Tag: Shoaib Akhtar

  • ‘A little disgusting’: Shoaib Akhtar takes a dig at Australia’s celebration after T20 World Cup win

    ‘A little disgusting’: Shoaib Akhtar takes a dig at Australia’s celebration after T20 World Cup win

    Former cricketer turned analyst Shoaib Akhtar has expressed his displeasure with the way the Australian team celebrated after their T20 World Cup win.

    Read More – ICC receives criticism for not naming Babar Azam T20 World Cup ‘Player of the Tournament’

    Akhtar took to his social media accounts to react to the viral video of Aussie stars Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis chugging beer from a shoe. The former cricketer reckoned it was a ‘disgusting way of celebrating’ their most recent accomplishment.

    He wrote: “A little disgusting way of celebrating no??”

    The Australian men’s cricket made history on Sunday, November 14, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium by clinching their maiden T20 World Cup title.

    The Aussie batters showcased exemplary batsmanship against a formidable Kiwi bowling attack to chase down a stiff total of 172 in the final clash.

    Mitchell Marsh starred with the bat for Australia with his unbeaten 77 and David Warner’s 53 off 38 balls helped the team down the Black Caps’ 173-run target. Marsh bagged Player of the Match award while Warner was awarded ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.

    The Rawalpindi Express was also present at the Dubai International Stadium to witness the final between the Aussies and Kiwis.

  • ‘Hoped to see Pakistan play’: Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar meet at T20 World Cup final

    ‘Hoped to see Pakistan play’: Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar meet at T20 World Cup final

    Former Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar met at the Dubai International Stadium during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final on Sunday.

    The Rawalpindi Express shared a picture on Instagram where he and Afridi looked cheerful upon seeing each other at the stadium.

    “Ran into the crowd favourite and our very own @safridiofficial . Lovely to see you lala,” he wrote in the caption.

    Minutes before meeting Afridi, Akhtar had posted another of his pictures from the final match, saying it “would have been a different day” had Pakistan made it to the final.

    However, the cricketer said it was a lovely feeling to watch the much-anticipated match at “the Ring of Fire”.

    “Would have been such a different day. But nevertheless, what a lovely feeling being at the Ring of fire,” he wrote.

    Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi said that he was “looking forward” to winning team at the T20 World Cup final.

    Taking to Instagram, Afridi shared a picture from the Dubai International Stadium and said that he “had hoped to see Pakistan play” in the final.

    The cricketer wished both the teams playing best of luck and hoped that the “best team” wins.

    Beating Kiwis with 8 wickets, Australia became the champion of T20 World Cup 2021.

  • Dr Nauman Niaz and Shoaib Akhtar reconcile after on-air dispute

    Dr Nauman Niaz and Shoaib Akhtar reconcile after on-air dispute

    Pakistan Television (PTV) host Dr Nauman Niaz and former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar reconciled after a long dispute, which occurred during a live show in the T20 World Cup transmission.

    Read More – ‘Disappointed’: Shoaib Akhtar vows to fight lawsuit after receiving recovery notice from PTV

    As per the Pakistan Television Twitter page, Dr Nauman apologised to the former cricketer and Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry called them to his house and made peace among them.

    Fawad Chaudhry shared a tweet with poetry on friendship on this occasion. “It was not so much a matter of discussion,” he said.

    “Social media is so big now that even small things become big. Anyway, all is well that ends well,” the Federal Minister of Information added.

    Senior analyst and journalist Saleem Safi was also present at the truce.

    In a video, Nauman said: “Shoaibi (Shoaib Akhtar), I am extremely sorry for whatever happened on screen and it shouldn’t have happened and the reason behind it is that we have a friendship of 30 years and that shouldn’t go down.”

    The camera then moved to Akhtar and he said: “Its okay! He should have said it long time ago.” While Nauman added: “It’s never too late.”

    Taking to Twitter, Akhtar said that he is “accepting the apology” of Dr Nauman and wants to “move on from this”.

    The two indulged in a heated exchange in PTV’s show. The host asked the veteran cricketer to leave the show, while Akhtar resigned on-air after that.

