Author: ali.hassan

KARACHI: Following their 2-1 triumph over Pakistan in the recently-concluded ODI series, New Zealand departed for India to play a three-match ODI and T20I series.

According to the details, the Blackcaps squad left for India via a chartered flight on Saturday morning after their historic tour to Pakistan ended in their favour.

New Zealand, which toured Pakistan for a Test and ODI series, scripted history in the shorter format as they tasted their first triumph in the sub-continent after they beat Bangladesh in 2008.

Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and veteran pacer Tim Southee will travel back to their country to prepare for the Test series against England, while Mark Chapman and Jacob Duffy will replace them for the India tour.

Williamson’s deputy Tom Latham will take the reigns in the ODI series against India and Luke Ronchi will take up the head coach role.

It is pertinent to mention that New Zealand will commence their India tour with the three-match ODI series, scheduled for January 18 to 24, followed by T20Is, scheduled on January 27 to February 1.

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KARACHI: The Chief Executive of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) David White reviewed New Zealand’s historic tour to Pakistan and expressed his satisfaction towards the security in the country.

In a video statement, released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), White coined the Pakistan tour a good one and also shared that there are no security concerns among the players.

“It [New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan] is being great and we’ve been very well looked after and the security has been fantastic and the cricket has been amazing as well so we are having a great time,” said White.

“They [New Zealand players] are enjoying the hospitality, the quality of cricket and they are having a great time and feeling very safe and secure,” he added.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White reflects on the tour of Pakistan and looks ahead to more bilateral cricket in the future.@BLACKCAPS #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/l1ce5Nps6K

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 12, 2023

 

The NZC Chief Executive also revealed that their cricket governing body was in contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) and toured Pakistan with a lot of confidence as the earlier two tours went great.

“We have the same security provided as England which is excellent. So, we had a lot of contact with England and Australia and of course, other teams had toured here so we came with a lot of confidence and we’re enjoying the tour,” White stated.

White then asserted that the two cricket boards have always had a close working relationship and also shared the history of both nations becoming a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) simultaneously.

“We’ve always had a very close working relationship with Pakistan. I think we became full members of the ICC at the same time. The teams get on really well and compete hard on the field and of course, we’ve had some great pictures of the years so, we couldn’t be happier,” White concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that New Zealand are currently on a tour to Pakistan to play a two-match Test and three-match ODI series.

The historic Test series between the two sides ended in a 0-0 draw, while the ongoing ODI series is currently levelled at 1-1 with the final fixture due to be played on January 13 here.

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KARACHI: A session court on Thursday released the two accused held by the police for invading the pitch during the second One-Day international between Pakistan and New Zealand. 

The court granted bail orders to the accused, Mohammad Abbas and Javed Khan, on surety bonds of Rs30,000 each.

The offenders claimed they entered the field to meet the wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan since they liked him, saying they had been ‘handcuffed in the love of Rizwan’.

The incident occurred the other day when the two fans trespassed the fences and ran into the ground while skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were batting on the crease. One of them also hugged the wicket-keeper batter.

Meanwhile, the pitch invaders confessed they had broken the law and resolved to attend the next match after they were released by the court.

The third and final match of the series, currently level at 1-1, will be played on Friday.

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KARACHI: After executing the “world’s longest boat rally” from Karachi to Gawadar in November 2021, Pakistan Boat Rally and Fishing Tournament are set to carry another fascinating voyage from Karachi to Astola Island next month, said the organizers on Wednesday. 

“In February 2023 we will be repeating history again by challenging our nerves to cover the length from Karachi to Astola Island and in between we will discover the beautiful Lagoon of Miani Hor (Daam),” said CEO Ahmed Mamoor Amimi in a press release.

“This time we will promote sea and beach cleaning by conducting a cleaning campaign on Daam Beach and Astola Island.” 

