Author: Najeeb Ul Hasnain

Former pacer believes Kirsten’s report led to Babar’s resignation

Former Pakistan pacer Yasir Arafat claimed that white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten’s report after the national team’s dismal run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 resulted in Babar Azam’s resignation from captaincy.

Kirsten reportedly wrote a confidential report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which got leaked in the media, in which he highlighted the issues that contributed to Pakistanā€™s disastrous performance during the T20 World Cup 2024.

The former champions, under the captaincy of Babar Azam, were knocked out of the group stage of the tournament for the first time, mainly due to their upset defeat against co-host United States of America (USA) in the campaign opener, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

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Meanwhile, three months after the national team’s early exit from the mega event, Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam, shockingly announced to step down from the role to focus more on his batting.

But, former Pakistan cricketer Yasir Arafat was of the view that Babar’s resignation was linked with Gary Kirsten’s report.

“If you remember, after the end of the T20 World Cup 2024 Gary Kirsten wrote a report,” said Arafat.

“So, I think, the recommendations he gave, especially regarding Babar’s captaincy after analyzing his leadership in England and also in the World Cup, led to Babar’s resignation.

“Also, he [Kirsten] had analyzed that Babar was not the perfect candidate for Pakistan captaincy.”

Earlier today, it was reported that Gary Kirsten wanted Babar Azam to continue as the captain of the ODI team. However, he was keen on replacing Babar as captain in T20I format.

However, Babar decided to quit as captain from both formats and informed a top official in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) before announcing his resignation.

READ: Hasan Ali reacts to Babar Azamā€™s resignation as Pakistan captain

Weightlifter Nooh Dastgir Butt blames authorities over Paris Olympics absence

Pakistan weightlifter Nooh Dastgir Butt lamented the lack of support from the sports institutions of the country for his absence from the Paris Olympics, scheduled to run from July 26 to August 11.

Butt appeared at ARY News’ show Sports Room and expressed his disappointment over not being able to represent Pakistan in the biggest sporting event.

“The athlete from New Zealand, whom I beat in the Commonwealth Games, is participating in the Olympics but I am not. All because of the [authorities], neither I participated in any qualifying event nor was sent for international training,” said Butt.

“They should have sent me for international training right after the Commonwealth Games and also for qualifying events so that I would participate in the Olympics and win a medal for Pakistan,” he added.

When probed about the difficulties in his professional career, Butt termed the sports institutions as the biggest hurdle before going on to appeal to the government for an ample platform.

“The biggest difficulty for me currently is the sports institutions of Pakistan, who did not send me for Olympics qualifiers. But now, all I can do is appeal to the government to provide me an international platform so that I can prepare for upcoming events like Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics,” Butt said.

In May this year, weightlifter Nooh Dastgir Butt shared that he has been sidelined from this yearā€™s Asian Games and Paris Olympics 2024 for allegedly being part of a parallel weightlifting interim committee.

However, the Commonwealth Games gold medalist has refuted the accusations made against him and categorically denied his affiliation with any interim weightlifting committee.

Taking to his Instagram account, Nooh Dastgir Butt shared an official letter, that he received from the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF), which expressed reservations over his inclusion in the weightlifting event of the ongoing National Games.

ā€œI, unfortunately, wonā€™t be able to participate in future weightlifting competitions ā€” be it National Games (2023) or international competitions like Asian Games (2023) or Olympic Games (2024) ā€” as I have been alleged to be a member of a parallel weightlifting interim committee by the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF). As a result, I wonā€™t be given an opportunity or platform to participate in future competitions,ā€ Butt wrote on his official Instagram account.

READ: Only seven athletes in Pakistanā€™s 18-member contingent for Paris Olympics

Former cricketer slams management for mishandling Shaheen’s alleged misconduct

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt lashed out at the management for mishandling Shaheen Shah Afridi’s alleged altercation with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Butt appeared at ARY News’ show Sports Room and was asked whether the authorities would take any action against the left-arm pacer for his alleged misconduct.

