Tag: Sarfaraz Ahmed

  • ‘Shallow-minded approach exposed,’ says Hafeez after Sarfaraz criticises him

    Mohammad Hafeez has hit back Sarfaraz Ahmed after the latter criticised him for his recent statements.

    “Shallow minded approach exposed,” wrote Hafeez on Twitter. Though he did not specify who the tweet was directed towards, it is being speculated that the tweet was for Sarfaraz who had earlier called him out for spreading negativity.

    Earlier, Sarfaraz, while responding to Hafeez’s tweet, in which he had praised Mohammad Rizwan for his performance and “wondered” how long the batsman will have to prove himself, had said: “Hafeez Bhai, whoever has played for Pakistan from Imtiaz Ahmed, Wasim Bari, Tasleem Arif to Saleem Yousuf and from Moin Khan, Rashid Latif to Kamran Akmal and even Rizwan right now has always been number one for the country and have been respected accordingly.”

    Ahmed also said that everyone is behind Rizwan and hope he plays many more innings for Pakistan.

    “Aur ayende bhee jisko bhee chance milega wo Pakistan ke liye number one hee huga (And whoever is given a chance to play would be number one for Pakistan),” said Sarfaraz, adding: “We expect nothing but positiveness coming from an international player who has played so many games for Pakistan.”

    Later, replying to Sarfaraz’s tweet, Mohammad Amir who is currently feuding with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) management said: “You are also a number one wicketkeeper-batsman in Pakistan aur aap hi captain the jab team 2 saal team No 1 rahi in T20 or sab se bar kar Champions Trophy so you are [the] pride of Pakistan (You were the Captain when the Pakistan Cricket Team was the number one T20 team).”

    Meanwhile, social media users have set the internet ablaze with supporters from both sides weighing in their arguments, opinions and comments.

    https://twitter.com/ArfaSays_/status/1360483665139097602?s=19

    https://twitter.com/BhattyHuzaima/status/1359923993097113600?s=19
    https://twitter.com/JawadMjk/status/1360441641950187520?s=19

    https://twitter.com/CricHassan/status/1360369676598063105?s=19

    https://twitter.com/ammarkhi/status/1360489901704310784?s=19

    Later, Senator Faisal Javed Khan also stepped into the conversation, saying: “Easy boys. Let’s motivate each other and be united as they say unity is strength.”

    “When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved,” he added.

    Later in a tweet, sports journalist Aliya Rasheed tweeted that PCB officials have talked to both of them and resolve their Twitter fight.

  • Moin Khan’s son, Owais ties the knot with Mariam Ansari

    Moin Khan’s son, Owais ties the knot with Mariam Ansari

    Moin Khan’s son, Owais Khan has tied the knot with actress Mariam Ansari.

    Sarfaraz Ahmed also congratulated Khan on his wedding and wished the couple well.

    Pictures of the wedding were widely circulated on social media. While it appeared to be a lowkey affair, several celebrities including Hania Aamir, Nabeela Khan, Faysal Qureshi, and Naveed Raza were spotted at the nikkah ceremony. Mariam’s brother actor Ali Ansari was also seen in several pictures.

    Mariam glowed in a tea pink ensemble while Owais looked dapper in a white sherwani.

    Sports journalist Shoaib Jatt shared the pictures of the event and said that baarat and valima ceremonies will be held in December.

    Meanwhile, taking to social media, Moin Khan welcomed his daughter-in-law to the family.

    “Welcome to the Khan family Mariam,” said Moin.

  • Sarfaraz Ahmed celebrates son’s birthday with fellow cricketers

    Sarfaraz Ahmed celebrates son’s birthday with fellow cricketers

    Imagine being four years old and having some of Pakistan’s best cricket players celebrate your birthday?

    Sarfaraz Ahmed’s son Abdullah Sarfaraz got just that as Babar Azam, Hassan Ali, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Muhammad Rizwan, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Faheem Ashraf and Azhar Ali all came to celebrate his birthday at the Movenpick Hotel in Karachi.

