Tag: sports-stories

  • Sri Lankan cricket team likely to visit Pakistan for test series in October

    The Sri Lankan circket team is likely to visit Pakistan in October to play a two-match test series, Cricket Pakistan has reported.

    According to reports, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed the dates of their security delegation’s arrival in Pakistan on a three-day visit. The delegation will begin its evaluation with a trip to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on August 7, 8 and 9, respectively.

    It will assess the security situation in the country ahead of providing its recommendations to the SLC.

    They will visit the stadiums and hotels in the three major cities and will be briefed by local security officials as well. SLC, on the basis of those recommendations, will decide whether to tour Pakistan or not.

    “I’m confident that the delegation will be satisfied with the security arrangements in Pakistan and hopefully we will soon see red-ball cricket on home soil,” reports quoted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani as saying.

    Pakistan, since the unfortunate attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in March 2009, has not hosted any test series.

  • Foreign cricketers refuse to play entire PSL in Pakistan

    Foreign cricketers refuse to play entire PSL in Pakistan

    Foreign cricketers have refused to play the fifth season of the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) scheduled to be entirely held in Pakistan next year, Cricket Pakistan reported Friday.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier said that the fifth edition of the PSL will entirely be played in the country and is expected to take place from February 20 to March 22.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani insisted that there are no concerns regarding hosting the entire HBL PSL in Pakistan.

    “I took the approval of PCB’s patron-in-chief regarding holding the tournament in Pakistan, after consulting all franchise owners,” Mani said, adding that he had invited team owners for a meeting next week on Monday in Lahore, where the matter would be discussed again.

    “Till now, no franchise has shown any reservations, so there is no possibility of shifting the matches anywhere else,” he added.

    However, according to reports, franchises want to hold at least half of the PSL 5 matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as they feel it is currently not viable to play the entire season in the country.

    They are of the view that it will be difficult to convince foreign players to stay in Pakistan for a longer period of time.

  • Imad Wasim is getting married

    Imad Wasim is getting married

    Pakistani cricket Imad Wasim is all ready to tie the knot.

    According to details, the 30-year-old sportsman will be exchanging vows with London-based Sania Ashfaq on August 26 in Islamabad.

    Imad and Sania met in London and have known each other for a while now. Interestingly, Imad was also born in Swansea, Wales where his father briefly worked in as an engineer. However, his parents moved back to Pakistan soon after his birth. Imad was studying medicine before making his Twenty20 International debut in May 2015.

    Speaking about his marriage, the all-rounder who is currently playing for Nottinghamshire in the T20 Vitality Blast, said, “I will get a week’s break from my professional commitments for the marriage ceremony and will rejoin Nottinghamshire for the remaining matches.”

    Just two days back, marriage rumours of fast bowler Hassan Ali had taken the cricket world by storm. Ali is also reportedly getting married in Dubai to an Indian girl named Shamia Arzoo. However, Hasan later clarified the reports saying that the families are yet to meet.

  • Tareen’s Multan Sultans played PSL 4 without depositing franchise fee

    Tareen’s Multan Sultans played PSL 4 without depositing franchise fee

    Ali Khan Tareen’s Multan Sultans participated in the fourth edition of the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) without depositing the mandatory franchise fee, Cricket Pakistan reported.

    Tareen-led Multan Consortium had won the franchise rights for the sixth team of the cricketing tournament, however, reports claim that the annual franchise fee of $6.35 million has not yet been paid to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    According to PSL rules and regulations, every franchise is required to deposit the fee before the start of the season. But despite the passage of over four months since the league’s final match, Sultans have not yet cleared the dues.

    “Multan Sultans is in compliance of their franchise agreement,” the report quoted PCB as saying while neither confirming nor denying the news.

    Meanwhile, Tareen tweeted:

    PCB had previously terminated the franchise agreement of the Multan Sultans franchise ahead of the fourth season. The termination was brought about due to the franchise’s inability to meet its financial obligations under the agreement.

    In the new bidding process, the PCB had set the reserve price at $5.21 million per annum for a period of seven years. This reserve price had been exceeded by the Ali Tareen-led group.

    The new owners had decided to continue with the same name for the franchise.

  • Hassan Ali to marry Indian girl on August 20?

    Hassan Ali to marry Indian girl on August 20?

    Pakistani paceman Hasan Ali is all set to tie the knot with an Indian girl on August 20, Indian media has reported.

    According to reports, Shamia Arzoo belongs to Mewat – a district of the Indian state of Haryana – and is an engineer by profession. She is currently working as a flight engineer with Emirates airline in Dubai and the marriage ceremony will also be held there.

    Following the reports, Hassan took to Twitter to clarify the news saying that the wedding hasn’t been confirmed as the families are yet to meet.