The earlier edition of the event organized in 2021 witnessed nine boats with 65 crew members voyaging 650 kilometres for five days and four nights from Karachi to Gawadar, making it the longest boat rally in the world.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Boat Rally and Fishing Tournament, headed by serial entrepreneur and passionate sea lover, Mr Amimi, seeks to promote Pakistan’s blue tourism potential through sea sporting events.

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KARACHI: New Zealand cricket team will wear black armbands during today’s second ODI against Pakistan to mourn the death of its former Test cricketer Bruce Murray.

Murray, who played 13 Test for New Zealand between 1968 and 1971, died on Tuesday aged 82. He was also a historian, educator and author. He was the grandfather of White Ferns Amelia and Jess Kerr.

The right-handed opener, Murray, scored 598 runs at an average of 23.92, including five fifties. He played a leading role in New Zealand’s first Test and a series win against the hosts Pakistan in 1969.

The New Zealand ODI side, led by Kane Williamson, will pay their tributes to Murray by wearing black bands in the second match against the hosts Pakistan at National Bank Cricket Arena.

Blackcaps are currently 1-0 behind Pakistan in the three-match series after a six-wicket defeat in the first ODI on Monday.

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s premium pacer Naseem Shah blamed the sudden shift from T20 to the longest format of the game for the pervasive injuries to the team’s fast bowlers in the recently concluded home Test season.

Naseem, who impressed the other day with a five-wicket haul in the first ODI against New Zealand, said he and fellow pacers would try to manage their workload in future in order to avoid such adverse situations.

“Unfortunately, we did not have any other pacers ready for the series (Tests), so we had to play it,” he said in a post-match press conference on Monday. “We went from bowling four overs (in T20s) to longer spells in Test cricket, which obviously overload your muscles.”

Naseem missed the second and third Tests of the England series in the previous month due to a shoulder injury. He returned to the Test side only in the second Test against New Zealand.

Meanwhile, fellow pacer Haris Rauf was left out of both series after sustaining a quad injury in the first Test against England in Rawalpindi.

Both the pacers were included in Pakistan’s ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand and played the first game yesterday.

Naseem rattled New Zealand’s batting line with his express pace and returned outstanding bowling figures of 5 for 57 to help Pakistan seal a convincing six-wicket win.

“I bowled according to my strength and the plan, and produced the desired results,” he said, calling the victory an overall team effort.

“I enjoy playing every format and try to improve my game day by day,” he replied when asked whether he like the white-ball format more than the red-ball.

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LAHORE: Eminent boxer Muhammad Waseem, female Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Anita Karim and eSports sensation Arsalan Ash received top awards at the Pakistan Sports Awards (PSA) 2022, held here at the Punjab Gymnasium on Saturday. 

Amongst the 17 award categories, Waseem, famously known as Falcon Waseem, was named Sportsman of the Year while Arsalan received the Esports Athlete of the Year award at the exclusive event, hosted by Sports Board Punjab. 

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s sprint legend, Abdul Khaliq, who won 100 gold medals in the national games, 26 gold medals and 23 silver medals in the international games, received the Lifetime Achievement award at the event.

A total of 85 nominees competed for the prestigious 24-carat gold trophy in 17 categories in the second edition of the PSA.

The awards were presented by prominent stars including Aleem Dar, AisamUl Haq, Mahoor Shahzad, Wahab Riaz, Azhar Ali, Kulsoom Hazara, Nargis Hazara, and Imam Ul Haq among other notable personalities of Pakistan

The event was hosted by renowned show anchor Fahad Mustafa while Zainab Abbas and Ahsan Khan were the co-hosts. 

The star-studded attendees at the event included Arshad Nadeem (Javelin), Haniya Minhas
(Tennis), Rabiya Shahzad (Powerlifting), Nighat Kausar (Rowing), Irum Javed (Cricket), and many other high achievers, athletes, coaches, referees, journalists, and sports fans.

