Author: ali.hassan

KALLANG: Renowned national wrestler and Olympian Inam Butt started his Beach Wrestling World Series 2023 campaign on a high by claiming three back-to-back victories.

Former champion and last edition’s bronze medal winner, scripted a flying start to his Beach Wrestling World series as the national wrestler blew away his opponents and claimed three successive victories.

Inam Butt, competing in the Group A of the 90kg category, locked horns with China’s Chaoqiang Yang in his first fight of the day.

The former champion thumped Yang 3-1 after a one-sided affair and qualified for the next fight.

Inam Butt then took on Belgium’s Jonas Van Caeneghem and utterly dominated him throughout the competition before blowing him away by the score of 3-0.

In his third duel on the opening day of the Beach Wrestling World Series, Inam Butt then came face to face with Romania’s Mihai Nicolae Palaghia and also secured a perfect 3-0 victory to taste his third triumph of the day.

It is pertinent to mention that Inam next faces Azerbaijan’s Ibrahim Yusubov in his final group-stage fight before the finals on Sunday.

READ: ‘We want to win World Cup,’ says Pakistan head coach Grant Bradburn

KARACHI: Head coach Haneef Khan, alongside three players of the Pakistan Junior Hockey team returned to the country on Saturday after participating in the recently-concluded Asia Cup.

Besides coach Haneef, three players of Pakistan Junior Hockey team Abdul Wahab, Arbaz Khan and Ayaz Ahmed also landed here at Jinnah International on Saturday afternoon.

The players received a warm welcome from the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) officials and their families at the airport. They also received garlands as a symbol of appreciation.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan finished as the runners-up of the Junior Hockey Asia Cup after falling for a 1-2 defeat against arch-rivals India in the blockbuster final.

Singh Angad Bir opened the scoring for India in the 12th minute via a brilliant field goal and gave his side an upper hand in the first quarter.

Hundal Araijeet Singh then doubled India’s lead just four minutes into the second quarter as Pakistan spilt a couple of opportunities to fire an equalizer.

The third quarter turned out to be a fortune changer for the green shirts as they finally registered a goal on the scoreboard, courtesy of a calculated field goal by Ali Basharat in the 37th minute.

Basharat’s goal forced India to be more defensive and they cordoned off their post to deny Pakistan any chance to fire the equalizer.

Pakistan made several attempts to breach India’s defences by dribbling past their defenders and awarded penalty corners but failed to fire the ball into the nets and thus India ran away with the victory.

Heading into the blockbuster final, both India and Pakistan were unbeaten in the continental event.

The arch-rivals have so far come face to face in four Junior Hockey Asia Cup finals with India winning on three occasions – 2004, 08 and 23 – while the green shirts emerged victorious once in 1996.

Furthermore, before this year’s tournament both Pakistan were level as the joint-most title-winning sides (3) but India’s latest title victory propelled them to the record title holder of the Asian event.

READ: Hosts Zimbabwe announce squad for Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Arslan Ash, the renowned ESports player, has once again claimed the title of Combo Breaker champion 2023, ARY News reported on Monday.

His exceptional skills and dedication have propelled him to the top, solidifying his status as a dominant force in the eSports arena.

“Another day, another win for Pakistan,” wrote Ash.

“Winning Combo Breaker back to back has been unreal. The entire journey was fun, filled with intense moments, but in the end, it all turned out amazing.

“Thank you, everyone, for always supporting me.”

Another day, another win for Pakistan 🇵🇰
Winning Combo Breaker back to back has been unreal. The entire journey was fun, filled with intense moments, but in the end, it all turned out amazing.

Thank you, everyone, for always supporting me. pic.twitter.com/MkjiiCOLwB

— Twis | Arslan Ash (@ArslanAsh95) May 29, 2023

ESports sensation Arslan Ash has brought another victory to Pakistan, making Pakistan proud by emerging as the champion in the event held in the USA.

Pakistan takes immense pride in Arslan Ash’s accomplishments, and his success serves as an inspiration for aspiring gamers across the country.