    Read More – ‘I resign from PTV’: Shoaib Akhtar, Nauman Niaz exchange hot words on air

    In an interview with Rauf Klasra, Nauman had already apologised to the former cricketer and in another show, Akhtar also said he had forgiven him.

    It should be noted that the national television had sent a legal notice worth Rs100 million to ‘Rawalpindi Express’ after he stepped down during the live transmission of ‘Game On Hai’. In response, the cricketer turned analyst vowed to fight a legal battle after Pakistan Television (PTV) sent a legal notice to him.

  • ‘Disappointed’: Shoaib Akhtar vows to fight lawsuit after receiving recovery notice from PTV

    ‘Disappointed’: Shoaib Akhtar vows to fight lawsuit after receiving recovery notice from PTV

    Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has vowed to fight a legal battle after Pakistan Television (PTV) sent a legal notice to him as he resigned on-air in the aftermath of a heated exchange with Dr Nauman Niaz.

    Read More – ‘I resign from PTV’: Shoaib Akhtar, Nauman Niaz exchange hot words on air

    In a recent development in the PTV Sports controversy, PTV has sent a legal notice worth Rs100 million to ‘Rawalpindi Express’ after he stepped down during the live transmission of Game On Hai.

    Akhtar, 46, after receiving a legal notice for ‘breaching his contract’, expressed disappointment with the state-owned television.

    Taking to Twitter, the former cricketer turned analyst wrote: “Utterly Disappointed. After miserably failing to safeguard my respect and repute while I was working for PTV, they have now sent me a recovery notice. I am a fighter & will not give up & fight this legal battle. My lawyer Salman Niazi will take this forward according to law.”

    PTV reportedly sent the recovery notice to Akhtar for “being absent from shows during the T20 World Cup and for resigning from his position without serving a notice period”.

    He was served Rs100 million defamation notice due to the loss incurred by the state-run sports channel, after his appearance on an Indian news television channel in Emirates.

    Furthermore, PTV also demanded a three-month salary payment from the former fastest bowler for his non-notice period resignation.

    Read More – Shoaib Akhtar vs Nauman Niaz: Whose side is Twitter is on?

    The controversy, which garnered international attention, started in a post-match show, after Green Shirts’s victory over New Zealand. Show host Dr Nauman Niaz and Akhtar were involved in a heated debate.

    Recently, former PTV host Nauman Niaz also expressed regret over the controversy saying “he can apologise not only once but a million times” while legendary player Shoaib Akhtar said he had forgiven Nauman for the sake of Pakistan and state institutions.

    Last month, the administration of PTV also formed a committee to investigate the matter and ordered to keep the duo off-air until the completion of the inquiry.

  • ‘Made a mistake’: Amir should apologise to Harbhajan Singh, says Saeed Ajmal

    ‘Made a mistake’: Amir should apologise to Harbhajan Singh, says Saeed Ajmal

    Former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal wants former Pakistan speedster Mohammad Amir to apologise to Harbhajan Singh for “jumping in” between Shoaib Akhtar and the Indian bowler’s Twitter conversation. 

    Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Ajmal said that players should treat each other well because cricket brings people together. 

    “I think Amir made a mistake by jumping in that conversation [between Shoaib Akhtar and Harbhajan Singh] and he should apologise for it. It was a discussion between two great cricketers and Amir made the wrong choice by getting involved in it,” he said. 

    Amir and Singh indulged in a war of words a couple of days ago when the former taunted the latter after India beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup match on October 24. 

    Harbhajan responded to Amir, and the two had a heated exchange, bringing everything into the mix from Amir’s spot-fixing controversy to Shahid Afridi smashing Harbhajan for four consecutive sixes in a 2006 Lahore Test match.  

    During the interview, Ajmal also spoke about the Pakistan cricket team’s performance so far in the World Cup, adding that he was pleasantly surprised by the energy and performance of the team.

  • ‘It is my fault’: Dr Nauman Niaz apologises to Shoaib Akhtar

    ‘It is my fault’: Dr Nauman Niaz apologises to Shoaib Akhtar

    Pakistanm Televison (PTV) Sports anchor Dr Nauman Niaz has finally apologised to Shoaib Akhtar for his verbal spat during a live TV show.

