Tag: World Cup

  • ‘Waqt par gadhay ko bhi baap bana laina chahiye,’ says Wasim Akram after Amir announces availability

    ‘Waqt par gadhay ko bhi baap bana laina chahiye,’ says Wasim Akram after Amir announces availability

    Former Pakistan speedster Wasim Akram is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars produced by Pakistan. The Sultan of Swing is rated highly by experts around the globe, not only for his cricketing achievements but for his understanding of the game as well. While talking about Mohammad Amir, Akram said that he is an experienced bowler and can be used if needed.

    As the recently announced T20 World Cup squad of Pakistan attracted a lot of criticism, it was impossible to ignore the views of someone like Akram. For this purpose, ARY News invited the former captain for a telephonic conversation to shed light on the squad announced by chief selector Mohammad Wasim on Tuesday.

    Interestingly, Akram backed the squad announced and requested everyone to stop the “harsh criticism on players such as Asif Ali and Azam Khan.”

    When Waseem Badami asked him about Amir, the former cricketer said: “As an ex-cricketer of Pakistan, I would want my country to win. Waqt par gadhay ko bhi baap bana laina chahiye, aggar uski zaroorat hai to usko rakho. [One has to pretend to honour even a fool when in need. If he is needed then he can be included.]”

    He also pointed out one of his good performances in Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Karachi Kings.

    The host pointed out that team can be changed before October 10 and Amir had issues with Waqar Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq and now that they are gone, is there any chance of him to be included in the T20 World Cup Squad? Akram said that there is no time left to review on including Amir in the team. “I think it’s too late for Amir to come back in the squad, in my opinion.”

    Badami insisted that the reason for his (Amir’s) retirement — Misbah and Waqar — are gone and they announced yesterday and now he is announcing about his availability, he can be included in the squad then. Akram said: “I can understand Waseem but the team has been announced now. But we don’t know who will be the new coach and if something exceptional happens and it depends on ifs and buts that which coach will come. Micky Arthur is one of the options and England’s Peter Moores is also a good option.”

    Read More – Misbah, Waqar resign from coaching positions ahead of T20 World Cup

    Meanwhile, the Pakistan One-Day squad alongside support staff members have departed for Islamabad from Lahore via bus. Team manager Mansoor Rana, interim Head Coach Saqlain Mushtaq and Assistant Coach Abdul Razzaq as well as trainer Drikus Saaiman are travelling with the group.

  • Babar Azam reportedly not happy with Pakistan’s T20 squad selection

    Babar Azam reportedly not happy with Pakistan’s T20 squad selection

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam is reportedly amongst the many who are disappointed with Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) squad selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

    Read More – Pakistan squad for New Zealand, England and ICC T20 World Cup announced

    According to Geo News, the skipper was not informed about the selection of the team for the mega-event.

    Moreover, it was revealed that he is reportedly not pleased with inclusion of Azam Khan and Sohaib Maqsood, who were added by the chief selector after discussion with PCB chairman-in-waiting Ramiz Raja.

    The power-hitter wanted to include Fakhar Zaman and Faheem Ashraf in the team, per the insiders, who added that Babar contacted Raja to discuss the selection but his suggestions fell on deaf ears.

    The report also revealed that the selection of the 15-man squad sent a message to Babar about directing his focus solely on playing rather than selection of the players.

    Babar isn’t the only one who is reportedly dismayed by the players selected for the World Cup. Former skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, who resigned on Monday as the head coach, also had doubts over the selection of Azam Khan.

  • Indian govt greenlights visa issuance for Pakistan team for T20 World Cup

    Indian govt greenlights visa issuance for Pakistan team for T20 World Cup

    The Government of India has approved the request to issue visas to the Pakistan cricket team and journalists for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place from October to November this year.

    According to details, although visas for the Pakistan cricket team have been sorted, it isn’t clear whether fans can travel across the border to watch the matches.

    The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI’s) apex council has been told by Board secretary Jay Shah following “government assurances”.

    Shah informed the council of the same in a video conference meeting held on Friday where it was also decided that the mega-event will be staged across nine venues with Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium hosting the final.

    “The visa issue of Pakistan cricket team has been sorted. However, whether the fans can travel across the border to watch matches is still not clear,” an Apex Council member told the Press Trust of India on conditions of anonymity.

    “It will be decided in due course of time. However, we had promised ICC that it will be sorted.”

    Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for close to a decade now due to political tensions between the two countries.

