Tag: #PSL

  • Multan Sultans clarify ownership status

    Multan Sultans has officially announced that the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) franchise is no longer owned by Ali Khan Tareen and Alamgir Tareen is now the sole owner of the #JanoobKiPehchaan.

    Read more – ‘Sorry Lala’: Haris Rauf apologises to Afridi for dismissing him

    “Pursuant to an agreement between the co-owners, the franchise has started it’s HBL PSL6 journey under the sole management of Mr Alamgir Tareen,” read an official statement issued by the team. “Internal process for the transferring of the ownership rights has already begun and all formalities shall be concluded soon.”

    “The Multan Sultans franchise appreciates the contributions made by Mr Ali Tareen during the last two seasons and the franchise will no doubt continue to benefit from his support,” it continued.

    “Meanwhile, Mr Ali Tareen intends to increase his focus on grassroots cricket development projects and the domestic cricket structure in particular in South Punjab,” added the statement.

    Earlier, journalist Umar Farooq Kalson had stated: “The Multan Sultans ownership consortium has been broken. Alamgir Tareen has taken over complete ownership of the franchise, with Ali Tareen no longer with the franchise in any capacity.”

    Another senior journalist Faizan Lakhani had shared the news and said: “Ali Tareen will now shift focus to Southern Punjab region.”

    The franchise came into existence in 2018 and since then, the side’s ownership was partnered by Ali-Alamgir and a few authoritative persons.

  • PSL ka groove

    PSL ka groove

    Pakistan Super League (PSL) is back with its sixth season, which promises to be another exciting one. From February 20 to March 22, Karachi and Lahore will be hosting the latest edition of PSL 2021. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has allowed 20 per cent audience to attend the PSL matches. The opening ceremony of PSL was a star-studded event, which was reportedly recorded in Turkey. Naseebo Lal and Atif Aslam performed along with rapper Imran Khan and Humaima Malik as well as Aima Baig and Young Stunners.

    Yesterday’s match at the Karachi’s National Stadium between Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings was quite one-sided given Gladiator’s performance. Karachi Kings’ bowling restricted them to just 121 runs and the Kings had an easy win.

    Lahore Qalandars have defeated Peshawar Zalmi with four wickets in hand. Two-time champions Islamabad United will play Multan Sultans later this evening. The viewership last year was around 120 million worldwide. This is no small feat given how big and established other cricketing leagues are, like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Big Bash, CPL, etc. The first four seasons of PSL took place mostly in the UAE given the security situation at home and the reluctance of foreign players to play in Pakistan. It is good to see that given the security arrangements made in the last few years, foreign players’ confidence has been restored.

    Credit must be given to former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi for making PSL materialise in the first place. Sethi’s efforts led to the league taking off in such a big way. The new management has done well to continue the tradition with zeal. All the teams look super fine on paper and we will surely get to see some remarkable performances in the 34-match extravaganza. Some amazing talent has come out and also been groomed due to playing in the PSL. May the best team clinch the cup!

  • PSL 6 kicks off with a star studded opening ceremony

    The opening ceremony of PSL season 6 was held in National Stadium Karachi, which was reportedly recorded in Istanbul. The ceremony started with the National Anthem followed by performances from Atif Aslam, rapper Imran Khan and Humaima Malik alongside the PSL 2021 anthem stars — Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig, and Young Stunners.

    It was Atif Aslam’s debut performance in an opening ceremony of PSL.

    Addressing the opening ceremony PCB’s chairman Ehsan Mani said, “This year’s PSL is being played in only Karachi and Lahore and due to coronavirus 7,500 people will be able to [attend matches in] Karachi and 5,500 in Lahore,” He also thanked the fans for making PSL Pakistan’s “biggest brand”.

    Here’s how Pakistani Twitter reacted to the opening ceremony :

    https://twitter.com/iawais5/status/1363132729777414144

    After the opening ceremony, the first match of the tournament was played between the defending champions Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators, which was won by Karachi Kings by seven wickets.

  • Quetta Gladiators’ Ben Cutting and PSL presenter Erin Holland tie the knot

    Quetta Gladiators’ Ben Cutting and PSL presenter Erin Holland tie the knot

    Days before the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) is set to commence, Quetta Gladiators’ Ben Cutting has tied the knot with PSL presenter and former Miss World Australia Erin Holland.

    The couple announced the news on social media, sharing beautiful pictures of their beachside wedding.

