Pakistan’s newly-appointed bowling Coach Shaun Tait is set to arrive in Pakistan on March 9. His first assignment will be Pakistan’s home series against Australia. Tait will join the Pakistani squad after a three-day mandatory isolation period.
Shaun Tait is a former Australian professional cricketer. He is considered one of the fastest bowlers in the world.
He has been appointed by The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the bowling coach for the national squad for a one year period.
Tait is very excited that he is the new bowling coach and says that Pakistan has several great fast bowlers and it’s a big responsibility to be a bowling coach for Pakistan. In a video statement, Tait said, “Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Hassan Ali and Mohammad Abbas, are some of the names of the great bowlers in Pakistan and I am passionate to work with them,” he said.
He further said that he can’t wait anymore to “avail the opportunity to work with the Pakistan team.”
Tait’s father passed away last month, due to which his arrival to Pakistan was delayed.
Former Pakistani Pacer Shoaib Akhtar has reportedly initiated a life-changing career opportunity for 20 of Pakistan’s most outstanding football players. The initiative is led by the Global Soccer Ventures (GSV) in collaboration with Jawan Sports Drive.
With GSV, Akhtar will also play a pivotal role in shaping the future of football in Pakistan. GSV is heavily investing in the trials in Pakistan, giving the first UEFA scouting examination on a national level in Pakistan to identify talent in 10 cities across 11 sites, with the goal of offering life-changing professions through professional football contracts in Ireland.
Under St Patrick’s Football Club’s development programme, the visit also includes four masterclasses in major cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta, and Lahore to enhance local football coaching expertise to European levels.
At least 15-25 coaches have been shortlisted based on merit to attend masterclasses to improve their skills as a trainer with the aim of becoming certified trainers who would train other trainers.
Talking about the initiative, the chairman of GSV Yasir Mahmood said: “Football is here to stay for the right reasons to develop and provide an opportunity for Pakistani players. With Akhtar as an iconic cricket legend well regarded around the world will help play a transitional role in making football become on top of the minds of our nation.”
Meanwhile, CEO of GSV Zabe Khan said: “The only lifeline a player has and that is to play. Pakistan has seen nothing but football being swiped off its so-called grassroots.”
“I welcome Shoaib Akhtar standing shoulder to shoulder with GSV offering a new hope for Pakistan’s next-generation football players,” he added.
British Deputy High Commissioner Allison Blackburne said: “Football is not just a sport, for many in the UK it’s a way of life, and it would be great to see it become more popular in sport-loving Pakistan.
He further said: “I’m delighted that talented young players here in Pakistan will have this opportunity provided by GSV to learn from some of the best UEFA coaches through St Patrick’s Athletic Football Club.”
On the other hand, Belgian UEFA licensed coach Karel Freaye said: “Football is for everyone and I am looking for talent with the potential to develop and grow into professional players in Europe.
With the trial registrations rising by the hour, he said that he is excited to see what football technical excellence Pakistan has to offer.
On the other hand, SAPM on Youth Affairs and Chairman Kamyab Jawan Program Usman Dar said: “The revival of sports is the top priority of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Government. I welcome GSV in their efforts for reviving football in Pakistan.
“PM’s Kamyab Jawan Programme together with GSV will ensure that through football talent hunt we will produce the next football Kamyab Jawan heroes who will represent Pakistan nationally and internationally,” he expressed.
President of St. Patrick’s Football Club Garret Kelleher expressed: “It is simply wonderful that the resources are now being put in place in Pakistan to allow football inspiring those with a passion for the game to fulfil their dreams and aspirations just like Shoaib Akhtar has in the world of cricket representing Pakistan at the highest level.”
Talking about the sports, CEO of Itel Zeeshan Yousuf said: “What excites me the most about this legacy project of GSV is the prospect of changing lives of 20 successful kids who will be on a life-changing journey to Europe.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be giving cash incentives to 15 Pakistani cricket players in recognition of their outstanding performance throughout 2021.
Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja is expected to present the cash prize of Rs1.5 million to each of the top 15 players who remained an integral part of the unit in all three formats of the game.
Two Test specialists Abid Ali and Sajjid Khan have also been invited apart from 18 players (three reserves) for their exceptional show in the longer version of the game.
“The reception to honour the top cricketers is meant to recognise the services of all those cricketers who have helped the team stand tall in almost all the formats of the game,” a PCB official said in a statement.
“Barring some brief hiccups, the team members have given exceptional performance throughout the year. Be it T20 World Cup performance, Test matches performance at home and abroad, the team has shown exceptional courage in all the departments of the game.”
“Beating South Africa at their own soil and later sweeping through Bangladesh in their own backyard were exceptional achievements that needed to be recognised,” the PCB official said.