    Sharing pictures from the celebrations, Ahmed thanked everyone for coming and making Abdullah’s day.

    The excited father also shared a video of the celebrations on social media.

    https://twitter.com/SarfarazA_54/status/1355597546828169217?s=20
  • Sarfaraz Ahmed carrying water to the field sparks controversy

    Sarfaraz Ahmed carrying water to the field sparks controversy

    While everyone commends Pakistan’s performance in the Test series against England and celebrates Shaan Masood’s century, on the other hand, controversy also erupted after a picture of former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed bringing water to the field went viral on social media. The matter became so big that even Head Coach Misbah ul Haq had to address it in the post-match press conference.

    Several of Sarfaraz’s fans were disappointed over the incident and said that he deserved better treatment being a senior player.

    Shoaib Akhtar and Rashid Latif also expressed their outrage over the matter.

    “I didn’t like the visual. If you want to make an example out of a boy from Karachi, then it is wrong. You can’t do this to a player who has led Pakistan for four years and has won Champions Trophy for the country. You have made him carry the shoes. If he has done it himself, then stop him. Wasim Akram never brought shoes for me,” Akhtar is reported to have said.

    “This shows that Sarfaraz is such a docile and weak man. He must have lead Pakistan in the same way as he carried the shoes. That’s why Mickey Arthur always dominated him. I am not saying carrying the shoes is a problem, but former captain can’t do that,” he added.

    “Senior players like Amir and Wahab who are also sitting out, are not even in their kits. They are wearing track suits. This is not team spirit, but this greatness of Sarfaraz because he is passionate about the game. This should not have happened,” said Rashid Latif.

    However, others lauded Sarfaraz for his team spirit.

    https://twitter.com/Amermalik12/status/1291422381857218568?s=20
    https://twitter.com/eb_abraham/status/1291463798352732162?s=20

    Others shared pictures of other cricketers carrying water bottles and said that it was not a big deal.

    https://twitter.com/AliBukhariShah/status/1291497644641136643?s=20

    Misbah ul Haq while addressing the matter said: “Discussions like this can only happen in Pakistan. I also performed the duties of a 12th man, when I was captain and was sitting out in a match against Australia. There is no shame in doing that.

    He added: “Sarfaraz is a wonderful human being and player. He knows that it is a team game. When other players are practicising outside, so the player who is available has to help out. It is not a matter of disrespect. In fact, it is big of Sarfaraz that he doesn’t mind doing it. Plus, it is a sign of a good team. I don’t think it’s a big deal,” he added.

    IN PICTURES: Pakistan cricket team trains at Worcestershire

    Meanwhile, Shaan is being lauded for his outstanding performance in yesterday’s match. According to details, Masood is the first Pakistani opener to score a century in England in this century (21st century).

  • Adnan Siddiqui apologises to Sarfaraz Ahmed for ‘mocking’ him

    Adnan Siddiqui apologises to Sarfaraz Ahmed for ‘mocking’ him

    Following social media outrage and backlash, Adnan Siddiqui has now apologised to former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Sarfaraz Ahmed for ‘mocking’ him.

    Read more – Fans are furious with Adnan Siddiqui for mocking Sarfaraz Ahmed

    On the latest episode of Jeeto Pakistan, when Sarfaraz entered, Adnan said that he wanted to say something. In response, the host Fahad Mustafa joked “Pehlay in say pooch lein agar aap kuch sunana chahatay hain (First ask him [Sarfaraz] if wants to listen).”

    Sarfaraz quipped, “No, no, there is nothing to say.”

    When Adnan insisted, Fahad said, “Aap meray, Sarfaraz kay, humaray baray hain. Aap humain thappar bhi maarein gay toh humain koi faraq nahi parhay ga (You are our senior. Even if you slap us it won’t bother us).”

    “Ignore these unnecessary things,” Fahad continued. “We apologise to you that people make up such stories.”

