Tag: sports-stories

  • Afghanistan is better than Pakistan in all aspects of game: Afghan Cricket Board CEO

    Afghanistan is better than Pakistan in all aspects of game: Afghan Cricket Board CEO

    Interim chief executive officer (CEO) of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), Asadullah Khan, has said that Afghanistan is currently better than Pakistan in all aspects of cricket.

    According to senior sports journalist Ibrahim Momand, Asadullah in a recent television interview said that Pakistan should “seek Afghanistan’s help to improve their cricket”.

    “We are currently far better than Pakistan in cricket and they should ask us for technical, coaching and more support for the betterment of their cricket [sic],” Asadullah is reported to have said.

    Afghanistan recently beat the Men in Green by three wickets in a 2019 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup warm-up match at Bristol.

    The Naib-led side is currently languishing at the bottom of the table after losing all of their five matches so far in the mega event.

    The Men in Green will take on Afghanistan on Saturday, June 29 at Headingly, Leeds.

  • CWC’19: Can Pakistan still qualify for the semi-finals?

    CWC’19: Can Pakistan still qualify for the semi-finals?

    A majority of fans have been left disheartened ever since Pakistan’s humiliating defeat against arch-rivals India in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

    While some hope for a comeback from the Green Shirts as witnessed in the 2017 Champions Trophy and many other times, everyone is confused over the national cricket team’s future in the tournament.

    CAN PAKISTAN STILL QUALIFY FOR THE SEMIS?

    The simple answer to this question is yes. Pakistan can still manage to secure a spot among the four teams that will be playing in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

    As per the current table, Pakistan are at number nine out of the ten teams playing in the tournament.

    The situation doesn’t look very good; however, Pakistan still has another four matches to play against South Africa on June 23, New Zealand on June 26, Afghanistan on June 29 and Bangladesh on July 5.

    In order to qualify, Pakistan need to win all four matches while maintaining a good Net Run Rate (NRR) — a statistical method used in analysing teamwork and performance in cricket.

    Other than performing well, Pakistan also has to hope that New Zealand loses all its remaining matches because considering their current forms, India, Australia and England will most probably be the top three teams that will qualify.

  • Pakistani cricketers come under fire for allegedly spending a night out before a critical match

    Pakistani cricketers come under fire for allegedly spending a night out before a critical match

    A day after members of the Pakistan cricket team faced severe criticism for their night out “right before the match against arch-rivals India”, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a statement denying all claims.

    “So @TheRealPCB says that no team member violated curfew time before the #PakVsIndia match. According to them, the photos are from two days back,” journalist Zebunnisa Burki‏ tweeted.

    Earlier, a picture and video of cricketer Shoaib Malik, his wife Sania Mirza and other cricketers visiting a sheesha cafe on the eve of Pakistan’s match against India had gone viral.

    The media had started generating controversy as Pakistan faced a humiliating defeat in the match against India due to poor performance.

    After the match, fans alleged that Shoaib, Sania and other cricketers of the Pakistani team were at the sheesha café till 2 am in the morning, hours before the critical match.

    https://twitter.com/MurtazaViews/status/1140301732628402176

    However, according to the PCB’s statement, the video was from the night of June 14 (Friday) and not Saturday.

    “No player violated curfew and returned to their hotel rooms on-time the night before Pakistan’s match against India,” the board said, adding that players had gone out with their families two days before the match.

  • #PAKvsIND: Angry fan puts up Pakistan cricket team for sale online

    #PAKvsIND: Angry fan puts up Pakistan cricket team for sale online

    After it was humiliated by arch-rivals India in the ICC World Cup, a disheartened fan has put up the Pakistan cricket team for sale at an online marketplace.

    As per the details, India on Sunday extended their unbeaten World Cup record against Pakistan as they managed to secure an 89-run win in the rain-affected match.

    While a majority of people resorted to social media to vent out their frustration against Pakistan’s yet another disappointing performance, an annoyed fan took it all to a whole other level by putting the team up for sale.

    “Pakistan cricket team, pretty useless and cannot take any responsibilities,” the ad from an anonymous seller read.

    It, however, was removed by the hosting platform after a while.

  • ‘Amir confessed to spot-fixing after Afridi slapped him’

    ‘Amir confessed to spot-fixing after Afridi slapped him’

    Mohammad Amir confessed to spot-fixing only after then ODI captain Shahid Afridi had slapped him, former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has claimed.

    “He [Afridi] told me to leave the room and after a while, I heard the sound of a slap. Later, Amir told the whole truth,” Razzaq said while speaking to a private media outlet on Wednesday.

    Spilling the beans on Pakistan’s ill-fated tour of England in 2010, a scandal that tarnished the image of Pakistan cricket, Razzaq also said that Salman Butt was involved in corruption much before the saga.

    “Butt was deliberately getting out and playing dot balls much before the scandal broke out in England,” the former all-rounder said, also blaming the then PCB management for “bringing a bad name to Pakistan cricket”.

