Author: Shahid Hashmi

FLORIDA: The Pakistan men’s cricket team celebrated Eid-ul-Adha in Lauderhill here following their participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

According to the details, the national team offered Eid prayers at the hotel, led by wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan.

After offering the Eid prayer, the players, alongside support staff greeted each other and posed for the pictures.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared glimpses of the team’s Eid celebration.

“Eid Mubarak from the Pakistan team! The players offered Eid prayers in Florida,” PCB wrote.

For the unversed, Pakistan, in a first, knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the group stage after a crucial Group A fixture between the co-host United States of America (USA) and Ireland was abandoned here without a ball bowled.

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The Green Shirts had a disastrous start to their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign as they suffered a shock loss against the USA in the Super Over.

Pakistan then succumbed to a frustrating six-run defeat against arch-rivals India at a jam-packed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on June 9.

The back-to-back defeats put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit from the tournament.

The former champions then finally got on the winning track when they registered a hard-fought seven-wicket victory over Canada.

Pakistan then edged past Ireland in another stiff challenge to bow out of the T20 World Cup 2024 with a win.

The 2009 champions finished third in Group A standings with four points in four matches.

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DALLAS: Left-arm experienced pacer Mohammad Amir on Thursday, revealed his goals to lead Pakistan’s star-studded pace attack at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Amir, who reversed his retirement earlier this year, lauded Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah for carrying the national team’s pace attack in his absence while stating that he always strives to lead from the front being the senior of them all.

“I am looking forward to playing here and perform well as a cricketer, whether it’s league cricket or international cricket, at the end of the day you have to perform. As a senior bowler, I will always try to lead from the front,” stated Amir.

“But if you look at Naseem, Haris, or Shaheen, they are performing well for the last four years. So, I have an extra responsibility to perform well for them and for the team.”

Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals India, Ireland, Canada and the co-host United States of America (USA).

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The Green Shirts will kick start their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against the USA here on Thursday before taking on arch-rivals India at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9.

However, Mohammad Amir insisted that the team is unfazed by their opponents and is eyeing a perfect run in the group stage.

“You know what, for us it’s about ourselves,” Amir said. “We are here to win and we want to win every single game.

“This is World Cup cricket and there is no margin for error, we have to perform every single game.

“When you come to ICC Events, it’s a big challenge. But we are ready to accept that challenge and to perform well here.”

He further backed struggling all-rounder Shadab Khan and young wicketkeeper batter Azam Khan, asserting that the two have the ability to win the match single-handedly.

“I always say that the player who has performed and proved himself, never doubts his ability. Yes, there is a bad patch in cricket. And this happens with every cricketer. All the legends also if you see in the past, sometimes even they can’t perform well,” Amir said.

“And no on doubts on the ability and quality of Shadab and Azam. They play and perform all over the world. They are one game away – the kind of players that they are, they can single-handedly win the match for you.”

READ: Pakistan hold final training session ahead of T20 World Cup 2024

DALLAS: Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has been ruled out of the Green Shirts’ opening match against the United States of America (USA) in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Pakistan and USA are scheduled to square off in the 11th match of the T20 World Cup on June 6 (tomorrow) at Grand Prairie Stadium.

The left-handed all-rounded is suffering from a side injury, due to which he also missed the fourth T20i against England in the recently concluded series.

Babar Azam confirmed Wasim’s unavailability during a media interaction here on Tuesday

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“Imad Wasim is suffering from a side strain, which means he won’t be able to play in our opening match,” said Azam.

The skipper shared that the medical panel has advised against playing Wasim as a precaution so he can be available for the remaining matches in the mega event.

Following the USA clash, the Green Shirts will face arch-rivals India in a blockbuster clash on June 9 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

The 2009 champions will then take on Canada on June 11 before locking horns with Ireland in their last group-stage fixture on June 16.

Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2024: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

READ: Persistent rain washes out England-Scotland T20 World Cup 2024 clash

DALLAS: The Pakistan cricket team’s first training session for the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 was affected by rain here on Monday.

Pakistan squad hit the nets, wearing their new training kit, however, the adamant rain disrupted their plans. The players could only do physical training and fielding drills.

The training session was ended early due to heavy downpour. The Green Shirts will resume their training tomorrow from 4 PM to 7 PM local time.

The Green Shirts will start their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against the co-hosts United States of America (USA) on June 6 before taking on arch-rivals India in a blockbuster clash on June 9 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

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The 2009 champions will then take on Canada on June 11 before locking horns with Ireland in their last group-stage fixture on June 16.

Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2024: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

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ISLAMABAD: Australia’s volleyball squad reached here on Sunday ahead of a three-match volleyball series against Pakistan, scheduled to run from May 28 to 30.

This is the first time an Australian volleyball team has visited Pakistan to play an international series.

The series was organised by the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) at the request of the Australian Volleyball Federation.

The visiting team received a warm welcome on their arrival at Islamabad International Airport from the officials of the PVF.

Australia will take part in the practice session today followed by the pre-event press conference at 5:00 PM at the local hotel Islamabad.

Nehemiah Mote is leading the Australian squad, which features Luke Perry, Arshdeep Dosanjh, Jackson Holland, Trent O’dea, Matthew Aubrey, Max Senica, Beau Graham, Thomas Heptinstall, Sam Flowerday, Nicholas Butler, Ethan Garrett, William D’arcy Miles, and Jacob Baird.