Pakistan won 20 of 29 T20Is during the year which also saw them putting up some resolute show in the T20 World Cup. The team that was unbeaten eventually lost to Australia in the semi-finals but not before winning many hearts for the competitive element that was on display.
The reception which will only be attended by the PCB high-ups is supposed to improve morale of the team members in front of the hectic season that also incorporates some important series and T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in October/November.
Pakistan may also host leading international outfits including Australia, England, New Zealand, and West Indies through the coming season.
Every player in the 15-man squad would receive Rs1.5 million each as cash incentive while the rest of the five including three reserves and two Test specialists will also be awarded.
Famed pop-singers Atif Aslam and Aima Baig will be singing this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) anthem which has been produced and composed by budding artist Abdullah Siddiqui. The anthem will be released during an event next week.
It is pertinent to mention that it will be the first time that Atif will be singing the PSL’s main song, while Aima already featured in last year’s “Groove Mera”.
As per Abdullah, “the song’s premise is encouraging and motivational, with words and music intended at elevating the spirits of fans.”
Atif is one of the most popular Pakistani singers, who has recorded numerous chart-topping songs for local as well as the international film industry. In 2008, the singer was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz from the Government of Pakistan, while also receiving over 50 different awards from within and outside Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Baig is one of the most popular female singers in the country and she has a number of hits released over the years. Baig has won several awards both locally and Internationally.
Speaking about the event, Abdullah said: “Getting to produce this anthem is a dream for any musician, and I’m very honoured and thankful to the PCB for the opportunity this year.”
“Both Atif Aslam and Aima Baig are undeniably the best and working with them has been a privilege. I’m very excited for fans to hear what we have come up with,” he added.
The producer further said: “We have tried to produce a song that captures the spirit of the game in a meaningful way, while still being very fun and catchy.”
Ali paints the familiar motifs of flowers and kohl-rimmed eyes over the shoes. His craft is unique. Ali explained how he began his journey as a shoe artist. He takes plain Nike shoes and paints them over with authentic truck art designs.
The painting shows the various wonders of Pakistan’s vibrant cultural landscape.
His craft was widely appreciated on social media.
His name is Haider ali you can contact him i am attaching his contact card as well pic.twitter.com/UnKKu07BX3
Ali previously made headlines after he honoured George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement with a stunning mural in June 2020. “Hum kaaley hain tou kia hua, dil waley hain (So what if we’re dark-skinned? We’ve got big hearts),” reads the mural. It also features another saying that goes, “Goron ki na kaalon ki, Dunya dil walon ki’ (This world belongs neither to whites or blacks, only for those with big hearts).”
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has shared a list of numbers of Pakistanis working abroad on his official Twitter account.
In a tweet, Fawad said, “Despite Covid-19, 1.1 million Pakistanis have got jobs abroad in three years. In the next two years, the government hopes that two million people will go abroad.”
The list shows that most of the Pakistanis work in the Middle East and the United Kingdom (UK).
کرونا کے باوجود تین سال میں گیارہ لاکھ لوگوں کو تو صرف بیرون ملک نوکری ملی ہے، اگلے دو سالوں میں پوری امید ہے بیس لاکھ لوگ بیرون ملک جائیں گے، ان کی تفصیل اسطرح ہے pic.twitter.com/Fm7JQb9os1
A day earlier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that all overseas Pakistanis will be voting for the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He claimed that 40 of Punjab’s and 80 constituencies of the country will be decided by overseas voters.
Atif Mehmood, a Pakistani salesman based in Dubai, saved a pregnant cat stuck on the second-floor balcony of a residential building in Deira, the commercial hub of Dubai.
Atif, along with a Moroccan and an Indian man, spread a bedsheet and caught the cat after it jumped from the second floor.
The video shows the three men holding up the bedsheet for the cat, who initially hesitates, but then jumps into it and is saved.
Viewed over 1.1 million times, the video caught the eye of the ruler of Dubai who took to Twitter and asked people to help identify the “unsung heroes” so he could thank them.
Proud and happy to see such acts of kindness in our beautiful city. Whoever identifies these unsung heroes, please help us thank them. pic.twitter.com/SvSBmM7Oxe
“I got a call from the police and someone asked me, ‘Did you save a cat?’,” Mehmood toldArab News. “I got scared and said yes, I did, and then they asked me to visit the police station.”
He said he entered the police station to cheers and applause. Three days later, he was told he had been awarded AED50,000 (Rs 2,172,833) by the Dubai government.
“I did not believe it at first,” he said, “but it has become a reality.”