Salman Butt, in response, emphasized that the management should have taken action straightaway but instead, they kept on selecting Shaheen Afridi for every World Cup fixture.

“Look, the time for taking an action has been passed. Since I was not there with the team I don’t know [whether it is true]. These are reports and the people who gave the report, we expect them to make a decision there,” said Butt.

“If the management thinks that Shaheen was not implementing the plans and was not cooperating with them intentionally then they should have taken action.

“If he was not disciplined then they should have dropped him and opted to go with some other player.

“But, if you gave him full opportunity despite all these issues and are now complaining I think, anybody can do that. What’s the point of appointing [big names] with hefty salaries?” Salman Butt questioned.

“Management’s job is not to complain but to take action,” he concluded.

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According to recent reports, Shaheen engaged in a heated argument with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during the teamā€™s tour ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.

Sources asserted that the incident occurred during Pakistanā€™s net practice at Headingley when Shaheen engaged in a verbal exchange with the former batter.

The batting coach pointed towards Shaheen Afridiā€™s continuous no-balls in the nets, they added.

However, the pacer got furious and told Mohammad Yousuf to let him practice and not intervene in his bowling.

According to sources, Shaheen later apologised to the batting coach while the team management also reprimanded him for his misconduct.

However, the incident was termed the heat of the moment and the chapter was closed after Shaheen Afridi apologised to Mohammad Yousuf.

READ: Salman Butt names ideal candidate for Pakistanā€™s all-format captaincy

Mohammad Hafeez backs Pakistan bowlers, wants batters to step up

Former Pakistan men’s cricket team Director Mohammad Hafeez threw his weight behind the star-studded Pakistan pace bowling attack and instead advised the batting unit to adapt to the modern-day intent.

Hafeez appeared in ARY News’ show Sports Room and commented on Pakistan pacers’ below-par performance in the recently-concluded three-match away series against Ireland.

For the unversed, Ireland chased down 183 with a ball to spare in the series opener and registered a massive total of 193/7 in the second match.

The home side was then curtailed to a modest total of 178/7, courtesy of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s astounding bowling figures of 3/14. However, his fellow pacer Hasan Ali went for aplenty in the same fixture, conceding 42 runs in four overs.

But Mohammad Hafeez insisted that the Pakistan bowlers can not be blamed since the teams have adopted the flair of modern-day batting, in which the national men’s team is left well behind.

“I think, you can’t blame bowlers much because the other teams have adopted the batting intent of the modern-day cricket really well.

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“We are still well behind. And, even if you call Ireland or the inexperienced New Zealand team which toured Pakistan, weak. Their intent was up to the international standard.

“We are still finding the winning formula by being stuck in the older zone. Players remain the same, they don’t change but you evolve with the game.

“So, the game [of cricket] especially batting has evolved worldwide and the [rest of the] world is playing their cricket accordingly.

“I think we are well behind in adapting to such intent or maybe we are afraid of trying that.

“Bowlers conceding runs in today’s cricket, because of innovation, is not a big deal. Every team has developed a different shot range and we are unable to do that. So, I wouldn’t be harsh for the bowlers.”

Mohammad Hafeez then specifically lauded ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi for playing a pivotal role in Pakistan’s recent triumphs against New Zealand and Ireland but insisted that the national side need to step up their attitude.

“The two matches we won against New Zealand and here [against Ireland] were because of Shaheen’s good bowling. So, I think, we need to step up in terms of bowling attitude and execution but still, if we don’t improvise our batting intent then we can’t criticize our bowling.”

READ: Mohammad Hafeez thinks Pakistan ā€œwill struggleā€ in T20 World Cup 2024

Mohammad Hafeez thinks Pakistan “will struggle” in T20 World Cup 2024

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez shared his opinion on Pakistan’s campaign in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, stating that the former champions will struggle in the mega event considering their current performance.

Hafeez appeared in ARY News’ show Sports Room and revealed where he foresees the Green Shirts in the 20-team mega event.