    “Official Wifey,” wrote Cutting in the caption.

    Quetta Gladiators also congratulated the couple, saying: “Wishing you two a lifetime of love and happiness! Congratulations Mr and Mrs Ben Cutting.”

    The all-rounder and his girlfriend, had announced their engagement two years ago. The couple’s wedding had to be postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Holland also posted pictures of her big day on her Instagram. 

    The ceremony was followed by a reception in evening.

    Check out more pictures from the celebrations below:

    The wedding venue

  • ‘This bashing has to stop,’ says Mehwish Hayat after ‘Groove Mera’ receives criticism

    Mehwish Hayat, Gohar Rasheed and Fatima Bhutto among others have stepped in to defend the official anthem of the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Groove Mera after it received criticism on social media. This year’s anthem, released on Saturday, features Aima Baig, Naseebo Lal and Young Stunners.

    “I don’t know what the fuss is about?,” wrote Mehwish on Twitter. “I loved the new PSL anthem 2021. It was bold and fresh.”

    “This is what stifles creativity in our country, we always want more of the same and not prepared to accept anything different,” continued the actor. “This bashing has to stop. We need a diversity of voices and ideas.”

    Similarly, Rasheed questioned: “Why do we always have to bash PSL anthem? Has it become a ritual?”

    “Groove Mera has a nice stadium anthem vibe to it,” said the actor, adding: “Remember putting up a show in these times is not easy. So let’s show some respect and support, because the world is watching us.”

    Meesha Shafi also lauded the anthem, referring to Naseebo Lal as “Queen”.

    Other noted personalities including Wasim Akram, Fatima Bhutto and Maria Memon also tweeted in support of the anthem.

    Bhutto said she loved Naseebo Lal in the anthem, while Akram reminded everyone that Groove Mera is just a song.

    Meanwhile, the song has more than 2.5 million hits and is trending at number one on YouTube Pakistan.

  • PSL 2021: Interesting picks and drops

    The Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams on Sunday confirmed their line-ups for the sixth edition of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) marquee event, which will be held in Karachi and Lahore from February 20 to March 22.

    According to a press release issued on PSL’s website, in the Platinum Category, all-rounder Hasan Ali, who played the first five seasons for Peshawar Zalmi, was picked up by Islamabad United as a wildcard pick, Australia’s Chris Lynn moved from Lahore Qalandars to Multan Sultans, world’s number one T20I bowler Rashid Khan of Afghanistan was scooped by Lahore Qalandars, Quetta Gladiators went strong and snapped up England’s explosive Tom Banton and Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, while David Miller was snapped by Peshawar Zalmi as the left-hander is now set to become the latest South African to make his PSL debut.

    In the Diamond Category, Karachi Kings opted for two all-rounders – world-ranked Mohammad Nabi and Dan Christian of Australia; Peshawar Zalmi strengthened their side by snapping up T20I bowler Mujeeb Ur Rehman of Afghanistan and then added Guyana’s all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford to their roster, while Islamabad United picked up Somerset all-rounder Lewis Gregory.

    In the Gold Category, Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings picked Samit Patel and Chadwick Walton, respectively, Peshawar Zalmi took Amad Butt, Usman Shinwari was relocated from Qalandars to Gladiators, while Islamabad United picked Phil Salt.

    In the Silver Category, Islamabad United picked Iftikhar Ahmad, Reece Topley and Rohail Nazir; Karachi Kings opted for Danish Aziz, Joe Clarke, Mohammad Ilyas and Zeeshan Malik; Lahore Qalandars snapped up Mohammad Faizan, Tom Abell, Salman Ali Agha and Zeeshan Ashraf; Multan Sultans selected Adam Lyth, Mohammad Rizwan, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohaibullah and Sohail Khan; Peshawar Zalmi went for Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Saqib Mahmood and Umaid Asif, while Quetta Gladiators strengthened their side with Abdul Nasir, Cameron Delport and Qais Ahmed.

