Author: ali.hassan

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the schedule for the home series against the West Indies women’s cricket team on Wednesday. 

West Indies are scheduled to arrive in Karachi on 14 April to feature in eight white-ball matches, including three ODIs, which are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25.

The three ODI matches will be played at the National Bank Stadium (NBS) in Karachi on 18, 21 and 23 April.

The ODI series will be followed by five T20Is, to be played at the same venue on starting from 26 April.

The ODIs are set to begin at 330pm PKT, while the first ball in the T20Is will be bowled at 730pm PKT.

Pakistan women’s team are currently ranked third in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, securing 16 points from 18 matches, whereas the West Indies women’s team are positioned at number nine with eight points from 12 outings.

In the ICC Women’s T20I rankings, Pakistan are placed at eighth position, while West Indies occupy the sixth spot.

The forthcoming West Indies women’s team tour to Pakistan will be their second tour since 2021. West Indies last visited Karachi in November 2021 and featured in three ODIs.

The upcoming ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 series will also be the fourth series hosted at home by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Sri Lanka (June 2022), Ireland (November 2022) and South Africa (September 2023) women’s cricket teams have visited Pakistan during this period.

Pakistan’s last series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 will be the tour to England taking place in May this year.

“We extend a warm welcome to the West Indies women’s team to Pakistan for the upcoming series,” said Head of Women’s Cricket Tania Mallick.

“Hosting the fourth women’s championship series at home within the 2022-25 cycle is a testament to PCB’s commitment to promoting women’s cricket and providing our players with opportunities to shine on the international stage.

“The forthcoming series against West Indies is not just about cricket; it’s about developing relationships and strengthening bonds between cricketing nations.

“With the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 coming to its conclusion for the Pakistan women’s team, the stakes are higher than ever for the women’s team to qualify directly for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup.

“The current position of the Pakistan women’s team reflects our determination and dedication, and we aim to collect maximum points from the three championship matches at home.

“Later this year, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is also taking place. In light of this event and the team’s recent good performances in the shortest format, we have scheduled five T20Is against West Indies. The T20I series will help the selectors finalise the squad for the mega event.”

Series schedule:

14 Apr – West Indies women’s team arrival in Karachi

18 Apr – First ODI at National Bank Stadium (NBS), Karachi (330pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

21 Apr – Second ODI at NBS (330pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

23 Apr – Third ODI at NBS (330pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

26 Apr – First T20I at NBS (730pm local time)

28 Apr – Second T20I at NBS (730pm local time)

30 Apr – Third T20I at NBS (730pm local time)

2 May – Fourth T20I at NBS (730pm local time)

3 May – Fifth T20I at NBS (730pm local time)

READ: Wanindu Hasaranga’s return to Test cricket hindered

MELBOURNE: A significant rise in South Asian representation was witnessed in Cricket Australia (CA) as “Singh” surpassed “Smith” as the most registered surname.

According to the statistics shared by the cricketing body, Singh was the most registered surname with 4262 entries while 2364 Smiths were registered.

Further indicating the growth, South Asian surnames such as Khan, Patel, Sharma and Kumar are among the Top 16 out of 494 registered players’ surnames on CA’s players registration portal “Play HQ”.

The development comes at a time when the CA is actively pursuing strategies to integrate diverse communities into their cricket structure.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Australian Cricket’s Multicultural Action Plan, launched in December by Usman Khawaja and Lisa Sthalekar, is a significant element of their commitment to fostering inclusivity within the sport.

James Quarmby, CA’s Head of Participation said: “The continuing growth of registrations from multicultural communities is a testament to the progress being made toward our goal of being a Sport for All.

“We want people from multicultural communities to play a major role in all parts of the game at community and elite level, whether that is as players, coaches, officials, administrators or fans.

“With Pakistan coming for a white ball series and India’s men’s and women’s teams both in Australia next summer, we hope the surge in registrations from multicultural communities will be reflected in even bigger attendances at those matches.”

READ: Australia’s Matthew Wade announces retirement from red-ball cricket

KARACHI: Former pacer Aaqib Javed, the head coach of Lahore Qalandars, has opened up about his team’s struggles during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.

The defending champions Lahore Qalandars suffered six consecutive losses in the PSL 9 and crashed out of the playoff race.

Javed, while talking to the media in Karachi, stated that the availability and injury issues of their players were the major factors behind the team’s dismal performance.

“We tried to create a balanced team, however, David Wiese’s injury, Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s as well as other players’ absence caused problems for the team,” said the former pacer.

“Rashid Khan has always been the best option for our team, but unfortunately he could not participate this season.”

Aaqib Javed also reflected on Lahore Qalandars’ approach in the remaining games against Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“We lost some matches in the last minute. But now it is a matter of honour for our team to win the remaining matches,” he remarked.

He expressed hope that his team will turn things around in the match against arch-rivals Karachi Kings.

“Although we failed to defeat Karachi Kings for the past few games, they do not have a psychological advantage over us,” Aaqib Javed said.

“We have to play positive cricket and we can make a comeback,” he added.