In the Tekken 7 finals, Arslan Ash defeated a South Korean player, securing the title for the second time.

It is evident that Arslan Ash is currently one of the world’s best Tekken players and has already clinched multiple international events.

ABOUT COMBO BREAKER

COMBO BREAKER is a community-based events and apparel brand dedicated to competitive fighting games. As international travel destinations for culture and competition, COMBO BREAKER conventions connect people to the history, camaraderie, rivalry, and unforgettable experiences needed to produce lifelong attachment to the Fighting Game Community.

From May 26-28, 2023, COMBO BREAKER’s annual convention has returned to the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA. With 140,000 square feet of venue space dedicated to a full weekend of fighting game experiences, this will be COMBO BREAKER’s largest event to date.

READ: Kylian Mbappe named best French player for fourth time in row 

MUZAFFARABAD: As Norway Cup — the largest international football tournament for players between 10 and 19 years old – draws closer, the process to pick the best street talent from Pakistan has kicked off on Monday.  

Muslim Hands, a charity organization based in Islamabad, began the trials from Muzaffarabad to select a 16-player squad of Pakistan street child football team.

In the first phase, trials will be conducted in different areas of Azad Kashmir, including Rawalakot, Bagh, Bhimber and Kotli.

In the second phase, camps will be set up across three different cities in Punjab which include Bhera, Wazirabad and Lahore.

Meanwhile, players from Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta will get their turn in the third phase.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan’s street football team will participate in the Norway Cup, scheduled from July 29 to August 5 in Oslo.

Last year, Pakistan finished second in the Street Child World Cup in Doha, Qatar after impressive performances.

They remained unbeaten throughout the tournament but lost the final against Egypt on penalties (4-3).

Pakistan’s forward Tufail Shinwari, who scored 13 goals, was adjudged the best player of the tournament. The 16-year-old hit back-to-back hat-tricks against Bosnia and Qatar before his side entered the knock-out stage.

READ: Vinicius Jr. faces racist abuse during Real Madrid’s defeat at Valencia

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain and star all-rounder Shahid Afridi will represent Pakistan in this year’s inaugural Over-40 World Cup, scheduled to take place from September 23 to October 8 here.

This was decided in a meeting held on Friday between the Chairman of Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) Fawad Ijaz Khan, Shahid Afridi, Director of PVCA and Owner of PSL Franchise Quetta Gladiators Nadeem Omar and Zafar Malik, CEO Shahid Afridi Foundation.

It was also agreed that Shahid Afridi Foundation will be CSR Partner for the Over 40s World Cup.

According to the details, a total of eight teams, including host Pakistan, will feature in the inaugural Over-40 World Cup including Australia, West Indies, Canada, USA, UAE, Hong Kong & Saudi Arabia.

Besides Afridi, legendary batters Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq will also represent Pakistan in the mega event.

The PVCA chairman further shared the details about the playing conditions and revealed an innings in the Over-40 World Cup will consist of 45 overs and also that the matches will be played across six different venues here.

“An innings of the Seniors World Cup will consist of 45 overs. The matches will be played at six different grounds in Karachi,” Fawad Ijaz shared.

“Day and night matches will also be played during the World Cup. The finals of the event will be telecasted live,” he concluded.

READ: Babar Azam’s cover drive or Virat Kohli’s? Shahid Afridi shares his opinion

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has come out in support of the country’s hosting right of the 2023 Asia Cup – scheduled later this year -, claiming, it is ‘our right to host international events’. 

The wicket-keeper batter said every major cricketing nation had toured Pakistan since the return of international cricket to its shore, adding, there was no excuse left for any team refusing to come to Pakistan.

“Our players and law enforcement agencies made tireless efforts to bring cricket back to Pakistan,” he said on Tuesday during the inauguration of Jinnah College Cricket Stadium here in Karachi.

“Many international teams have visited Pakistan so I don’t think there is any excuse left for any country not to send their team to our country.”

Moreover, Sarfaraz Ahmed stressed that Asian Cricket Council and International Cricket Council should take measures to bring all the teams to Pakistan for the international tournaments scheduled in Pakistan.

