Author: ali.hassan

South Africa women’s cricket team arrived in Pakistan on Friday to play a three-match T20I series against the home side.

The South African side touched down at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore and reached Multan by road, where the series will be played.

South Africa women’s cricket team was warmly welcomed in a traditional manner at the local hotel in Multan.

The visiting team will rest today while the Pakistan women’s team will train at Inzamam-ul-Haq Cricket Academy today at 3:30 PM.

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Notably, the three-match series will serve as the preparation for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 3 to 20 October.

To ensure all three matches are broadcast live and give exposure to women’s cricket, the matches on 16 and 18 September will start at 7 pm, while the match on 20 September will begin at 10 am.

After the series, South Africa will depart for the UAE on 21 September, while Pakistan will leave on 23 September.

Pakistan is in Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, along with Australia, India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka, while South Africa is grouped with Bangladesh, England, Scotland and the West Indies.

Pakistan squad for Women’s T20 World Cup and South Africa series

Fatima Sana (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal (subject to fitness), Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab and Tuba Hassan

READ: Kamran Ghulam, pacers steer Markhors to dominant win against Panthers

Pakistan’s Punjabi folk icon Arif Lohar, who is currently in Australia these days, visited the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Pakistani folk music legend soaking in the rich history and atmosphere of the venue. During his tour, he explored the dressing rooms and learned about the ground’s significance from the MCG tour guide.

The guide shared insights into Pakistan’s cricketing history at the MCG, including the 1992 World Cup final and the team’s last Test match played under Shan Masood’s leadership.

With the Pakistan team set to play a white-ball series match at the MCG in November, Arif Lohar’s visit marks an exciting moment for cricket and music fans alike.

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Currently on tour in Australia, Arif Lohar is spreading Pakistani culture and music across the globe, with his popular songs like “Jugni Ge” and “Aa Tenu Moaj” being loved by fans everywhere.

It’s worth noting that Cricket Australia (CA) has announced plans to set up dedicated Pakistan fan zones for the upcoming white-ball series.

The five venues in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Adelaide will feature fan zones designated for Pakistani fans.

CA will set up designated seating areas for Pakistan fans, where they can comfortably watch the high-intensity action while enjoying halal food, and desi cuisines. Pakistan fan zones will also have designated prayer areas for fans.

READ: Jason Gillespie to depart for Australia after Pakistan-Bangladesh series

Pace sensation Naseem Shah and explosive batter Fakhar Zaman are among the nominations from Pakistan for the upcoming draft of Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).

Pakistan announced a total of 64 men and 11 women cricketers to participate in the BBL draft, which is scheduled to take place on September 1.

The new nominees will join previously nominated Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan in the draft.

Along with Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman, the new list of nominees includes Shan Masood, Saim Ayub, Usman Qadir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali and Mohammad Hasnain.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s women players Fatima Sana, Nida Dar, Diana Baig, Aliya Riaz, and Nashrah Sandhu as well as rising stars Tuba Hasan and Arooba Shah will participate in the WBBL draft.

The Big Bash League (BBL) is scheduled to kick off on December 15, with Perth Scorchers clashing against Melbourne Stars in the tournament opener in Perth. The tournament will culminate with the final on January 27, 2025.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will run from October 27 to December 1, with the opening game seeing Adelaide Strikers take on Brisbane Heat at the Adelaide Oval.

READ: Usman Khawaja opens up on possibility of coaching Pakistan in future

Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and his wife Ansha Afridi have welcomed their first child on Saturday.

The delightful news was announced by the Afridi family on social media, where fans and well-wishers from around the world extended their their heartfelt congratulations.

The couple is blessed with a baby boy, whom they have named Ali Yar.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), other cricketers have congratulated the star pacer on becoming the dad of the bay boy.

In July, reports surfaced that Shaheen and Ansha were expecting their first child.

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Pakistan’s red ball coach, Jason Gillespie, had mentioned the possibility of Shaheen missing the then-upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.

“Shaheen can miss Bangaladesh Test matches due to childbirth,” Gillespie was quoted saying. “We can give him [some] rest if he wants to stay with his wife till then,” he said.

Currently, Pakistan is playing a two-match Test series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, with the first Test having commenced on August 21.

Shaheen will leave for Karachi after the end of first Test and would join the team before the start of second Test on August 30.

The left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi got engaged to the second-eldest daughter of the former skipper of the national cricket team, Ansha Shahid in 2021, while their nikah was solemnized in a private affair in February last year.

The week-long wedding festivities and Rukhsati of Ansha with Shaheen were held in September 2023.