    Butt, Amir and Muhammad Asif were the three players eventually banned for a minimum of five years in early 2011 by the ICC’s anti-corruption tribunal after they were first suspended in September 2010.

    All three have now returned to playing cricket after completing their five-year bans. But only Amir has been picked for the national team and is currently competing in the World Cup.

  • CWC’2019: Full schedule, venues and match timings

    CWC’2019: Full schedule, venues and match timings

    The 2019 edition of the ICC World Cup is being held in the United Kingdom (UK), as part of which 48 games are being played across 46 days at 11 venues.

    Ten teams are playing against each other in the round-robin stage for the first time since the 1992 edition and the top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals which will be held in Manchester and Birmingham.

    Here’s the complete schedule to save you from the trouble of searching for one with Pakistan Standard Time (PST).

    Fixtures Date and Time (PST) Venue
    England vs South
    Africa     		30 May, Thursday at 2:30
    PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    West Indies vs
    Pakistan      		31 May, Friday at 2:30 PM Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    New Zealand vs Sri
    Lanka     		1 June, Saturday at 2:30
    PM     		Sophia Gardens,
    Cardiff
    Afghanistan vs
    Australia     		1 June, Saturday at 5:30
    PM     		County Ground,
    Bristol
    South Africa vs
    Bangladesh     		2 June, Sunday at 2:30
    PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    England vs Pakistan 3 June, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    Afghanistan vs Sri
    Lanka     		4 June, Tuesday at 2:30
    PM      		Sophia Gardens,
    Cardiff
    South Africa vs
    India     		5 June, Wednesday at
    2:30 PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    Bangladesh vs New
    Zealand     		5 June, Wednesday at
    5:30 PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    Australia vs West
    Indies     		6 June, Thursday at 2:30
    PM     		Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    Pakistan vs Sri
    Lanka     		7 June, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		County Ground,
    Bristol
    England vs
    Bangladesh     		8 June, Saturday at 2:30
    PM     		Sophia Gardens,
    Cardiff
    Afghanistan vs New
    Zealand     		8 June, Saturday at 5:30
    PM     		The Cooper
    Associates County Ground, Taunton
    India vs Australia 9 June, Sunday at 2:30
    PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    South Africa vs West
    Indies      		10 June, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    Bangladesh vs Sri
    Lanka     		11 June, Tuesday at 2:30
    PM      		County Ground,
    Bristol
    Australia vs
    Pakistan     		12 June, Wednesday
    at 2:30 PM     		The Cooper
    Associates County Ground, Taunton
    India vs New Zealand 13 June, Thursday at
    2:30 PM     		Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    England vs West
    Indies     		14 June, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    Sri Lanka vs
    Australia     		15 June, Saturday at
    2:30 PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    South Africa vs
    Afghanistan     		15 June, Saturday at
    5:30 PM     		Sophia Gardens,
    Cardiff
    India vs Pakistan 16 June, Sunday at 2:30
    PM      		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    West Indies vs
    Bangladesh     		17 June, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		The Cooper
    Associates County Ground, Taunton
    England vs
    Afghanistan     		18 June, Tuesday at 2:30
    PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    New Zealand vs South
    Africa      		19 June, Wednesday
    at 2:30 PM     		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    Australia vs
    Bangladesh     		20 June, Thursday at
    2:30 PM      		Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    England vs Sri
    Lanka      		21 June, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		Headingley, Leeds
    India vs Afghanistan 22 June, Saturday at
    2:30 PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    West Indies vs New
    Zealand     		22 June, Saturday at
    5:30 PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    Pakistan vs South
    Africa      		23 June, Sunday
    at 2:30 PM     		Lord’s, London
    Bangladesh vs
    Afghanistan     		24 June, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    England vs Australia 25 June, Tuesday
    at 2:30 PM      		Lord’s, London
    New Zealand vs
    Pakistan       		26 June, Wednesday
    at 2:30 PM     		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    West Indies vs
    India      		27 June, Thursday at
    2:30 PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    Sri Lanka vs South
    Africa      		28 June, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		Riverside Ground,
    Chester-le-Street
    Pakistan vs
    Afghanistan      		29 June, Saturday at
    2:30 PM     		Headingley, Leeds
    New Zealand vs
    Australia     		29 June, Saturday at
    5:30 PM     		Lord’s, London
    England vs India 30 June, Sunday at 2:30
    PM      		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    Sri Lanka vs West
    Indies     		1 July, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		Riverside Ground,
    Chester-le-Street
    India vs
    Bangladesh      		2 July, Tuesday at 5:30
    PM     		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    England vs New
    Zealand     		3 July, Wednesday at
    2:30 PM     		Riverside Ground,
    Chester-le-Street
    Afghanistan vs West
    Indies     		4 July, Thursday at 2:30
    PM     		Headingley, Leeds
    Pakistan vs
    Bangladesh      		5 July, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		Lord’s, London
    Sri Lanka vs
    India      		6 July, Saturday at
    – 5:30 PM     		Headingley, Leeds
    Australia vs South
    Africa     		6 July, Saturday
    at 5:30 PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    TBC vs TBC 1st
    Semifinal      		9 July, Tuesday at 2:30
    PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    TBC vs TBC 2nd
    Semifinal     		11 July, Thursday at
    2:30 PM      		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    TBC vs TBC Final 14 July, Sunday at 2:30
    PM     		Lord’s, London