    There was a strong backlash from Pakistani cricket fans, after Nauman Niaz had told Akhtar to leave the show during a live transmission in the presence of cricket veterans such as Sir Vivian Richards and David Gower. People demanded that Nauman be fired for insulting a cricket legend like this.

    The panel was discussing the Pakistan-New Zealand T20 World Cup match, which Pakistan won by five wickets.

    In a statement on a YouTube channel on Thursday, the TV host said that the reaction to what he did on air was justified and he said, “I apologised thousands of times over my conduct.”

    “Whatever the reason, I had no right to do all this on-air, it was my fault. Shoaib Akhtar is a star and I love his cricket,” Niaz continued to take responsibility for his actions.

    Nauman added: “Shoaib was contracted with us on the basis of exclusivity. People thought I was just a host but they don’t know that I also sign salaries of all employees, including Shoaib. It was an overlapping [on my part] and again there is no justification for it.”

    Niaz also shared how his father was also upset about his behaviour. Akhtar also stated on a programme on Geo News, ‘ Jashn-e-Cricket’ that he has forgiven Dr Niaz for the benefit of the country and state institutions.

    Earlier, PTV also launched an inquiry into the spat and took Dr Niaz and Akhtar off-air until completion of the probe. While reacting to the news, Akhtar said that he resigned on-air.

  • ‘Hilarious, Who are they to off-air me’: Shoaib Akhtar reacts to PTV taking him off-air

    ‘Hilarious, Who are they to off-air me’: Shoaib Akhtar reacts to PTV taking him off-air

    Shoaib Akhtar has reacted to the news of PTV Sports’ decision to take him and Dr Nauman Niaz off-air after the on-air spat between the two.

    Shoaib Akhtar tweeted: “Well, that’s hilarious. I resigned in front of 220 million Pakistanis & billions across the world. Is PTV crazy or what? Who are they to off-air me?”

    Earlier it was reported that PTV has taken Dr Nauman Niaz off-air after he had a hot exchange of words with Shoaib Akhtar during the live transmission of the Pakistan and New Zealand match, sources have revealed to Geo News.

    Read more- ‘I resign from PTV’: Shoaib Akhtar, Nauman Niaz exchange hot words on air

    The judgement was made based on the recommendations of a PTV inquiry committee set up to look into the issue.

    As per Geo News, the recommendation to take Dr Nauman off air was presented during a meeting of the inquiry committee in which the managing director of the state broadcaster, along with other higher-ups, was present. The inquiry committee had interviewed both Shoaib Akhtar and Dr Nauman.

    The committee was formed after Dr Nauman Niaz and Shoaib Akhtar indulged in a tense and aggressive banter in a live show, after which Shoaib resigned on air.

    Read more- Shoaib Akhtar vs Nauman Niaz: Whose side is Twitter is on?

    Akhtar was giving his opinion on Haris Rauf and mistakenly took Shaheen Shah Afridi’s name. Nauman corrected him and after a heated exchange, Nauman asked the former pacer to leave. Shoaib resigned from the show and later he explained the reason why he did that on social media.

  • Humayun, Ahmad and others call-out Nauman Niaz, support Shoaib Akhtar

    Humayun, Ahmad and others call-out Nauman Niaz, support Shoaib Akhtar

    Celebrities including Humayun Saeed, Ahmad Ali Butt and Ali Zafar have voiced their support for the legendary former speedster Shoaib Akhtar after he was insulted on a PTV show with anchor Dr Nauman Niaz Tuesday night.

    Akhtar resigned on-air and walked off the show later.

    Many came to Akhtar’s defence after the incident:

    The Punjab Nahi Jaoungi star said: “Arguments happen during TV shows but no host tells their guest to leave. That was no way to address any guest, let alone one of the biggest international stars Pakistan has ever produced. What happened, happened; Dr Noman should have at the very least apologised to @shoaib100mph.”