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Legendary pacer Wasim Akram was invited as the chief guest for Pakistan’s Independence Day celebration at the Consulate-General of Pakistan, Melbourne on Wednesday.

The ceremony highlighted the healthy diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Australia.

The Consul General at Pakistan Consulate General, Melbourne, Mr Syed Moazzam H. Shah thanked Wasim Akram and Cricket Australia (CA) officials for attending the event.

During the ceremony, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2003 trophy was put on display while children also competed in the national songs competed.

“The purpose of bringing the World Cup trophy is to double the fun of Independence Day for Pakistani fans,” said a CA official.

“We hope that fans will fully participate in the series against Pakistan,” he added.

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Legendary pacer Wasim Akram also addressed the ceremony and wished the nation on the 77th Independence Day.

He also lauded star athlete Arshad Nadeem for winning the historic gold medal at the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024.

“Happy Independence Day to all Pakistanis,” said Akram.

“Arshad Nadeem has given the gift of Independence Day to the nation by winning the gold medal,” he added.

READ: Arshad Nadeem among sports personalities awarded Civil Awards

KARACHI: A security delegation of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) visited the National Bank Stadium here on Thursday to assess the arrangements for the upcoming England tour of Pakistan, later this year.

The security delegation visited different areas of the National Stadium and reviewed the security arrangements at the stadium and its surroundings.

The security delegation also reviewed the construction work of the stadium, whereas, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials briefed them about the ongoing work.

England is set to tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series in October this year. The tour begins with the First Test in Multan from October 7-11, before moving to Karachi for the Second Test from October 15-19. The Third Test will be in Rawalpindi from October 24-28.

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The three-match series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. It will be the second time England Men have played a Test series in Pakistan in under two years, with England having won the last series 3-0 in December 2022.

It is worth mentioning here that the three-match home Test series against England is part of the Pakistan men’s cricket team’s busy home international season 2024-25.

Besides England, Pakistan will host Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in August, followed by a three-match series against West Indies in January next year while they will play two away Tests against South Africa in December-January.

The nine Tests against Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies will be part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

SERIES SCHEDULE

7-11 October, 2024 – First Test, Multan

15-19 October, 2024 – Second Test, Karachi

24-28 October, 2024 – Third Test, Rawalpindi

READ: Babar Azam to bat at THIS number in first Bangladesh Test

SKARDU: Asad Ali Memon, a renowned mountaineer from Pakistan, has successfully become the first summitter of the season on Mount Spantik, also known as the Golden Peak.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in what has been a challenging season, with recent attempts proving unsuccessful and resulting in the tragic loss of three Japanese climbers.

This ascent adds another prestigious peak to the impressive record of Asad Ali Memon.

Having already climbed the highest mountains on five continents including Everest, this successful summit of Mount Spantik furthers his mission to conquer the world’s most challenging peaks.

Mount Spantik have a very hard and steep route to climb from camp 1 to the summit which Asad did exceptionally well.

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Asad’s dedication and resilience in the face of adversity continue to inspire climbers both in Pakistan and around the world.

His achievement on Mount Spantik underscores his exceptional skill and determination in one of the most demanding sports on the planet.

For the unversed, Asad Ali Memon became the first person from Sindh province to scale Mount Everest in May 2023.

Memon conquered the 8849-metre-tall peak on Friday at 7:51 AM (PST) and became one of the four Pakistanis to successfully summit Everest this season after Sajid Sadpara, Naila Kiani and Nadia Azad.

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DARWIN: A strong bowling performance from the pace attack helped Pakistan Shaheens register a thumping eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh A in the 50-over match here on Tuesday.

After opting to bowl first, Pakistan Shaheens’ pace bowlers ran riot with the new ball striking at regular intervals.

Khurram Shahzad dismissed Tanzid Hasan and Akbar Ali while Mohammad Imran Jnr struck from the other end to dismiss Jishan Alam, Parvez Hossain and Afif Hossain within the batting powerplay.

The fast-bowling duo left Bangladesh A in deep trouble at 32-5 after 9.4 overs.

Only Parvez, the top scorer, managed to enter double figures (19) among the top five batters.

Mahfuzur Rahman (12) and Shamim Hossain (13) stitched a 21-run partnership before the wickets started falling again as the Bangladesh A lost their last five scalps for a mere 25 runs.

Mubasir Khan dismissed Mahfuzur and Abu Haider Rony (10) in the 16th and 20th overs, respectively.

Jahandad Khan soon joined the wicket-takers column by eking out Shamim Hossain (13) and Ripon Mondol in the 21st over.

