Tag: PAKvBAN

  • ‘Mind your own business, meri coach mat bano’: Sarfaraz Ahmed under fire for mansplaining wife Khushbakht

    ‘Mind your own business, meri coach mat bano’: Sarfaraz Ahmed under fire for mansplaining wife Khushbakht

    Pakistan’s former test cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and his wife Khushbakht recently appeared on Nida Yasir’s Sehri show on ARY Digital, the duo shared that they don’t talk about cricket after an unforgettable moment happened between them before their marriage. 

    Cricketer Sarfaraz Ahmed Makes It To Nida Yasir Show With Family [In Pictures] - Lens

    The couple shared why they avoid talking about cricket. 

    “It was my first Test tour to South Africa in 2013 and we just got hitched,” Sarfaraz recalled. 

    “As you know, South African bouncy conditions are always tricky for us, so I failed to score runs there.

    “I was already disturbed with my performance and then Khushbakht asked me to focus on my performance. It irritated me a bit and I immediately told her to mind her own business,” he disclosed. 

    “Mera coach banne ki zaroorat nahi hai, mere pas already coaches hain [Don’t try to be my coach, I already have my coaches],” Sarfaraz was quoted saying to his wife on phone.

    Intervening into the conversation, Khushbakht said; “Thereafter, we didn’t talk about cricket ever.”

    This statement of Sarfaraz has gained polarising response from netizens.

    Sarfaraz and Khushbakht tied the knot in 2015. The couple have two children named, Abdullah and Ayesha. 

    Sarfaraz also mentioned that he gets very angry when any of his equipment gets misplaced.

    Recently he appreciated actress Hania Aamir for her performance in blockbuster drama serial, Ishqiya costarring Feroze Khan.

    Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Hania Amir Official - How was the today episode of drama #Ishqiya | Facebook

    In a recent interview in which the Pakistani athletes had to comment on local celebrities, Sarfraz stated that the Anaa star impressed him with her performance in the romantic drama.

    The former captain also penned a dialogue from the hit drama Parizaad starring Ahmed Ali Akbar on his Instagram stories.

  • Pakistan beats Bangladesh in first Test with a convincing win

    Pakistan beats Bangladesh in first Test with a convincing win

    Pakistan has beaten Bangladesh in the first Test match of the two-match series by 8 wickets in Chittagong on Tuesday.

    Courtesy of openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique, the Pakistan opening pair formed a 151-run opening stand before Shafique was dismissed on 73. Meanwhile, Abid Ali fell short of his fourth Test century by 9 runs as Taijul Islam caught the Pakistan batter in front of the wickets.

    The openers capitalised on their century partnership and took it further to 151 runs before Abdullah was dismissed by Mehidy Hasan.

    Earlier, resuming Day 4 at 39/4, overnight batter Mushfiqur Rahim (16) was bowled by pacer Hassan Ali and the hosts lost their fifth wicket with the lead still being under 100. Yasir Ali had to retire, hurt after playing a knock of 36 and this brought Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan together at the crease.

    Shaheen Shah Afridi went on to take five wickets as Bangladesh was bowled out for 157, setting a 202-run target for the visitors.

    Meanwhile, leading the way to the win, Babar Azam and Azhar Ali sealed the deal for the side with a winning partnership and with back-to-back boundaries, Pakistan takes a 1-0 lead.

    Pakistan stands on 24 points on the points table of the ICC World Test Championship.

    Abid Ali bagged the Player of the Match award after his prolific innings against the hosts in Chittagong.

    Meanwhile, in the post-match ceremony, skipper Babar Azam said: “The way Bangladesh played in the first innings that was really good but Shaheen and Hassan were outstanding. That’s the beauty of Test cricket that it allows you to make a comeback. We didn’t have much time to prepare for the Test but we gave our best. I am really pleased with the way Abdullah Shafique built his innings. Abid Ali was outstanding, scoring tough runs to pull the team out from difficult position.”

  • Pakistan’s bowling consultant Philander to leave amid Omicron fears

    Pakistan’s bowling consultant Philander to leave amid Omicron fears

    Pakistan cricket team’s bowling consultant, South African Vernon Philander is set to leave the Pakistan team midway through the on-going Test against Bangladesh after suspension of flight operations in South Africa amid the spread of new coronavirus variant, Omicron.

    According to reports, Philander will leave Bangladesh for South Africa between Monday and Tuesday night.

    It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan team is currently playing a two-match Test series against Bangladesh and initially Vernon Philander was scheduled to leave Dhaka for Cape Town on December 1 after the first Test.

    However, due to the suspension of flight operations in South Africa amid the spread of the new variant, he will be separated from the Pakistani squad today.

    It may be recalled that in view of the spread of coronavirus variant, Omicron, Pakistan imposed travel bans on six African countries, including South Africa.

    The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and the European Union have also imposed travel bans on African countries over the threat of a new Corona variant.

    Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Liton Das digged in and helped the side to take the lead of 159 runs before lunch. Both teams are trying to win the first Test. Pakistan needs four wickets, while Bangladesh is trying to set a bigger total to defeat the visitors.