    However, Adnan did not stop and said, “Sarfaraz, I apologise to you, your fans, your family and your friends. I swear I did not mean to do anything which would hurt him. Or his friends.”

    “Mitti pao, mitti pao,” remarked Fahad.

    Sarfaraz then quipped, “Adnan Bhai you don’t need to say anything. I am not upset at all.”

    Adnan was accused of ‘mocking’ his fellow captain Sarfaraz in an earlier episode of the game show outraging the cricketer’s fans, who took to social media to express their anger.

    Watch the video below:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_9dYRXJa6B/
  • Fans are furious with Adnan Siddiqui for mocking Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Fans are furious with Adnan Siddiqui for mocking Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Another day, another controversy.

    A week after he criticised Aamir Liaquat for being callous with his remarks, Adnan Siddiqui has found himself in hot water after a clip of him mocking former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed went viral on social media. The clip which is from an episode of Jeeto Pakistan which aired on May 4, shows Adnan ridiculing Sarfaraz’s speech as they compete with each other on the show.

    Read more – Adnan Siddiqui regrets being on Aamir Liaquat’s show

    Adnan’s actions enraged fans who took to social media to call out the actor and remind him that just a few days ago he was condemning Liaquat for being rude.

    https://twitter.com/SarmadWaqas1/status/1258286859790270466?s=20

    However, some defended the actor saying that the two were just having fun.

    https://twitter.com/SheikhAhmer5/status/1257604390644584450?s=20

    Both Sarfaraz and Adnan are team captains in the Jeeto Pakistan League. While Sarfaraz is the captain of Quetta Knights, Adnan is the captain of Lahore Falcons. Adnan, Sarfaraz nor the team of Jeeto Pakistan have responded to the controversy as yet.

    Watch the full episode below. For the interaction between Adnan and Sarfaraz, watch 1:20:00 onwards. It is pertinent to add here that Adnan’s actions sent Sarfaraz into a fit of laughter and the cricketer did not seem offended by Adnan’s actions.

  • Fahad Mustafa announces the celebrity captains for ‘Jeeto Pakistan League’

    Jeeto Pakistan host, Fahad Mustafa has unveiled the five celebrity captains for the Jeeto Pakistan League, which will take place in the month of Ramzan.

    According to his announcement, Humayun Saaed will be the captain for Karachi Lions, Sarfaraz Ahmed for Quetta Knights, Adnan Siddiqui for Lahore Falcons, Shaista Lodhi for Peshawar Stallions and Sana Javed for Islamabad Dragons.

    The year’s edition of the popular gaming show has been reinvented keeping in mind the coronavirus outbreak and calls for social distancing. PEMRA had earlier also banned TV shows from having any live audiences in their studios and has prohibited displaying cars, bikes and other appliances on the show since many people are suffering from financial issues due to the lockdown.

    Read more – PEMRA bans studio audiences for Ramazan transmissions

    According to ARY, the five teams will compete against each other live every day, just like in a cricket match. New people will play games on the show as part of different teams while maintaining social distancing and whoever makes more runs in a day will score more points.

    In the end, there will be a final play-off. Live callers will be able to call in and support their particular cities. The tagline of the show is also: ‘Ab khelega poora Pakistan!’

    The coronavirus pandemic has forced major changes in all industries across the world. Ramzan shows, in particular, have been majorly impacted by the pandemic.

  • Sarfaraz welcomes second child; Ahmad Shehzad says ‘keep going’

    Sarfaraz welcomes second child; Ahmad Shehzad says ‘keep going’

    Former Pakistan Cricket Team captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and his wife have welcomed their second child: a baby girl.

    The cricketer made the announcement on social media by sharing a picture of his son with the newborn.

    Following Sarfaraz’s announcement, friends and colleagues congratulated the cricketer on his bundle of joy.

    Among those who sent their good wishes was Ahmad Shehzad, who not only congratulated Sarfaraz but also told him to “keep going”.

    Other cricketers who sent their congratulations included Umar Gul, Hassan Ali and Shadab Khan.