“Look, as a Pakistani, my heart will always remain in the favour of Pakistan regardless of their performance. But, considering the facts, I think the Pakistan team will struggle,” stated Hafeez.

“The only reason behind that is they are not ready in terms of the right formation and the mindset. Also, their roles are not defined yet like a controlled team,” he added.

Mohammad Hafeez further named his semi-finalists for the T20 World Cup 2024, including Pakistan despite claiming that the 2009 champions would struggle in the tournament.

“Look, I would say the same thing again, if I were to say what my heart wants, I would pick Pakistan first. If I consider tactics and right formation then I think India can perform better in the West Indies.

“West Indies themselves could perform better there and alongside them, England could perform really well.”

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Mohammad Hafeez then went on to term the national men’s team’s recent performances “below-par” when they settled for a 2-2 home series stalemate against an inexperienced New Zealand side and a 2-1 away series victory against Ireland after succumbing to a shock loss in the series opener.

“Look, the lead-up wasn’t good, like 2-2 against New Zealand at home wasn’t in Pakistan’s favour. It is by no means justifiable. You just can’t do that because it was Pakistan’s full-strength side.

“Unfortunately, the results we were hoping for, as fans, did not come.

“Pakistan then went to Ireland. There as well, Pakistan fielded a full-fledged side. But, after losing the first game, their recovery was very good. Like, the attitude they showed to win that series.

“At a certain stage, it seemed as if Pakistan would not be able to win this series. But their comeback was strong.

“They have every player in their arsenal but unfortunately, as of now, such mindset, body language and dominance, which we think Pakistan should have achieved, were not attained,” Hafeez concluded.

READ: Shaheen Afridi aims to win T20 World Cup, denies rift within team

‘Pakistan team isn’t performing bad,’ asserts PCB chairman Ramiz

KARACHI: The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) – Ramiz Raja came out in defence of the national men’s cricket team and claimed that the side’s performance is not below par.

Following a 4-3 defeat in the historic T20I home series against England and a frustrating setback in the final of the Asia Cup 2022. The PCB chairman Ramiz defended the team’s performance in recent times and stated: “Pakistan team is not performing poorly.”

“Our team performed exceptionally well. They beat India and qualified for the Asia Cup final and our players won four major ICC awards this year.

“Whereas India, could not even make it to the final. Were they executed?” Ramiz questioned.

PCB chairman then went on to claim that the national side will perform well in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

Ramiz also commented on the upcoming inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) and claimed that the one-of-its-kind league will aid in bringing talent to the limelight.

“We are thriving to bring forward young talent as we are providing a platform to the children for learning cricket,” Ramiz shared.

“Playing at the international level boosts the morale of the boys and we are confident in bringing talent to the spotlight that will surprise you,” he concluded.

READ: Djokovic demolishes Garin in Astana first round

Pakistan and their middle-order woes; a case to address

Consistent middle-order failures have now become a pertinent headache for the national team as after having a disastrous Asia Cup 2022, the Green Shirts could not recover from the same issue in the recently-concluded series opener of the historic home T20I series against England.

Pakistan’s middle-order failure is a case that needed to be addressed at the earliest as the biggest event of the year – ICC T20 World Cup 2022 – is nearing in and the national team, as of yet, could not find the combination.

In the first T20I against England, Pakistan tried a different middle-order compared to that of Asia Cup 2022 by recruiting Haider Ali at number three, Shan Masood at four, and Iftikhar Ahmed at five.

But, the change in the batting combination failed to address the issue, the national team has been going through for a long time now.

Khushdil Shah who is a part of the national team as a finisher came to bat at number seven but he, too, failed to live up to his playing role and slog the ball big in the death overs.

Pakistan’s opening pair of captain Babar Azam and top-ranked T20I batter Mohammad Rizwan gave the hosts a flying start in the first T20I after facing a lot of criticism for their slow approach and strike rate.

Pakistan, as a result, were 104/1 in the first 12 overs, but in the last eight overs, six wickets fell and only 54 runs were scored courtesy of yet another failure of the middle-order.