    Final squads (in alphabetical order):

    Islamabad United – Ahmed Saifi Abdullah (emerging); Alex Hales (Platinum; traded from Karachi Kings); Akif Javed (supplementary); Asif Ali (gold); Chris Jordon (supplementary); Colin Munro (diamond); Faheem Ashraf (diamond); Iftikhar Ahmed (silver); Hasan Ali (platinum), Hussain Talat (gold, brand ambassador); Lewis Gregory (diamond); Mohammad Wasim Jnr (emerging); Musa Khan (silver, successful relegation request); Phil Salt (gold); Rohail Nazir, Reece Topley (both silver); Shadab Khan (platinum); Zafar Gohar (silver, successful relegation request)

    Karachi Kings – Amir Yamin (gold); Arshad Iqbal (emerging); Babar Azam (platinum); Colin Ingram (platinum, traded from Islamabad United); Chadwick Walton (gold); Dan Christian (diamond); Danish Aziz (silver); Imad Wasim (diamond, successful relation request); Joe Clarke (silver); Mohammad Amir (platinum); Mohammad Nabi (diamond); Mohammad Ilyas (silver); Noor Ahmed (supplementary); Sharjeel Khan (gold), Qasim Akram (emerging); Waqas Maqsood (silver, brand ambassador); Zeeshan Malik (silver)

    Lahore Qalandars – Ahmed Danyal (supplementary); Ben Dunk (gold); David Wiese (diamond); Dilbar Hussain (gold); Fakhar Zaman (diamond, brand ambassador); Haris Rauf (diamond); Maaz Khan (emerging); Mohammad Faizan (silver); Mohammad Hafeez (platinum); Joe Denly (supplementary); Rashid Khan (platinum); Samit Patel (gold); Shaheen Shah Afridi (platinum); Sohail Akhtar (silver, successful relegation request); Tom Abell, Salman Ali Agha (both silver); Zaid Alam (emerging); Zeeshan Ashraf (silver)

    Multan Sultans – Adam Lyth (silver); Carlos Brathwaite (supplementary); Chris Lynn; Shahid Afridi (both platinum); Imran Tahir (diamond, mentor); Imran Khan Snr (supplementary); James Vince (gold); Khushdil Shah (diamond); Mohammad Rizwan (silver); Mohammad Umar (emerging); Rilee Rossouw (platinum); Shahnawaz Dhani (emerging), Shan Masood (gold, successful relegation request); Sohaib Maqsood, Sohaibullah; Sohail Khan (all silver); Sohail Tanvir (Diamond, brand ambassador); Usman Qadir (gold)

    Peshawar Zalmi – Abrar Ahmed (emerging); Amad Butt (gold); David Miller (platinum); Haider Ali (gold); Imam-ul-Haq (silver); Kamran Akmal (diamond, successful relegation request); Liam Livingstone (gold); Mohammad Amir Khan (supplementary); Mohammad Irfan Snr; Mohammad Imran; Mohammad Imran Randhawa (all silver); Mujeeb Ur Rehman (diamond); Ravi Bopara (supplementary); Saqib Mahmood (silver); Sherfane Rutherford (diamond); Shoaib Malik (platinum); Umaid Asif (silver); Wahab Riaz (platinum)

    Quetta Gladiators (retained) – Abdul Nasir (silver); Anwar Ali (silver, successful relegation request); Arish Ali Khan (emerging); Azam Khan (gold); Ben Cutting (diamond); Cameron Delport (silver); Chris Gayle (platinum); Dale Steyn (supplementary); Mohammad Hasnain (diamond); Mohammad Nawaz (diamond); Naseem Shah (gold); Qais Ahmed (silver); Saim Ayub (emerging) Sarfaraz Ahmed; Tom Bantan (both platinum); Usman Khan (supplementary); Usman Shinwari (gold) and Zahid Mahmood (silver, brand ambassador)

    Meanwhile, it is pertinent to mention that big names including Ahmad Shahzad, Junaid Khan and Hammad Azam have been left out of the tournament. Even the youngster, Kamran Ghulam was not picked despite his exceptional performance in domestic cricket.

    As per the PSL 6 schedule, the tournament will be fully hosted in Pakistan. Teams will play each other twice in the league format before the top four teams qualify for the playoffs. The tournament will be played between February and March 2021. This is the second time that all matches are scheduled to be played in Pakistan including the 3 playoffs and the final match. The 30-day 34-match tournament will culminate with the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 22 March, marking the first time the venue will stage the final since 2017.

  • Australian cricket legend and PSL champ Dean Jones passes away in Mumbai

    Australian cricket legend and Pakistan Super League (PSL) champ Dean Jones passed away from a heart attack on Thursday.

    Jones, 59, was in India for the coverage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the time of his demise. 

    He was a two-time winner of the PSL with Islamabad United in 2016 and 2018. The last position he held in the league was the head coach of Karachi Kings in PSL 2020.