    Pakistan has been demanding assurances from the ICC that visas will be granted to its players for the 16-team extravaganza, which will complete seven editions this year.

    It must be noted here that the qualifying round for the mega event will take place firstly with teams divided into two groups. Sri Lanka, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman are placed in Group A whereas Bangladesh, Holland, Namibia, and Scotland will compete in Group B.

    For the main event, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, and two qualifying teams are part of Group 1 whereas India, South Africa, Afghanistan, England, and two qualifying teams are placed in Group 2.

    Two top teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals followed by the mega final, scheduled on November 15.

    The tournament is most likely to be played with COVID-19 protocols being enforced. The Decision regarding the crowd will be taken after monitoring the situation closer to the time.

  • ‘Sri Lanka sold World Cup 2011 final to India,’ claims former sports minister

    ‘Sri Lanka sold World Cup 2011 final to India,’ claims former sports minister

    Sri Lanka “sold” the 2011 World Cup final to India, the country’s former sports minister said on Thursday, reviving one of cricket’s most explosive match-fixing controversies.

    Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who was sports minister at the time, is the second senior figure to allege the final was fixed, after 1996 World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga.

    “I tell you today that we sold the 2011 World Cup finals,” Aluthgamage told Sirasa TV. “Even when I was sports minister I believed this.”

    Aluthgamage, sports minister from 2010 to 2015 and now state minister for renewable energy and power, said he “did not want to disclose” the plot at the time.

    “In 2011, we were to win, but we sold the match. I feel I can talk about it now. I am not connecting players, but some sections were involved,” he said.

    Sri Lanka lost the match at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium by six wickets. Indian players have strongly denied any wrongdoing.

    Ranatunga, who was at the stadium as a commentator, has previously called for an investigation into the defeat.

    “When we lost, I was distressed and I had a doubt,” he said in July 2017. “We must investigate what happened to Sri Lanka at the 2011 World Cup final.”

    “I cannot reveal everything now, but one day I will. There must be an inquiry,” added Ranatunga, who said players could not hide the “dirt”.

    Sri Lanka batted first and scored 274-6 off 50 overs. They appeared in a commanding position when Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar was out for 18.

    But India turned the game dramatically, thanks partly to poor fielding and bowling by Sri Lanka, who were led by Kumar Sangakkara.

    Sri Lankan cricket has regularly been involved in corruption controversies, including claims of match-fixing ahead of a 2018 Test against England.

    Earlier this month, the Sri Lankan cricket board said the International Cricket Council (ICC) was investigating three unnamed former players over alleged corruption.

    Sri Lanka introduced tough penalties for match-fixing and tightened sports betting restrictions in November in a bid to stamp out graft.

    Another former sports minister, Harin Fernando, has said Sri Lankan cricket was riddled with graft “from top to bottom”, and that the ICC considered Sri Lanka one of the world’s most corrupt nations.

    Former Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilhara Lokuhettige was suspended in 2018 for corruption relating to a limited-overs league.

    He was the third Sri Lankan charged under the ICC anti-corruption code, following former captain and ex-chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, and former paceman Nuwan Zoysa.

    Jayasuriya was found guilty of failing to cooperate with a match-fixing probe and banned for two years. Zoysa was suspended for match-fixing.

  • Pakistan, Qatar agree to enhance bilateral trade volume

    In order to enhance bilateral trade, Pakistan and Qatar have agreed in principle on a preferential trade agreement (PTA) and a free trade agreement (FTA), The Express Tribune has reported, adding that the agreements would soon be signed after necessary formalities.

    Pakistan has also offered to establish a plant in Qatar to manufacture footballs for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as well as subsequent football tournaments.

    Nebras Power, a major investment group in Qatar’s energy sector, has expressed an interest in investing directly in Pakistan’s power sector.

    The Nebras Power Consortium will take part in the privatisation of the Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki power plants in Pakistan.

    It has formally informed the Pakistani government about its interest and hoped that it would promote direct cooperation between the two governments in the fields of energy and power generation.

    According to a document, Pakistan’s commerce and energy ministries attended the 5th Pak Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Qatar last month.

    A copy of the minutes issued by the signatories of the two countries was sent to the respective ministries for implementation of the decisions made by the two countries.

    Pakistan has expressed an interest in exporting sports goods for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Qatar has welcomed Pakistan’s interest and said it would consider its goods on the basis of price and quality for the mega event.

    The document also read that the Pakistani government had fully endorsed a report sent by the Qatar government to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to recognise its products, including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and natural gas, as ecofriendly.