  • Hassan Ali equals Waqar Younis, Imran Khan’s record in Bangladesh Test

    Hassan Ali equals Waqar Younis, Imran Khan’s record in Bangladesh Test

    Pakistani speedster Hassan Ali has equalled former pacer Waqar Younis and former captain Imran Khan’s record for most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by a Pakistani fast pitcher in a calendar year.

    The right-arm fast bowler was unable to impress his fans with his performance at the T20 World Cup but he bounced back at the T20I series against Bangladesh in the first T20I of the three-match series. Now, the pacer has proved himself once again with a 5-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the first innings of the first Test match at Chittagong.

    Hassan was the architect of Bangladesh’s lower-order batting collapse on Saturday as he took quick wickets to ensure a dangerous Bangladesh were restricted to 330 runs in their first innings.

    With figures of 5/51, Ali not only managed to be the pick of the Pakistani bowlers during Bangladesh’s first innings but also entered the record books alongside some of the greatest names of the game.

    Read More – Hassan Ali seals the deal for Pakistan

    With his latest five-fer, Ali has now equalled records for the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by a Pakistani fast bowler in a calendar year, set by legends Imran Khan and Waqar Younis.

    All three Imran Khan, Waqar Younis and Hassan Ali now have 5 five-fers in Test cricket to their name within a calendar year (1982, 1990 and 2021, respectively).

    Pakistan’s former fast bowler Younis holds the record for the most five-fers ever (across formats) in a calendar year by a Pakistani fast bowler, with 6 in 1993.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan scored 79 after 29 overs before tea on the second day. The national side is set for a big score with this partnership built by Asad Shafique and Abid Ali.

  • Hassan Ali’s hairdo is the center of attention for cricket fans

    Hassan Ali’s hairdo is the center of attention for cricket fans

    Pakistan’s pacer Hassan Ali recently got a haircut after carrying long locks in the T20 World Cup 2021.

    Read More – Hassan Ali charged for breaching ICC Code of Conduct in first T20I

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) posted two photos of him in which his transformation can be seen. “T20Is to Tests,” PCB wrote as caption.

    Hassan Ali received criticism in the T20 World Cup as he was unable to perform well in the mega event. The pacer, with a comeback performance in the first T20I match against Bangladesh, took three wickets while giving just 22 runs in his four overs and bagged Player of the Match award.

    He dedicated his Player of the Match award to the fans who supported him through thick and thin.

    “I admit that fans were expecting top-notch performance from me in the World Cup T20,” he said. “Despite my efforts, I failed to put up a decent show. Sometimes in cricket, you cannot showcase your best efforts. I was struggling a bit with no balls and that was the reason I conceded too many runs and was not taking wickets,” adding that his hard work is paying off. “I dedicate this award to the fans who stayed behind me during tough times.”

    Meanwhile, during the ongoing Test match against Bangladesh, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Ali, Sajid Khan and Faheem Ashraf took a wicket each.

    Bangladesh scored 253 for four after they had been reduced to 49 for four on day one of the first Test against Pakistan at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. The play was suspended in the latter half of the evening session because of fading light as 85 overs were bowled and the second days play will begin 11 minutes before the scheduled start to make up for the lost time.

  • Why did Bangladesh not give the T20I series trophy to Pakistan?

    Why did Bangladesh not give the T20I series trophy to Pakistan?

    Pakistan beat Bangladesh with a clean sweep in the three-match T20I series on Monday, November 22 but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not give the winning trophy to the team.

    Read More – ‘We are on the right track’: Babar Azam after Pakistan whitewashed Bangladesh in T20I series

    According to Geo Super, the Pakistan squad was left “surprised” after they did not get a trophy despite winning the series.

    However, a spokesperson of the BCB told the management of the Pakistan team that they would hand over the trophy after the conclusion of the Test series.

    The BCB further added that the head of the board was supposed to hand over the trophy to the Pakistani squad but it could not be done due to his unavailability.

    The spokesperson said that officials of the board and sponsoring companies were not part of the bio-secure bubble, therefore, the trophy awarding ceremony could not take place in line with the Covid-19 protocols.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to play a two-match Test Series starting from November 26. The Second Test match will be played during December 4-8.

  • ‘We are on the right track’: Babar Azam after Pakistan whitewashed Bangladesh in T20I series

    ‘We are on the right track’: Babar Azam after Pakistan whitewashed Bangladesh in T20I series

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam has credited his side’s inspiring teamwork for their stunning clean sweep against hosts Bangladesh in the recently ended three-match T20I series.

    Discussing his team’s prolific performance after the final fixture, the superstar batter mentioned how every member of the Pakistan side is aware of their roles. The strategy has paid dividends for them in their recent assignments, according to the skipper.

    The 27-year-old feels that a form slump is part and parcel of the game. Babar added that he intends to take positives from the series, despite his own underwhelming outings. He also recognized contributions from the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman and Khushdil Shah and lauded them for stepping up.