  • CWC’19: Soil from Virat Kohli’s school taken to England ‘for blessings’

    Soil from Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli’s school has been taken to England “to bless him” as he leads his side in the 2019 version of the ICC World Cup.

    According to Star Sports, the soil has been collected from Kohli’s school, where the world’s best batsman first learnt to play cricket.

    “The soil from @imVkohli’s school, where he learnt to play cricket, is going to London to bless him. Reply with your blessings and wishes and share this post with five other Virat fans as #KingKohli hunts for the #CricketKaCrown,” Star Sports tweeted.

    While the rationale behind the bizarre move is “to help India reclaim the coveted trophy” it last won in 2011, it has left Twitter in disbelief as people criticise the country for validating itself as the “land of superstitions”.

    https://twitter.com/ashoswai/status/1137121368187723776

    https://twitter.com/_Khader_/status/1137040597871517696
    https://twitter.com/SavageRaptor7/status/1137040961534480384

    India have already won their opening match against South Africa. Their next match is scheduled for June 9 against Australia at The Oval in London. Kohli’s Blues will also be facing their arch-rivals, Pakistan, on June 16.

  • VIDEO: Shoaib Akhtar slams ‘fat and unfit’ Sarfaraz after defeat to Windies

    A day after Pakistan faced a humiliating seven-wicket defeat to West Indies in their opening fixture of the 2019 ICC World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar has gone on to slam skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed for being “fat and unfit”.

    Pakistan were left red-faced on Friday when their batting order collapsed and the entire team went back to pavilion for just 105 runs. Windies, on the other hand, chased the target at the loss of three wickets.

    With the cricket team being severely criticised after the match, former cricketer Akhtar, who is no new to controversies, roasted Sarfaraz for his “lack of fitness” as the captain.

    “When Sarfaraz Ahmed came for the toss, his stomach was sticking out and his face was so fat,” he said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “He’s the first captain I’ve seen who is so unfit. He’s not able to move across and he’s struggling with wicket-keeping,” he added.

    “Speechless” was Akhtar’s first reaction as the result of the match came out.

    “Okay, the match is over. Recollecting my thoughts and emotions. We have to back these boys, they are representing our nation. They need our support throughout the World Cup,” he said in a subsequent tweet.

    Sarfaraz, during the post-match press conference, said he has full faith in the team and believes that the players will come back stronger after the disappointing result.

    The Greens will next take on hosts and hot favourites England on Monday.

  • VIDEO: Malala trolls India at World Cup 2019 opening ceremony

    VIDEO: Malala trolls India at World Cup 2019 opening ceremony

    Taking a hilarious dig at Pakistan’s arch-rivals, world’s youngest Noble Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai has trolled India at the star-studded opening ceremony of World Cup 2019 in London.

    During the ceremony held at Buckingham Palace, a short competition called the 60-second challenge was held. One cricket legend and a celebrity represented each team that had to score as many runs as possible in the given sixty seconds.

    For India, former skipper Anil Kumble and Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar took part in the game. They, however, managed to score only 19 runs, while Pakistan scored exactly the double.

    Sharing her thoughts over Pakistan maintaining the seventh place with 38 runs, Malala trolled the Indian team saying that in comparison, they came in last with only 19 points.

    “Pakistan, we were okay, not too bad, came number seven, but India came last,” she said, after which the audience broke into laughter.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “They tried their best and we appreciate their hard work,” Malala added.

    Cricketing legends like Viv Richards, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee and Kevin Pietersen were among other notable participants.

  • VIDEO: Virat Kohli imitates Pakistan’s ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid

    VIDEO: Virat Kohli imitates Pakistan’s ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid

    At a time when Indian leadership is snubbing Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace, a video of Indian cricketing stalwart Virat Kohli mimicking Pakistan’s latest internet sensation — the ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid — has emerged.

    Ahmed Shah has taken social media by storm ever since his “Peechay Tou Dekho”  video started making rounds over the internet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmJuxKgUtAk

    Appearing on several TV channels, Ahmed, who belongs to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), has become a celebrity.

    Now, a video breaking the internet shows Indian skipper Kohli breaking into laughter as he tries to copy Ahmed’s way of speaking Urdu.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Who is that behind [you]? Who is that?” he can be heard as saying in the video that shows how a Pakistani kid is winning hearts across the border.