Khushdil, who is in the team for power-hitting, somehow makes his way into the playing XI every time despite continuous failures, and could score a mere five runs off seven deliveries with a paltry strike rate of less than a hundred.

But this is not the first time, if you look at the last 10 innings of Khushdil, it does not include a single big knock against top-ranked sides, nor could he score a fifty in his T20 career.

Now the question is, how long will Khushdil continue to get opportunities? How does he get into the team? Are power hitters like that? We have a bunch of power hitters but none comes in handy when needed.

Asif Ali and Iftikhar, on the other hand, are also part of Pakistan’s middle order but their performances also lack consistency.

Combining all of these elements, it is safe to say that Pakistan are in a dire need of addressing their middle-order failures by making a dependable combination ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup.

READ: Hales, bowlers power England to seal series opener against Pakistan

Arshad Nadeem’s resounding CWG triumph; a feat to reminisce

When Arshad Nadeem arrived in Birmingham on July 30 to participate in the Commonwealth Games, no one expected gold from him. The fact that he was suffering from an elbow injury was far less distressing than the fact that he was not accompanied by any coach to assist him at the mega event. Yet, he created history in the event.

With a throw of 90.18 metres in the final, he not only won Pakistan’s first-ever gold medal in the javelin throw competition but also set a new record in Commonwealth Games history, that too with an injured elbow but unwavering determination.

With his remarkable feat, Arshad became the first South Asian athlete to manage above 90 metres throw in the Javelin. Pakistan won its first gold in Commonwealth Games athletics after a gap of 60 years. Earlier in the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games, Pakistani athlete Ghulam Raziq won the gold medal in the 120 yards hurdles.

In the Javelin throw final, Arshad had to compete against Anderson Peters, the reigning world champion from Grenada, the biggest obstacle between him and the gold medal.

The Pakistani athlete’s first throw stunned everyone as he was dominating the competition after the first four rounds. He was sailing comfortably towards the victory when Peters dampened his enthusiasm in the final round with a throw of 88.64 metres.

Hopes were dashed and the gold medal seemed to be a distant dream before Arshad Nadeem turned the tables in his final throw. He gathered the courage, defied the injury and threw the javelin with all his force to breach the 90 metres mark.

When the javelin throw final started, Arshad recorded his personal best with 86.81 meters throw in the first round. His second attempt went unsuccessful due to a foul. In the third attempt, Arshad then bettered his own record by throwing the javelin 88 meters away, but what he did in the fifth throw was just unimaginable.

Pakistan bagged eight medals overall in the Commonwealth Games 2022 held in Birmingham. Shah Hussain Shah won Pakistan’s first medal in Judo. Muhammad Nooh Dastgir Butt claimed gold in weightlifting while Arshad Nadeem won gold in the javelin. Five medals were won by Pakistan in various wrestling competitions as well.

READ: Arshad Nadeem defies injury to bag historic gold for Pakistan in CWG 2022

‘Didn’t perform well’ Wasim on Faheem’s exclusion from central contract

KARACHI: Pakistan Menā€™s Cricket Team Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim opened up for the first time on fast bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf’s exclusion from the recently announced Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Central Contracts 2022-23.

Fast bowling all-rounder Faheem, who is considered an integral part of Pakistan’s red-ball side and a consistent member in the squads of the teamā€™s recent fixtures, remained unable to find himself in the list of players named in the recently-revealed central contracts.

In response to the host’s question about Faheem’s exclusion from the PCB Central Contracts on ARY News’ Sports Room (Eid Special), Wasim asserted that the all-rounder was not selected in the contract due to his below-par performance over the previous 12-month period, however, claimed that he is still part of the team’s future plans.

“Playing for the team does not guarantee a player’s inclusion in the central contracts. The criteria are straightforward, and they include performance over the previous 12 months, our plans for the next 12 months, and the role in the team, as well as the automatic selection,” Wasim responded.

“It further includes some other factors like commitment, fitness, and the extent of participation in the domestic circuit,” he maintained.