He also praised Lahore Qalandars’ captain Shaheen Afridi, who completed 100 wickets in PSL during their match against Islamabad United.

“Shaheen [Afridi] has crossed the milestone of 100 wickets in PSL. It is a matter of honour for our team.”

READ: Josh Hazlewood stars as Australia dominate day one against New Zealand

Quetta Gladiators’ pace bowler Mohammad Amir has praised Peshawar Zalmi’s captain Babar Azam for his batting prowess in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.

While talking to the media in Karachi, Amir said that there is no ‘enmity’ with the star batter and that previous criticism was only based on performance.

“I have no enmity with Babar [Azam]. He played brilliantly against Islamabad United and his century was commendable for his shot selection,” said Mohammad Amir.

He also expressed his best wishes to the right-handed batter to replicate his current form in the national team as well.

“I hope that he replicates the same kind of performance in the Pakistan team as well,” he added.

Upon being asked about his international return, he denied any possibility of him coming out of retirement.

“I have no plans on returning to the national team. I am playing PSL at the moment and currently, my sole focus is on giving my best in PSL,” the left-arm bowler added.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Amir also acknowledged the importance of four-day cricket for young cricketers and commented that players should not be selected on PSL performance.

“Young players should play more four-day cricket to enhance their skills. PCB should attract young players to the longer format with lucrative contracts,” Amir said. “Players should not only be selected over their performance in PSL.”

Amir also commented on former Quetta Gladiators’ captain Sarfaraz Ahmed’s role in the team after his removal as captain.

“Sarfaraz [Ahmed] has served this team for eight years, which is a long time. He is still being treated in the same way and the captain takes his advice.”

Quetta Gladiators are currently sitting at the second spot in the points table of PSL 9 after winning three out of four matches.

READ: India’s Jaiswal, Gill rise in ICC Test Batting Rankings following England series win

ISLAMABAD: Young Tennis player Zainab Ali Naqvi, on Monday, succumbed to a shocking death on the sidelines of the ongoing ITF Juniors Tournaments, being held here.

According to the details, 17-year-old Zainab went to take a bath after competing in a match but was later found dead in the restroom.

“Zainab Ali Naqvi, a young tennis player who had come to Islamabad from Karachi to participate in the ITF Juniors Tournaments, passed away last night on 12th February 2024 in Islamabad,” stated the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF).

“Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President-PTF, Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, Ex-President-PTF, PTF Council members and the tennis fraternity at large offer their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

“May Allah bless the departed soul with eternal peace in heaven.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Tuesday’s matches of the ITF Juniors were postponed in memory of Zainab Ali Naqvi and will be held as per the schedule tomorrow.

The foreign and local players, their parents, coaches and the PTF Officials and staff observed a minute silence while a joint prayer was also offered for the deceased soul.

READ: Six captains unveil HBL PSL 9 Trophy in Lahore

KARACHI: Dilshad Ali defeated Muhammad Zubair in the playoff during the final of the 25th Sindh Open Golf Championship to win his first title at DHA Golf Club on Sunday.

Muhammad Zubair and Dilshad Ali were tied on 213 after 54 holes, resulting in a play-off to decide the winner.

In an interesting playoff, Dilshad Ali came out triumphant as Muhammad Zubair bogeyed while Dilshad made a par to win the championship.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The match was followed by a grand closing ceremony of the Silver Jubilee of the Sindh Open Golf Championship, where Sindh Golf Association President Khurram Khan was invited as the chief guest.

He distributed the prizes to the successful golfers: Muhammad Tariq in Senior Professional, Muhammad Kashan in Junior, Umar Khalid in Amateur, and Champion Dilshad Ali.

Golfer Dilshad Ali was presented the winning trophy and more than three and half hundred thousand rupees cash prize while Zubair Hussain who accomplished the feat of hole-in-one was also awarded a cash prize.

READ: Kieron Pollard named in England’s coaching setup for T20 World Cup 2024

Saad Baig will lead the 15-player Pakistan U19 squad in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will be played from 19 January to 11 February, 2024 in South Africa. 

Among the squad are Ali Asfand and Mohammad Zeeshan, both of whom had represented Pakistan in the previous edition of the U19 World Cup held in the West Indies in January-February 2022.

🚨 Pakistan U19 squad announced for ICC U19 World Cup 2024 🇵🇰

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/5pqXJZIMGp#PakistanFutureStars pic.twitter.com/8U8B3AheDr

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 23, 2023

 

11 players, who were part of the Pakistan squad for the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2023, managed to retain their spots in the team for the upcoming U19 World Cup.

The eight-team tournament saw Pakistan emerging as a standout force in Group A. The young talents from Pakistan proved their mettle by remaining undefeated in the group-stage matches.

Pakistan started their U19 Asia Cup campaign with a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Nepal before outclassing bitter rivals India by eight wickets, courtesy of Azan Awais’s century, who scored 105 runs off 130 balls.

Pakistan then concluded their group-stage campaign with a dominant 83-run victory over Afghanistan.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The Green Shirts then took on the hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the semi-final of the tournament and succumbed to a shock loss which marked the end of their brilliant campaign.