    While Ahmad Ali Butt called out Nauman for not handling the situation well as a host and he also added that “no matter what the excuse is, you can not insult them (the guests).”

    The Jawani Phir Nahi Aani actor also urged Nauman to apologise from Shoaib Akhtar.

    Not only him, but the netizens are also very angry at Nauman for insulting the legend and demand his apology from the former.

  • Shoaib Akhtar vs Nauman Niaz: Whose side is Twitter is on?

    Shoaib Akhtar vs Nauman Niaz: Whose side is Twitter is on?

    TV host Dr Nauman Niaz and former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar indulged in a tense and aggressive banter in a live show on Pakistan Television (PTV) soon after the Pakistan and New Zealand match.

    Akhtar was giving his opinion on Haris Rauf and mistakenly took Shaheen Shah Afridi’s name. Nauman corrected him and after a heated exchange, Nauman asked the former pacer to leave. Shoaib resigned from the show and later he explained the reason why he did that on social media.

    Soon after the live spat, Twitter was trending with reactions to the incident. We scouted Twitter to see whose side Pakistani Twitterati were on and it is clear that people think Shoaib handled the situation well and Nauman Niaz was in the wrong. While we tried to find tweets in favour of Nauman, we weren’t able to. Here are some of the reactions:

    https://twitter.com/KhurramDehwar/status/1453094739914416130?s=20

    https://twitter.com/zubersartajkhan/status/1453219404716646409?s=20

    This is the clip in which we can see how Nauman Niaz told the veteran cricketer to leave the show.

    https://twitter.com/RjShahbaz01/status/1453089307888136207?s=20
  • ‘I resign from PTV’: Shoaib Akhtar, Nauman Niaz exchange hot words on air

    ‘I resign from PTV’: Shoaib Akhtar, Nauman Niaz exchange hot words on air

    On Pakistan’s state-run sports channel PTV Sports, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and host Dr Nauman Niaz had a hot exchange of words during the live transmission of the Pakistan and New Zealand match.

    After the nail-biting T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and New Zealand, Dr Nauman asked Shoaib a question, which turned into a fight when Dr Niaz asked Akhtar to leave the show.

    The clash started off when Nauman asked Shoaib Akhtar a question. Shoaib said Hassan Ali should not have bowled in the beginning as the ball was reversing later.

    Shoaib asked Nauman about Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ball reversing. “Did you see the game?”

    Nauman replied, “Yes, I saw the match.” In response, Shoaib Akhtar said again, “Were you lost?”

    During the same conversation, Shoaib went ahead and talked about giving credit to Lahore Qalandars while talking about Haris Rauf. However, Shoaib continued by mentioning Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    https://twitter.com/RjShahbaz01/status/1453089307888136207?t=mwvH9aVoAqImO7Uhluc2Dg&s=19

    “Aqib Javed brought Shaheen Shah Afridi and made him a part of the player development program,” said Shoaib. Here, Nauman said in the middle of Shoaib’s speech that “Shaheen Afridi had played under-19 for Pakistan.” On this Shoaib said, “I am talking about Haris Rauf. Nauman Niaz reiterated that Shaheen had played for Pakistan. Shoaib Akhtar responded rather seriously, “Sir please! Somebody came to work.”

    “You are becoming rude. I didn’t mean to say this … but if you’re getting over-smart then go. I’m saying this on-air,” responded Nauman.

    The host took a break from the show. After they returned on-air, Shoaib was once again asked a question by Nauman.

    “The way I was treated on national television, I don’t think I should be sitting here. I am resigning from PTV,” said Shoaib before walking out from the studio.

    After the squabble, there were speculations that the entire fight was pre-planned. Shoaib took to Twitter and wrote, “Multiple clips are circulating on social media so I thought I should clarify. Dr Nauman was obnoxious and rude when he asked me to leave the show, it was embarrassing especially when you have legends like sir Vivian Richards and David Gower sitting on the set.”

    “I tried to save everyone from embarrassment by saying I was pulling Dr Nauman’s leg with this mutual understanding that dr noman will also politely apologise and we will move on with the show, which he refused to do. Then I had no other choice,” added Shoaib.