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Rakibul Hasan (5) and Mukidul Islam (3) added 10 runs for the last wicket before Arafat Minhas dismissed the latter as Bangladesh A were bundled out for 78 in 24.3 overs.

Imran Jnr bagged three scalps while Khurram, Jahandad and Mubasir picked up two wickets each. Arafat had a solitary wicket to his name.

Pakistan Shaheens achieved the 79-run target in 17 overs as Usman Khan top-scored with 39 not out off 45 balls with the help of five fours and one six.

Tayyab Tahir returned undefeated on 17 runs off 36 balls, hitting one boundary.

Usman shared a 48-run second-wicket stand with Faseeh and an unbeaten 27-run third-wicket partnership with Tayyab to take Shaheens over the line.

Sahibzada Farhan copped a seven-ball duck as he fell prey to Ripon Mondol in the second over.

Mondol was the lone wicket-taker for Bangladesh ‘A’ as he dismissed Shaheen’s opening batters.

Pakistan Shaheens will play their first match in the Top End T20 series against Perth Scorchers on 10 August.

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The Pakistan Street Child Football team drew an agonizing outcome in the ongoing Norway Cup 2024 as they succumbed to a defeat against Norway’s Forde IL in the semi-final.

The team, playing under the name of Muslim Hands FC, had an unwanted start to the semi-final as they conceded an early goal in the first half.

Pakistan team, however, made a stunning comeback in the second half as skipper Mohammad Adeel struck a brilliant equalizer.

The scoreline remained intact at 1-1 until the regulation time of 60 minutes and headed towards the penalty shootout.

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Pakistan Street Child Football team made a costly error in the shootout as they failed to convert one of the chances from the spot.

Forde IL, on the contrary, converted all the penalties and stormed into the Norway Cup 2024.

Pakistan’s defeat in the semi-final concluded their outstanding run in the tournament as the side, who remained unbeaten till the last four, scored a mammoth 26 goals and conceded only five.

Pakistan’s squad for Norway Cup 2024

Goalkeepers: Aryan, Adeel Ali Khan
Defenders: Asad Nasir, Ubaidullah, Mohammad Adeel, Hamza Gul
Midfielders: Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Khan, Daniyal, Owais, Mohammad Osama
Forwards: Mohammad Kashif, Isa Khan, Shahid Anjum, Abdul Ghani

For the unversed, the Pakistan street child football team finished as the runners-up of the previous edition of the Norway Cup after falling to a 9-10 defeat on penalties against Sola FK.

Pakistan street child football team entered the final after remaining unbeaten in seven games.

The national team scored the most goals by any team in the tournament and also recorded the largest victory in the tournament’s history when they blew Frigg Oslo FK 11-1.

For an exceptional tournament, Pakistan’s Asad Nasir was adjudged the player of the Norway Cup 2023.

READ: Pakistan Shaheens make two changes for white-ball leg of Darwin tour

OSLO: Pakistan Street Child Football Team registered a thrilling 3-2 victory over Team Germany JSG Leinetal to qualify for the semi-final of the ongoing Norway Cup 2024.

The Pakistan U17 team, playing under the name of Muslim Hands FC, came from behind to snatch a sensational victory over Germany, courtesy of a last-minute winner.

The national team scored one goal in the first half and two in the second.

For Pakistan, Mohammad Kashif scored a brace while Mohammad Junaid chipped in with a strike.

Pakistan street child football team will compete in the semi-final later today.

The team faced a notable challenge for the first time in the ongoing tournament on Thursday when they squared off against Strindheim Toppfotball in the pre-quarterfinal.

However, the Pakistan team dealt brilliantly with the pressure as they secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Strindheim Toppfotball with a late strike in the dying minutes.

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For Pakistan, Ubaidullah, Mohammad Kashif and Isa Khan scored one goal apiece.

Earlier that day in the playoff stage, the national team registered a thumping 5-0 victory over CharlottenLund SK 1 to book their spot in the pre-quarterfinals.

For the unversed, the Pakistan street child football team finished as the runners-up of the previous edition of the Norway Cup after falling to a 9-10 defeat on penalties against Sola FK.

Pakistan street child football team entered the final after remaining unbeaten in seven games.

The national team scored the most goals by any team in the tournament and also recorded the largest victory in the tournament’s history when they blew Frigg Oslo FK 11-1.

For an exceptional tournament, Pakistan’s Asad Nasir was adjudged the player of the Norway Cup 2023.

READ: Pakistan out of another medal race as sprinter Faiqa falters in Paris