    He was looking forward to visiting Pakistan for the remainder of the PSL 2020 and even said that all of his side’s foreign players were ready to do the same.

    Jones played 52 Tests and 164 ODIs for Australia in a career that began in 1984 (coincidentally against Pakistan) and ended in 1994.  

    He averaged 44.61 in ODIs – a number unheard of in those times, and is widely thought of as one of Australia’s greatest batsmen in the 50-over format.

    In 2019, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

  • Shoaib Akhtar says Fakhar Zaman ‘does not have a brain’

    Shoaib Akhtar says Fakhar Zaman ‘does not have a brain’

    Former Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar has slammed Fakhar Zaman for being “reckless and not putting his hand up while performing for his side in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL)”.

    Akhtar’s remarks came after Zaman, who is playing for Lahore Qalandars, struggled to hit any form in the competition. The left-hander had scored 76 runs in four games, with an average of 24.66 and a strike-rate of 125.42 in the first three matches with 74 runs.

    “The person who doesn’t have a brain is Fakhar Zaman. When you have one player [Chris Lynn] who is already playing fast, then Fakhar needs to understand that he can slow down a bit,” Akhtar said in a YouTube video as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.

    “Chris Lynn is not some Viv Richards. Lynn plays well where there is equal bounce like Australia. He is good aggressive player, but you need just one aggressive player like that.

    “Qalandars batting line-up is made up of similar kind of batsmen who just believes in senseless hitting. You can play aggressively and take chances in the powerplay, but in the next 14 overs you need to know how to anchor the innings, take quick singles and then finish well.”

    Shoaib Akhtar, who never minces his words, has been critical of Zaman earlier too. When Pakistan lost to India in the World Cup clash last year, he questioned his technique and the way Zaman reacted to pressure.

    Qalandars will tonight be playing two-time champions of the PSL, Islamabad United, for the second time in the ongoing tournament.

  • Sammy says no one can come between him and his ‘baby’

    Sammy says no one can come between him and his ‘baby’

    Peshawar Zalmi captain Daren Sammy has slammed rumours that implied that he has developed differences with the team owner Javed Afridi after he was rested for Monday’s game against Karachi Kings. Sammy asserted that no one can come between him and his ‘baby’.

    Rumours of differences began to emerge after Sammy posted a cryptic tweet after he was rested for the game. Wahab Riaz captained the team in Sammy’s absence.

    Following Sammy’s tweet, reports emerged that Sammy was upset with the decision to rest him. Zalmi had replaced Sammy with Carlos Brathwaite. The decision was allegedly taken after Sammy’s struggled for form and fitness because of which Zalmi have descended to the fifth position on the PSL 2020 points table.

    The decision to replace Sammy, however, did not work as well as the management expected. Brathwaite managed to score only 8 runs and Peshawar lost the match.

    Shoaib Akhtar, on the other hand, claimed that Sammy had a falling out with Afridi. Shoaib extended his support towards Sammy whom he termed a hero. Akhtar also commented that Shahid Afridi was also once part of the team.

    However, last week, Sammy and Afridi were spotted cruising on the streets of Islamabad.

    Later in the day (Tuesday), Zalmi head coach Mohammad Akram also held a media talk in Rawalpindi in which he refuted the resports and revealed that it was his decision to rest Sammy against Karachi, adding that Sammy, too, was in agreement that he needed rest.

    The head coach explained that resting players is nothing new, also saying that Sammy was given a break to “work on his form and fitness”.

    Meanwhile, Sammy has become the first international cricket player to receive the highest civilian award and honorary citizenship of Pakistan for his contribution to the development of cricket in the country.

    President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi will confer both the citizenship and award, the ‘Nishane Pakistan’, on March 23.

  • Grant Elliott is having a blast in Pakistan and here is proof

    Grant Elliott is having a blast in Pakistan and here is proof

    Former New Zealand cricketer, Grant Elliott, who made PSL history with his iconic bat drop during the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2017 may not be making any sixes on the field for Lahore Qalandars this year but he’s definitely winning the Dubsmash game and is having a blast in Pakistan with his fellow commentators Azhar Ali and Fakhre Alam.

    Watch the video to see what we’re talking about.

    In case your memory needs a refresher, here is his epic bat drop moment.

    Earlier, he had also posted a picture of himself after getting a haircut at Karachi’s renowned hair salon for men Clippers.