    Babar also assured fans that the team is on the right track. Pakistan will now shift their focus to red-ball cricket when they lock horns against Bangladesh in a two-match Test series. Azam is keen to capitalise on the momentum they are carrying. He said: “The management and I have assigned specific roles for everyone and the players have been executing their plans nicely. Everyone expects me to do well. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen this time. I always try to perform in every game, but there are always ups and downs in cricket. This teaches you that it is important to remain positive all the time. We are on the right track and will look to carry the same momentum in Test matches as well.”

    “These were the things that we were missing,” said Babar who was delighted to see fans back in the stands. The star batter stated that his Pakistan side were overjoyed to see fans slowly returning to the stadiums. He also revealed that his players enjoyed seeing the fans cheer for them. Babar applauded the middle-order for firing with the bat alongside their improved fielding and believes those are the key takeaways from the series.

    “We enjoyed a lot. The way in which the fans showed their support in all three games, these were the things that we were missing. The fans are being allowed into the stadium as things are opening up slowly and it is a wonderful thing. I am very pleased with the team’s consistency. It’s good to see how players are taking responsibility,” he added.

    The right hand-batter recently surpassed veteran batter Mohammad Hafeez to become the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in T20Is. However, Azam had a quiet series with the bat, as he could only score 27 runs from his 3 appearances.

  • Furious Shahid Afridi questions Bangladesh ‘if they want to progress’

    Furious Shahid Afridi questions Bangladesh ‘if they want to progress’

    Former captain of Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi congratulated Pakistan cricket team for winning the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh and at the same time, he furiously questioned the Bangladesh cricket team “if they want to progress”.

    Read More – Pakistan wins T20 series in Bangladesh

    Taking to Twitter, Afridi expressed his displeasure over Bangladesh’s difficult pitches, saying: “Bangladesh really need to do some soul searching, do they want to win on such pitches and give ordinary performances abroad and in World Cups?”

    “They have great talent and passion for the game but desperately need better pitches if they want to progress,” he added while giving them a piece of advice.

    Bangladesh had a poor Super 12 stage in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. They failed to win a single game and were plagued with plenty of batting and bowling issues, including the loss of Shakib Al Hasan, who was ruled out with an injury in the middle of the tournament.

    However, Bangladesh are a different beast altogether at home. They defeated Australia and New Zealand before the T20 World Cup and were hoping to get back to their winning ways in familiar conditions. But Pakistan, after a phenomenal form in the T20 World Cup, persisted their consistency, beating Bangladesh with 3-0 in the series.

    Meanwhile, former cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq and Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja also slammed Bangladesh cricket for not having enough competition for places in the side.

    Though the matches were low-scoring, Pakistan managed to clinch the series through a clean sweep and now both teams will square off in a two-match Test series, beginning on Friday in Chittagong.

  • A clean sweep, Pakistan wins a thriller against Bangladesh

    A clean sweep, Pakistan wins a thriller against Bangladesh

    Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series in Dhaka on Monday through a clean sweep. Set 125 to win, Mohammad Nawaz sealed the deal with a boundary off the final delivery at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

    Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad (3-10) claimed three wickets in the final over. Haider Ali top-scored with 45 off 38 balls. Mohammad Wasim (2-15) and Usman Qadir (2-35) earlier claimed two wickets each for Pakistan.

    Opener Mohammad Naim top-scored with 47 off 50 balls for Bangladesh while Shamim Hossain and Afif Hossain added 22 and 20 runs respectively.

    Pakistan won the first two matches by four wickets and eight wickets respectively.

    Pakistan needed 8 from three balls and suddenly, it looked like Bangladesh can pull this off. Iftikhar’s hit brought Pakistan back before Nawaz sealed it with a four off the last ball after two non-balls.

    Haider Ali was declared Player of the Match after scoring the top runs. While Mohammad Rizwan is the Player of the Series.

    “The way everyone has put in the efforts, credit goes to the players. You can always improve. Like our fielding has improved, our middle order has won games for us. Whatever mistakes we made, we want to make sure we don’t repeat them in the upcoming games. We want to carry this momentum into the Test matches. I want to thank the fans here,” said skipper Babar Azam in the post-match ceremony.

  • Shahnawaz Dahani to make his T20I debut today against Bangladesh

    Shahnawaz Dahani to make his T20I debut today against Bangladesh

    Pakistan’s young pacer Shahnawaz Dahani will be making his T20I debut on Monday (today) in the last T20I of the three-match series against Bangladesh.

    Read More – Shoaib Malik to fly for Dubai to be with ailing son Izhaan

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared a video of the pacer in which he can be seen talking to his mother about his debut match in his native language.

    The 23-year-old cricketer will be the 95th T20I player to represent the national cricket team internationally.

    People from the cricket fraternity wished the young bowler well for his debut.

    Former captain and wicket keeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmad presented the cap to the debutante before the match.

    Pakistan is set to play the last T20I of the three-match series against Bangladesh today, November 22. Pakistan is leading the series with 2-0, and today the Men In Green will be opting for a white-wash.

    The national Test side will play the Test matches in Chittagong on Tuesday for the first of the two Tests. Pakistan and Bangladesh will play two World Test Championship matches.

    The Chittagong Test will commence from November 26 and the second Test will be played in Dhaka from December 4-8.