    Qatar has also requested additional traffic rights to enhance aviation links with Pakistan. The two countries will consider the matter on a commercial basis.

    The two countries have agreed on an air service agreement in the near future to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Qatar in other areas of aviation and agreed to hold further meetings during the forthcoming air service talks scheduled to be held in Shi’ar Uqba, Jordan where further progress is expected in this regard.

    According to Qatar’s media, the two-way trade exchange between Qatar and Pakistan reached QR9.5 billion in 2018, witnessing an unprecedented 63pc growth as a result of better ties. The balance of trade is currently skewed in favour of Qatar due to the export of high-valued products to Pakistan. But the South Asian nation is also working aggressively to enhance collaboration in the field of manpower aiming to increase the flow of remittances, which will eventually make the economic relations more balanced.

  • ‘Every story has an end’: Sania Mirza says she is proud of everything Shoaib Malik has achieved

    ‘Every story has an end’: Sania Mirza says she is proud of everything Shoaib Malik has achieved

    Indian tennis star and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik’s wife, Sania Mirza, has said she is proud of her husband, who announced retirement from ODI cricket following Pakistan’s last match of the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

    “Today I retire from One Day International [ODI] cricket. Huge thank you to all the players I have played with, coaches I have trained under, family, friends, media and sponsors. Most importantly, my fans. I love you all. PakistanZindabad,” the all-rounder tweeted, ending his career spanning over 20 years.

    As soon as Malik announced his decision, Sania took to social media to congratulate the veteran on an astounding career.

    “Every story has an end, but in life, every ending is a new beginning.  Shoaib Malik, you have proudly played for your country for 20 years and you continue to do so with so much honour and humility. Izhaan and I are so proud of everything you have achieved but also for who you are,” she wrote.

    “I am retiring from one-day cricket. I’m sad as I’m leaving the format I loved the most but this will allow me to spend more time with my family and concentrate on the Twenty20 World Cup next year,” Malik had said in a press conference after the match against Bangladesh Friday.

    Malik played 287 ODIs and scored 7,534 runs with nine hundreds. His performance in the 2019 World Cup, however, left his fans disappointed.

  • PAKvBAN: How can Pakistan still qualify for the World Cup semi-finals?

    New Zealand’s defeat against England has put a heavy dent to Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the 2019 World Cup semi-finals, but some fans are still hopeful to see Green Shirts end up among the top four teams.

    Pakistan will get through if any of the following scenarios take place in their match against Bangladesh today.

    FIRST SCENARIO:

    If Pakistan win the toss and opt to bat first; they will have to score 400 runs and dismiss Bangladesh for just 84 runs.

    SECOND SCENARIO:

    The Green Shirts can also qualify by putting 350 runs on the scoreboard and dismissing all Bangladeshi batsmen for just 38 runs; however, if Bangladesh bat first, we stand no chance of qualifying.

    These two scenarios would guarantee that Pakistan overtake New Zealand on net run-rate (NRR) as both teams are still running for the final spot in the semi-finals race.

    New Zealand’s defeat to England has ended their campaign at 11 points on the World Cup points table. Pakistan is currently on nine points.

    Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a tie or no-result washout.

    If two sides are level on points at the end of the group stage, the one that has won more games goes through. Since they remain level, the side with the superior NRR — which in this case is New Zealand — advances.

  • Abdul Razzaq offers to make ‘faulty Hardik Pandya world’s best all-rounder in two weeks’

    Abdul Razzaq offers to make ‘faulty Hardik Pandya world’s best all-rounder in two weeks’

    Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Razzaq has offered to coach Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya to “improve his faulty techniques”.

    “Today I saw Pandya batting against West Indies and found a few issues in his foot movement, bat swing and body balance while hitting,” the former all-rounder said in a video on his official YouTube channel.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IXIaYFasBE

    On Thursday, Pandya scored a brisk 46 and shared a crucial 70-run partnership with MS Dhoni to help India post a competitive total of 268/7 against West Indies in their ICC World Cup 2019 game at the Old Trafford.

    Pandya chipped in with the ball and also took the wicket of opener Sunil Ambris. In fact, his send-off to the Windies opener became one of the talking points of the game.

    However, Razzaq, who scored 5,080 runs in ODI, said Pandya’s game had weaknesses, which needed to be worked upon.

    “If Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gives me just two weeks to coach Pandya, he can become world’s no 1 hitter and all-rounder,” he added.

  • 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.