The chief selector then clarified that Faheem’s exclusion from the central contracts does not rule him out of the team’s future plans.

“Nobody said that Faheem isn’t a part of our future plans. The biggest proof of this is that he is accompanying the team on their tour to Sri Lanka,” Wasim stated.

“It is important to note that it is not the case that we will never choose a player who is not a part of the central contracts; rather, this is a common practice all over the world. Many players who are not covered by the contracts represent their teams,” he stressed.

On being asked about left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq, who was awarded the Category B in white-ball cricket despite being ranked second in the latest ICC ODI batting rankings, Wasim claimed that the policy does not permit double promotion.

“No doubt, Imam’s performance has been improved a lot. He was in Category C in the last year’s contracts, so he got promoted. He made runs in domestic cricket and got introduced in the red-ball side, and performed well so he did get promoted,” Wasim stated.

“Double promotion, however, is not the criteria, which means a player can not be promoted by two categories. Then again I would say how many match-winning performances a player has produced is the key,” he concluded.

READ: Netizens irked over Faheemā€™s exclusion from PCB Central Contracts

‘Kohli has lost his peak, Babar is now ahead of him’ claims Aqib Javed

KARACHI: Former Pakistani fast-bowler and 1992 World Cup winner Aqib Javed claimed that the former Indian batter Virat Kohli has lost his peak and the top-ranked white-ball batter Babar Azam is now ahead of him.

Aqib, while responding to the rapid-fire questions in ARY Newsā€™ show Sports Room (Eid Special), claimed that India’s top batter Kohli, who has been struggling to find his form for the last two years, has lost his peak and the Pakistan captain Babar has surpassed him.

“Now I think Babar is ahead. He [Kohli] had his peak but now going down. But Babar, on the other hand, is going up,” Aqib said.

Aqib, on asked, also drew the comparison between the Indian and Pakistani pacers – Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi – and the wicket-keeper batters – Mohammad Rizwan and Rishabh Pant, claiming that both Pakistanis are also ahead of their Indian counterparts.

“I now think that Shaheen is better than Bumrah because when Shaheen came into the international circuit Bumrah had already established himself and the critics used to say that Bumrah is doing well in Tests, T20Is, and so but now Shaheen has proved he is even better and has more capacity than Bumrah,” he said.

“Rizwan is better than Pant these days. There is no doubt that Pant is an extremely skilful player but the way Rizwan takes the responsibility, Pant is well behind him. It is often said that Pant is an aggressive player, but the aggressiveness doesn’t mean to hit a couple of big shots and got out but to stay at the crease, fight, and finish the game,” Aqib added.

A piece of advice for young cricketers

The former pacer then responded to a question regarding Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad, saying they should play club cricket only.

“Umar Akmal should now play club cricket only because his attitude is like that and the same goes for Ahmed Shehzad,” he said.

The 1992 world cup winner, again in response to a question advised the young explosive batter, Azam Khan, to work on his fitness or quit cricket.

“I think Azam Khan should either quit cricket or become like a cricketer. He should work on his fitness,” Aqib said.

Suspension of departmental cricket

Aqib also backed the resurrection of departmental cricket and the former domestic cricket structure, claiming that the six-team domestic format did not serve Pakistan cricket.

“There is nothing as the roots and club cricket are also suspended due to this new six-team domestic setup. I can design the structure they’ve created in less than half an hour “Aqib remarked.

Ramiz Raja as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board

In answer to a question from the host on whether his old teammate Ramiz Raja should quit as Chairman of the PCB? Aqib was quick to react, saying, “Yes,” before clarifying that his policies were the same as his predecessors.

“The reason behind sacking Wasim Khan and Ehsan Mani was that they were not performing up to the mark or their policies were inadequate but since Ramiz took over, neither a board official has been dismissed nor has he made any policy changes,” Aqib explained.

“It signifies that the same momentum is still in effect, with only the face changed and nothing new done,” he concluded.

READ: ā€˜I didnā€™t come to equal Hendryā€™s record but to play Snookerā€™ Oā€™Sullivan

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