The 35-year-old also urged India to visit Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 since the people of the country eagerly wanted to see the blockbuster rivalry on their home soil.

“Pakistan is a great host. India should come to Pakistan,” he said.

It must be noted here that the fate of the upcoming Asia Cup hung in balance after India refused to send their team to Pakistan in October last year on political grounds and has since been trying to shift the tournament to a neutral venue.

Earlier, a report emerged that the two cricket boards were gradually moving towards a compromise and had nearly agreed to host India’s matches on a neutral venue while the rest of the tournament will be played in Pakistan.

As per the latest development, however, the BCCI has refused the hybrid proposal for both events and once again demanded to shift the Asia Cup entirely from Pakistan.

The two rival boards will further discuss the matter within the ACC platform to decide the fate of the six-team event.

READ: Pakistan’s World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan detained

KARACHI: New Zealand opener Will Young heaped praises on hard-hitting Pakistan batter Iftikhar Ahmed for his courageous knocks against the Blackcaps during the recently concluded white-ball series between the two sides. 

Pakistan’s lone warrior in the final ODI on Sunday, Iftikhar, smashed an unbeaten 94 from 72 balls to keep the opposition on their toes despite the top-order collapse. His heroic knock eventually went in vain as Pakistan were all-out for 252 while chasing 300.

Earlier in the T20I series, he also played a similar knock when he thrashed a blistering 60 in just 24 balls in the third game in Lahore but could not sail his side to the finish line.

The grit shown by Iftikhar did not go unnoticed as the Kiwi player Young spoke highly of his knock, claiming he was distressed after dropping the former on 60.

“He is an amazing player. I can recall a couple of knocks when he almost won the game singlehandedly” said Young in the post-match press conference.

“I think the game is never over when Ifitkhar is at the crease. And when I dropped him on 60 at point, my heart was pumping”

Young, who starred with a brilliant 87-run knock, said he was happy with the team’s victory and the way he played in the final ODI.

“We were able to take wickets today which we were not able to do in the previous game and managed to put pressure on the opposition,” he added

Commenting on the importance of the Pakistan tour before the World Cup – scheduled later this year in India – he said, “Playing in the subcontinent condition will help us a lot preparing for the mega event”.

Furthermore, the right-hander also hailed the local crowd for their support and lauded Pakistan for its great hospitality.

“They were obviously home fans but they were nice and friendly to us as well. And the way we were treated in hotel rooms at various hotels was outstanding,” he said.

“Hospitality was great,” he remarked.

New Zealand concluded their second tour of Pakistan this year on Sunday with a consolation 47-run win in the final ODI at National Bank Cricket Cricket to avoid the 5-0 series whitewash.

The tour commenced on April 24 with a five-game T20I series in Lahore and Rawalpindi. Despite falling behind 2-0 after the first two games, the visitors managed to tie the series at 2-2.

READ: No fissure in the team, claims Babar after Imam’s cryptic tweet

KARACHI: Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam has dispelled the impression of a rift between the players of the national team, saying, ‘The unity of the team is intact and there are no differences in the team at all.’

Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq posted a tweet on Sunday, believed to be an indirect way of venting out his anger for being benched in the fourth and fifth ODI of the recently concluded PAK vs NZ ODI series.

“Life is an unexpected journey so never expect anything from anyone”. Be patient, Allah is watching,” he wrote.

“Life is an unexpected journey so never expect anything from anyone”. Be patient, Allah is watching❗️

— Imam Ul Haq (@ImamUlHaq12) May 7, 2023

When Babar was asked about Imam’s cryptic tweet during the post-match press conference on Sunday, he replied he had not seen the tweet and would see it later.

“No one gets angry in this team. The unity of our team is phenomenal and it will remain like this,” he added.

“And when something like this happens we try to keep to ourselves because the trust level between us is quite good.”

The 28-year-also also shrugged off the reports that Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to retain him as the captain till the ODI World Cup later this year, saying, he had not been informed.

