeez took to Twitter to question the departure of the Black Caps, and tweeted, “Thanks to the security of Pakistan forces to make arrangements to @BLACKCAPS to reach airport Safe & Sound. Wonder same route & same security but no threat today???”

    A day after New Zealand abandoned their Pakistan tour, the newly appointed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja on Saturday called on players to channel their frustration into their performance.

    In a video message, shared by the PCB, Ramiz Raja said: “Release your frustration and anger by channeling it towards your performance.”

    “Everyone will want to play against you. So I want us to learn from this, move forward, and keep strong. There is no need to be disappointed,” said Ramiz.

    “We will do whatever we can and you will soon get to hear good news and results,” said the chairman.

    “It is a shared pain and whatever happened is not right for Pakistani cricket,” he said, calling the situation an “unfortunate scenario”.

    “We have experienced such situations in the past but we have always moved forward. We have a lot of resilience and strength, and that is because of the fans and the cricket team,” he said.

    Meanwhile, a PCB official speaking with Dawn said, “This is a blow to the efforts the PCB, the government, and the security agencies who had been making to fully restore international cricket in Pakistan.”

    “The ICC has done nothing in these cases,” the official added. “Furthermore since the Indian lobby is strong at the ICC, so it will not be easy for the PCB to win any case of compensation against New Zealand.”

    “There isn’t much hope that England will tour now,” said the official.

    On Friday, the New Zealand cricket team had backed out of its tour of Pakistan over security concerns minutes before the first match was scheduled to start at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.