    Hasan won’t be the first Pakistani cricketer to marry an Indian girl. Former cricketers Zaheer Abbas and Mohsin Khan’s better-halves are from India as well. Incumbent national team all-rounder Shoaib Malik is also married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza since April 12, 2010.

  • PCB lets Imam off the hook after apology over misconduct

    PCB lets Imam off the hook after apology over misconduct

    Opening batsman Imamul Haq has apologised for what he has done, media reports quoted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Managing Director (MD) Wasim Khan as saying Tuesday.

    “Imam has been repenting. And, he has apologised for what misconduct he has committed,” the PCB official said while speaking of the controversy surrounding the batsman, which had sparked a lot of hype on social media last week.

    A few days back, the opener landed in hot water after screenshots of his objectionable WhatsApp conversations were leaked over Twitter and Facebook. The women, who posted them, accused him of cheating on multiple women.

    The PCB had earlier refused to comment over the situation while terming it a personal one.

    “We have told him in clear terms about what standards PCB wants,” Wasim Khan said on Monday.

    He said the country’s cricket board expects the players to stick to the highest standards of ethics and discipline as they are “ambassadors of the nation”, adding that in this capacity, the players need to be more responsible and follow the code of conduct set by the body.

    With Imam, who is a nephew of legendary batsman Inzamamul Haq, tendering an unconditional apology, the board has let him off the hook with a smattering of rebuke.

  • Mohammad Amir seeks British citizenship

    Mohammad Amir seeks British citizenship

    Pakistan cricket stalwart and ace fast-bowler Mohammad Amir is planning to obtain a British passport so that he may permanently settle down in England in future, Cricket Pakistan reported Saturday.

    According to reports, the left-arm pacer married a British citizen, Nargis Malik, in September 2016 and has already applied for a spouse visa, which allows him to stay in England for 30 months.

    In the case of obtaining a spouse visa, the 27-year-old will be able to work and take advantage of various other perks that come along with it.

    It is not yet clear if Amir has already obtained the visa as he has previously spent jail time in the United Kingdom (UK) for his role in the spot-fixing scandal; however, he is reportedly also looking to purchase a house in London.

    After getting permanent residency, the paceman will also be able to apply for a British passport.

    The report comes a day after Amir announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect, but reaffirmed his commitment to playing white-ball cricket for Pakistan.

    Amir’s teammates in Pakistan have been aware of the fact that the pacer is not interested in playing for the national team anymore and wants to play T20 leagues in England and around the world.

  • Mohammad Amir is retiring from Test cricket at 27

    Mohammad Amir is retiring from Test cricket at 27

    One of Pakistan’s most loved fast bowlers, Mohammad Amir has announced that he is retiring from Test cricket with immediate effect.

    In a statement, Amir said: “It has been an honour to represent Pakistan in the pinnacle and traditional format of the game. I, however, have decided to move away from the longer version so I can concentrate on white ball cricket.”

    Amir said that “playing for Pakistan remains his ultimate desire” and that he will try his best to be in the best physical shape to contribute in the team’s upcoming challenges, including next year’s ICC T20 World Cup.

    He added that the decision was not an easy one but he felt that his time was up.

    Amir made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2009. He featured in 36 Tests, taking 119 wickets at an average of 30.47. His best bowling returns — six for 44 — were against the West Indies in Kingston in April 2017.

  • MS Dhoni to serve Indian army in occupied Kashmir

    MS Dhoni to serve Indian army in occupied Kashmir

    Former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, commonly known as MS Dhoni, after making himself unavailable for the West Indies tour, will serve the army in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

    According to media reports, the 38-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman will be undertaking the duties of patrolling, guard and post in held Kashmir for a period of 15 days starting July 31.

    “As requested by the officer and approved by army headquarters; he will be taking on the duties of patrolling, guard and post and would be staying with troops,” the statement read.

    The right-handed batsman holds the honourary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army Unit of the Indian army’s Parachute Regiment since 2011.

    He had earlier made himself unavailable for the Men in Blue’s upcoming West Indies tour where the two teams will be crossing swords in three T20s, three ODIs and two Test matches.

  • Wasim Akram ‘humiliated for carrying insulin bag at Manchester airport’

    Wasim Akram ‘humiliated for carrying insulin bag at Manchester airport’

    Cricketing legend and former Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram on Tuesday shared how he was humiliated for carrying an insulin bag with him while boarding a flight from the Manchester airport.

    Taking to Twitter to share his ordeal, Akram said he was humiliated by Manchester airport staff who “asked rude questions and told him to dump the insulin case in a plastic bag” from its travel cold-case.

    “Very disheartened at Manchester airport today, I travel around the world with my insulin, but never have I been made to feel embarrassed,” he tweeted.

    “I felt very humiliated as I was rudely questioned and ordered publicly to take my insulin out of its travel cold-case and dump into a plastic bag,” the cricket star wrote.