“I am not aware if the board has made that decision. There hasn’t been any communication with me in this regard.”

However, while commenting on Pakistan’s possible squad for the mega event, Babar said he and the management had 15 to 20 players in mind whose names would only be revealed before the World Cup.

“Every match before the World Cup is important for us and we are trying to utilize it,” he said.

Elaborating on the team’s performance in the recently concluded five-game ODI series against New Zealand, the Pakistan captain said, “There were many positives and we were able to check on our bench strength in the series”

“We tried to clean sweep the Black Caps but the way we planned, we couldn’t finish it that way.”

“We planned to finish the series on a better note; however, early wickets led to our defeat,” he lamented.

Tom Latham-led New Zealand took a 47-run consolation win in the final ODI at National Bank Cricket Arena on Sunday to deny Pakistan a 5-0 clean sweep in the series.

The defeat dethroned Pakistan from the No.1 spot in the ODI rankings which they achieved for the first time in history following their dominant win in the fourth ODI on Friday.

READ: PAK vs NZ: New Zealand team leaves after concluding Pakistan tour

KARACHI: New Zealand’s Men’s cricket team left for their country in the wee hours of Monday morning soon after concluding the final match of the PAK vs NZ ODI series. 

The Blackcaps played five T20Is and as many ODIs between April 14 and May 7 during their second visit to Pakistan this year.

Taking to Twitter, the visitors thanked Pakistan for hosting them as the Kiwis ended their recent tour not as successful as the previous one.

Thanks for having us for the last month Pakistan! Homeward bound after 10 matches against @TheRealPCB and time in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi. #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/ChVF3VQG3n

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) May 8, 2023

Under the captaincy of Kane Williamson, New Zealand beat Pakistan 2-1 in a three-match ODI series earlier in January after the Tim Southee-led Test team drew the two Tests.

On Sunday, the Blackcaps claimed a consolation win in the five-game PAK vs NZ ODI series here at the National Bank Cricket and denied Pakistan a 5-0 clean sweep, which would’ve maintained the Green Shirts’ top spot on the ODI rankings.

Pakistan became the No.1 ODI team for the first time since the advent of the ICC Rankings system in January 2005 after their dominant 102-run victory in the fourth ODI on Friday.

In the T20I series, the touring side managed to level the series 2-2 despite trailing 2-0 after the first two matches.

READ: PAK vs NZ: Iftikhar blitz in vain as New Zealand down Pakistan in fifth ODI

KARACHI: Pakistan’s young leg-spinner Usama Mir has thrown his weight behind his fellow Shadab Khan after he shone in Pakistan’s dominating 102-run victory over New Zealand in the fourth PAK vs NZ ODI.

Usama interacted with the media after Pakistan outclassed New Zealand in the fourth ODI of the five-match series which propelled the home side to the top of the ODI rankings for the first time ever.

The leg-spinner returned with sensational bowling figures of 4/43 on a batting-friendly surface which saw Pakistan piling up a mammoth total of 334/6 in the first innings.

He responded to a question regarding his competition with vice-captain Shadab Khan and refuted the claim by stating that he has no tie with anyone in the team and is only focused on his preparations for the World Cup.

“As I told earlier, this team has cultivated a champion mindset, which helps the players be ready for opportunities when they arise,” said Usama.

“There is no such thing that I have a competition with anyone. We are being prepared for the World Cup so that if anyone gets a chance, he will bring success to Pakistan,” he maintained.

Usama Mir then expressed his hope that his fellow leg-spinner Shadab Khan regains his rhythm before the world cup after terming him the match-winner.

“Shadab is our match-winner, he has been very successful for Pakistan in the past, so I think him regaining his rhythm is very important for us and the way he performed in the previous match, indicated that he’s finding it back,” said Usama.

“So, it is a good sign for us ahead of the World Cup and both of us will be ready to grab the opportunity whenever given,” he maintained.

It is pertinent to mention that Usama’s four wickets after skipper Babar Azam’s record-breaking century aided Pakistan to retain their dominance over New Zealand in the ongoing PAK vs NZ ODI series.