  • 2019: Blunders & Pakistan Cricket

    The year 2019 has seen many questionable calls by Pakistan cricket managemnet, including several mistakes and blunders, Geo News reported,

    The departing year had the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the World Cup and a home Test series after a long drought of ten years. The year saw a plenty of action but at the same time it saw the equal amount of mistakes as well.

    The contributers of these mistakes not only included the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the cricket management, but the captain(s) — former and present — as well as the players.

    Fakhar Zaman’s presence in the team, despite poor form

    Everyone, except the cricket board selectors knew that the opener Fakhar Zaman had been out of form since the summer of 2018. Over a 26-game block before the World Cup (WC) 2019, the average score of the batsman was 29.34 runs. Despite having knowledge of the stats and clear signs that the left-handed was not performing well, the board went into the WC with just him and Imam-ul-Haq as their only two openers.

    Fakhar performed even worse and averaged even less at the tournament, with his 23.25 runs per innings often leaving Pakistan team short of a solid opening foundation which in-turn placed unwanted pressure on the middle-order to make up.

    Trusting Misbah with dual role

    Despite having much bigger and better cricketing setups, Australia, India and England had neither thought of ditching their chief selector and handing the additinoal job to their team’s head coach. But PCB still went for it.

    The move was criticised by many who considered it to be an ill-thought decision and the board weeks after former captain’s appointment itself realised that he would need a coordinator as well.

    PCB later appointed former Test spinner Nadeem Khan as the Coordinator of the National Selection Committee following a recruitment process.

    Sarfaraz Ahmed’s ill-timed replacement

    After Pakistan teams poor performance in the World Cup and failing to even qualify for the semi-finals, the cricket board brought many changes in the team after the tournament except for the captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. Replacing Sarfaraz then would have made more sense at the time but PCB flinched and missed the opportunity.

    Later in October 2019, once the time had passed, the board eventually decided to go for it. It was clear that Sarfaraz had been sacked after severe criticism from the team and the public which he received after the defeat from the hands of Sri Lankan team.

    The sacking in October was then termed unjustified and criticised by many as an ill-timed move.

    Naseem Shah’s selection for Australia tour

    The board selected fast-bowler Naseem Shah in the Pakistan squad for the first time against Australia knowing that the talented Mohammad Asif had earlier struggled alot on his debut tour of Australia. Yet, the 16-year-old pacer and the 19-year-old Muhammad Musa were picked against a stronger english side.

    Choosing Haris Sohail over in-form Fawad Alam

    PCB selected Fawad Alam for Sri Lanka Test series after his excellent performance and multiple centuries in the domestic tournament. The decision was lauded by cricket lovers but sadly, he was not picked in either of the two Test matches.

    Instead, the board retained out of form Haris Sohail, saying that he can also bowl. Sohail bowled a grand total of 10 overs over two Tests and scored a small amount of nine runs on the only occasions he got to bat.

  • Sarfaraz sacked on PM Imran’s order: report

    Sarfaraz sacked on PM Imran’s order: report

    Pakistan cricket team’s wicket-keeper batsman and former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was removed from his position on direct orders from Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Cricket Pakistan reported.

    According to the details, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wanted to retain Sarfaraz Ahmed in the same role till the T20 World Cup next year, however, Imran Khan was unhappy with him and forced the decision of his eventual removal.

    Not only this but PCB had earlier also blamed PM Imran for nullifying the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) granted to its players to feature in the upcoming T10 League.

    When players protested against the decision, they were told that the instruction had come from the PM’s office.

    Moreover, according to website ESPNcricinfo, PM Imran had instructed PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani to avoid the T10 League due to the involvement of Indian owners and financial benefactors. The same report cited a probable mutiny by the players in this regard as well.

    Reports further reveal that a PCB official leaked the news to media personnel so that the government could be blamed for the decision. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is also unhappy with the attitude of the PCB on this matter.

    In this regard, the International Cricket Council (ICC) might also begin investigations to find out if the government is influencing PCB’s decisions.