Complete List of Winners of Pakistan Sports Awards 2022:

Amna Fayyaz – Emerging Star of The Year 

Haider Ali – Special Abilities Sportsperson of The Year 

Tariq Saeed – Commentator of The Year

Faizan Lakhani – Sports Journalist of The Year

Sawera Pasha – Sports Show Host of The Year

Sensei Ghulam Ali – Coach of The Year

Pakistan Kabaddi Team – Team of The Year

Chacha Cricket – Toofani Fan of The Year

Arslan Ash – eSports Athlete of The Year

Kiran Khan – Sports Icon of The Year (female)

Aleem Dar – Sports Icon of The Year (male)

Hajra Khan – Stylish Athlete of The Year (female)

Aisam Ul Haq Qureshi – Stylish Athlete of The Year (male)

Falcon Waseem – Sportsman of The Year

Anita Karim – Sportswoman of The Year

Abdul Khaliq – Lifetime Achievement Award

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam has sent a clear message to his critics, saying he does not have to appease anyone. 

“My job is to play cricket and enjoy my game,” he said in a pre-series press talk on Sunday. “I do not need to answer or satisfy anyone. I know my game and my responsibility, be it as a batsman or as a captain.”

The strong reply from Pakistan’s captain came at a time when the national side has just finished its home Test season with a series whitewash by England, followed by a nil-nil draw against New Zealand.

Ahead of the three-match One-Day international series against New Zealand, commencing tomorrow, Babar said his team would try to switch from the Test mode as quickly as possible and continue their momentum in the white-ball format.

“We have been playing positive cricket in white ball. We will try to continue this momentum and begin this new year with positive results” he added.

Talking about Shan Masood’s possible inclusion in the playing XI since he has been named as the team’s vice-captain in the upcoming ODIs, the skipper maintained that none of the players was certain to play the upcoming matches.

“At this moment, I cannot say about any individual player, be it vice-captain or XYZ, that he will be part of playing XI ” he said.

“We will play our best XI and try to win this series” he added.

With three uncapped – Tayyab Tahir, Usama Mir and Kamran Ghulam – and two returning – Haris Sohail and Shan – players selected in the squad, Babar insisted it was not difficult for him to accommodate new faces in the team.

“They (Haris and Shan) have already played for Pakistan. Tayyab Tahir and Kamran Ghulam are the top performers in domestic cricket and they must grab it if they are given the opportunity to play for the national team” he said

The three-match series is a part of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. The second and third ODIs will take place on January 11 and 13, respectively.

Pakistan ODI Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir and Usama Mir

KARACHI: The trophy for the One-Day International series between Pakistan and New Zealand has been unveiled on Sunday here at National Bank Cricket Arena.

The glittering trophy was revealed by Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam and his New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson as both the captains posed with the trophy.

Trophy Unveiling Ceremony @babarazam258 & Kane Williamson#Pakistan #BabarAzam pic.twitter.com/kK0zGyyF8E

— Ali Hasan 🏅 (@AaliHasan10) January 8, 2023

The three-match series, beginning tomorrow, is a part of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. The second and third ODIs will take place on January 11 and 13, respectively.

The upcoming series gives Pakistan an opportunity to dethrone New Zealand and secure the top position in the ODI rankings.

The Green Shirts are currently fifth on the list with 107 rating points. If Pakistan clean sweep the series, they will jump to the number one spot with 114 rating points.

Earlier, the Test series between the two sides went undecisive after both matches ended in draws.

ODI Squads: 

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir and Usama Mir

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.

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KARACHI: Both squads of Pakistan and New Zealand will start training tomorrow for the upcoming three-match ODI series, scheduled to commence on Monday.

According to the details, the teams will carry out robust training sessions at the National Bank Cricket Arena from 4 pm to 7 pm tomorrow.

Meanwhile, before the commencement of training, the captains of both teams – Babar Azam and Kane Williamson – will also unveil the trophy and hold the pre-series press conferences.

It is pertinent to mention that all three matches of the ODI series will take place here on January 9, 11 and 13 respectively.

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