Chairman Junior Selection Committee Sohail Tanvir said: “I want to congratulate the 15 players who have made it into the squad for South Africa and I am confident that this well-balanced side has the capability and potential to perform well in the World Cup.

“While picking the team, we have considered the conditions in South Africa where the pitches are conducive to pace bowling and have aimed to cover all bases.”

Pakistan U19 squad – Saad Baig (captain and wicketkeeper), Ali Asfand (vice-captain), Ali Raza, Ahmad Hassan, Amir Hassan, Arfat Minhas, Azan Awais, Haroon Arshad, Khubaib Khalil, Mohammad Zeeshan, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Shahzaib Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Muhammad Riazullah and Ubaid Shah.

READ: Noman Ali ruled out of Test series against Australia

MELBOURNE: Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha scored half-centuries to help Pakistan post 323-8 on day one of the two-day practice match against Victoria XI at Junction Oval.

Pakistan declared their innings after scoring 323 runs at the loss of eight wickets in 78.4 overs, meanwhile, Victoria XI got to 47-1 in 11 overs at stumps on the first day of the two-day match.

Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique put up a 47-run opening stand, which was cut short when Abdullah (26, 58b, 4x4s) was caught off Sam Elliot’s bowling.

Imam-ul-Haq (37, 67b, 4x4s) was the next batter to fall as Pakistan went to the lunch break at 95-2.

Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan knitted a solid 103-run partnership to help push Pakistan’s total before retiring out.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Shakeel scored 70 runs from 87 balls with the help of nine boundaries, while his partner Rizwan played a 50-run knock from 70 balls, laced with six boundaries and one six.

Salman Ali Agha was the other major contributor with the bat until he fell to Doug Warren after scoring 51 runs from 73 balls, hitting six boundaries and two sixes.

A 33-ball-35 from Sarfaraz Ahmed, including four boundaries, helped Pakistan take the total to 323-8 in 78.4 overs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi struck early to take out opening batter Will Pucovski cheaply in the first over.

Marcus Harris (18 not out, 32b, 3x4s) and Blake Thomson (25 not out, 30b, 6x4s) remained on the crease as Victoria XI ended the day trailing by 276 runs and nine wickets in hand.

READ: Tom Curran vows to appeal after ‘intimidating umpire’ ban

MELBOURNE: Pakistan’s young right-arm pacer Khurram Shahzad suffered an injury scare following his team’s crushing defeat against Australia in the first Test of the three-match series.

In an official statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared that Khurram Shahzad complained of discomfort in his left side during the Perth Test.

“Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad complained of discomfort in his left side during the first Test in Perth,” stated PCB.

“Following his complaint, Khurram was sent for an MRI scan after the match.

“Further details will be shared in due course after the medical panel assesses the MRI reports.”

Khurram Shahzad had a decent start to his Test career as he picked up five wickets on his debut against Australia in Perth.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

For the unversed, Pakistan succumbed to a 360-run defeat against Australia after their batting lineup unfolded at a mere 89 in the fourth innings while chasing a mammoth total of 450.

The touring side could yield 271 runs in their first innings in reply to Australis’s 487.

Pakistan, who were at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table with a perfect, record, got another blow to their campaign when the International Cricket Council (ICC) penalized them for maintaining a slow over-rate during the Perth Test.

Pakistan were fined 10 per cent of their match fee and docked two ICC WTC points.

The sanction after a hammering defeat, consequently resulted in them slipping to the second spot with a winning rate of 61.11.

Two-time runners-up India benefitted from Pakistan’s demotion and reached the summit with a winning percentage of 66.67.

Australia squad:

Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan’s squad:

Shan Masood (captain), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Sajid Khan, Abrar Ahmed.

READ: Babar Azam returns to the top of ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings

The Pakistan cricket team reached Melbourne from Perth today to partake in the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Australia, which is scheduled to start on December 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Pakistan Test squad will hit the nets for the training session on December 21 in Melbourne, after having a rest on December 20.

The Greenshirts will then play a two-day practice match against Victoria XI on December 22 and 23.

After the game against Victoria XI, the Pakistan team will take a day to rest before resuming their training at the MCG on December 25.

Meanwhile, the Australia team will report to Melbourne on December 23 and partake in the training session for two days before kicking off the Boxing Day Test on December 26.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Australia also made a tweak to their squad for the second Test match against Pakistan as right-arm pacer Lance Morris has been omitted from Australia’s squad.

His omission was the only tweak made by the Australian selectors, trimming the 14-player squad they had in Perth to 13 for Melbourne.

Notably, Australia’s first-choice pacers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood did well in the first Test against Pakistan as they troubled the visitors’ batting unit, which led them to a thumping 360-run victory.

Their impressive performance in the Perth Test also indicates the possibility that skipper Cummins will opt for the same Playing XI for the second Test.

Australia Test squad

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner.

Pakistan Test squad

Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Nauman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sajid Khan

READ: Marnus Labuschagne fit for Boxing Day Test against Pakistan after injury scare