Mehmood, who is single, has already spent most of the reward money to buy a car for his father and help out his brother. He now plans to use the rest of the cash to try to set up a business in Dubai
A Twitter user named Ghazi Taimoor has won the hearts of many people with a detailed story of how he found and returned the wallet of a man named Rahul. Ghazi Taimoor, who describes himself on Twitter as the Head of Professional Education at the Lahore University of Management Sciences School of Education, found the wallet on Shoreditch High street.
“Guys! Just found this wallet on Shoreditch High street,” he wrote on Twitter, sharing a picture of the wallet. “Name on the bank card suggests the wallet belongs to a Rahul R******. Time to HUNT RAHUL DOWN,” he added.
Thought as I’m walking towards Rahul: Does he know the universe has conspired us to meet? Will he accept this gesture of friendship? Is Rahul a feminist?
Ghazi received a lot of love on his thread and he took to Twitter to thank people for all the love. “I’m slightly teary-eyed as I type this, but I’m GRATEFUL for so much kindness & love I’ve received from strangers in this past one day. Thank you.”
“It’s been a terribly tough year for us all and it’s little acts of kindness that make this world a better place to live in,” he added.
I’m slightly teary-eyed as I type this, but I’m GRATEFUL for so much kindness & love I’ve received from strangers in this past one day. Thank you
It’s been a terribly tough year for us all and it’s little acts of kindness that make this world a better place to live in ❤️
A Pakistani, Haroon Qureshi, who arrived in Japan as a student some 30 years ago, is reaching out to those living on the margins of society.
According to a report published in Mainichi, the national daily of Japan, Qureshi, a businessman from Pakistan, helps the homeless and those foreigners who have been detained by immigration authorities after failing to get refugee status.
He is also involved in the running of a mosque in Tokyo, Otsuka Masjid.
According to the Japanese daily, Qureshi’s efforts started just when he arrived in Tokyo to study computer programming in 1991. He began distributing food to the homeless in his neighbourhood in the capital’s Kita Ward.
“Now, three decades on, he has enlisted Japanese university students in his goodwill endeavours, seeing their involvement as a vital part of raising society’s awareness of the plight of the less fortunate,” it said.
The 55-year-old Qureishi said he believed there was a lack of understanding in Japan of why people ended up on the streets. He thinks the public’s attitude to the homeless is “cold.”
“The reality is that many times the homeless suffer from mental health issues and cannot fit into society,” the daily quoted him as saying.
So far, Qureshi had asked for students from Tokyo-based Keio and Tokyo universities to volunteer in his activities, which included serving meals to the needy.
In collaboration with Tenohasi in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro area, students and volunteers from the mosque recently helped in providing food to over 360 people.
“Today I witnessed a stark difference between normal people who were walking on the streets all dressed up, and those who had come to get food here,” the daily quoted Satoru Soejima, 18, who is studying Arabic at Keio University, as saying.
Qureshi, meanwhile, also leads another project called Food Bank to help the students themselves, some of whom have gone hungry after losing part-time work because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A soft-spoken man, he has also been helping those detained after their failed asylum bids since around 2000.
In one month, Qureshi received around 30 letters on average seeking help from detainees, mostly from countries in Africa or elsewhere in Asia.
“We may have different religions, colour or race. But I request everyone to try and feel the pain of other members of this huge (human) family, and do what they can,” he urged.
In recognition of his services the Pakistan Embassy in Japan awarded him with a letter of appreciation.
Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad invited three extraordinary Pakistanis living in Japan for their social work that has also been highlighted in the Japanese media, including Qureshi.
According to the embassy, Qureshi was appreciated for his services that include providing food for the needy, financial help for the destitute and homeless, running an Islamic school and managing a graveyard for the Muslims.
The ambassador appreciated Qureshi’s work while stating that it has contributed positively to Pakistan and Pakistanis’ image living in Japan.
Qureshi thanked the Ambassador for the appreciation and vowed to continue and expand his humanitarian work, the embassy said.
“Koi aisay stupid actors ka moo band karwado yaar,” said Rabia while addressing Iman’s statement on her Instagram stories.
She further said: “Every other day some new level stupidity. Iman Aly now thinks ‘Khusra’ is okay to use as a demeaning word and these people are paid to be in these shows.”
Iman in her recentinterviewwith Vasay Chaudhary opened up about the insecurities she has about her physical appearance.
“A lot of people tell me I’m beautiful, but when I look at myself in the mirror, I think all these people are lying,” said Iman.
“When people tell me you like your face and you just lie in front of us, it’s not so,” she added.
She continued “I don’t even take pictures because of my face because I don’t like any picture and that’s why I post very few pictures of myself on social media.”
The actress referred herself as a transgender, which lead Rabia to criticize Iman for using the term of transgender with a derogatory connotation.