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Daniel Ilott will serve as head coach, while James Begley, Alec Walker, and Brendan Garlick will be coaches with the team.

The first match of the three-match series will be held on May 28 at Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad, while the second match will be played on May 29 and the third match of the series will be held on May 30.

“All matches will be starting from 6:30 PM and entry of the fans and supporters are free”, Chaudhry Muhammad Yaqoob, Chairman of the Pakistan Volleyball Federation announced.

“It will be a cracker of a series as Pakistan has recently won the Central Asian title while Australia is ranked much higher. Both teams are preparing for the Challenge Cup to be held in Bahrain next month,” he added.

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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Volleyball Federation announced a three-match home series against Australia, scheduled to run from May 28 to 30.

According to the details, the Australian team, comprised of 20 members including players and officials, will arrive in Pakistan on May 26, 2024, to participate in the series.

The series will take place at the Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex here, and will feature three highly anticipated matches between the two teams.

Series Schedule

First Match: May 28, 2024, at 6:30 PM
Second Match: May 29, 2024, at 6:30 PM
Third Match: May 30, 2024, at 6:30 PM

Australia’s Volleyball team will then depart from Pakistan on May 31 after the conclusion of the three-match series.

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For the unversed, Pakistan were recently crowned the Central Asian Volleyball Champions with a dominant 3-1 victory over Turkmenistan in the final.

In the enthralling final, Pakistan emerged victorious by winning three sets while Turkmenistan managed to win only one.

The national Volleyball team secured a convincing victory with 25-21, 25-19, 20-25, and 25-14 points.

Notably, the home side remained unbeaten in the entirety of the Central Asian Volleyball Championship, winning six matches in the process.

Pakistan won a total of 18 sets in the tournament and dropped only three.

The Green Shirts booked their place in the final after a thumping 3-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan in the semi-final on Thursday, winning the one-sided contest with the score of 25-18, 27-25, 27-25.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the national team for winning the Central Asian Volleyball Championship and acknowledged their teamwork and performance.

“Superb performance! Pakistan wins the Central Asia Volleyball Championship. Talent and teamwork at its best,” the Premier said on X, formerly Twitter.

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New Zealand batter Colin Munro has announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday after he was left out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

Munro, who last played for New Zealand in 2020 against India, made himself available for the mega-event, starting from June 1 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA). However, he failed to make it to the Kiwi squad.

“Playing for the Black Caps has always been the biggest achievement in my playing career,” Munro said in a statement.

“I never felt prouder than donning that jersey, and the fact that I’ve been able to do that 123 times across all formats is something I will always be incredibly proud of.

“Although it has been a while since my last appearance, I never gave up hope that I might be able to return off the back of my franchise T20 form. With the announcement of the Black Caps squad for the T20 World Cup now is the perfect time to close that chapter officially.”

Colin Munro represented New Zealand in one Test, 57 ODIs and 65 T20Is, since making his international debut in 2012.

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He scored a mere 15 runs in his solitary Test, while in 57 ODI appearances, he managed 1271 runs at an average of 24.92.

However, he proved his mettle in T20I cricket, scoring 1724 runs in 62 innings at an average of 31.34 and a healthy strike rate of 156.44, including three centuries.

He also scored a 14-ball half-century against Sri Lanka in 2016, which is the fastest by a New Zealand player and the fourth fastest in overall T20Is.

“Colin [Munro] was one of our first players to embrace the aggressive, 360-degree style batting that is now accepted all around the world as best practice,” New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink said.

“He was one of the pioneers of the new game, an innovative batsman who took calculated risk-taking to a new level, and led what was to become a revolution in the way short-form cricket was played.

“We thank him for his amazing contribution in more than hundred international games, and wish him well in his future pursuits.”

READ: Sri Lanka announce squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

LAHORE: Left-arm Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir, on Thursday, finally received his visa for Ireland to participate in the three-match T20I series.

According to the details, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are currently engaged in arranging Mohammad Amir’s flight to Dublin at the earliest.

The left-arm pacer, due to a delay in the issuance of the visa will miss the first T20I and is expected to link up with the side on Friday.

“Fast bowler Mohammad Amir will miss the first T20I due to delays in the issuance of his visa. He is expected to join the side on Friday,” stated PCB in a press release.

On the contrary, the national men’s cricket team reached Dublin, Ireland on Wednesday morning via Dubai.

Pakistan squad, led by captain Babar Azam, travelled without Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali, who linked up with the team in Dublin after participating in the County Championship.

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Notably, Mohammad Amir faced a similar situation during the tours of Ireland and England in 2018.

Amir recently made his comeback to international cricket during the home T20I series against New Zealand after he took back his retirement before the series.

Pakistan is scheduled to play three T20Is at Clontarf in Dublin on 10, 12, and 14 May 2024. All three matches will start at 3 PM local time.

The three-match away series, followed by four T20Is in England, will serve as a stepping stone for the Green Shirts to boast their preparations for this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

Pakistan squad for Ireland and England T20Is

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan.

READ: Ireland name squads for Pakistan series, T20 World Cup 2024

The Pakistan cricket team reached Dublin, Ireland earlier on Wednesday morning via Dubai after taking off from Lahore to partake in the three-match T20I series.

Pakistan squad, led by captain Babar Azam, travelled without Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali, who linked up with the team in Dublin, while Mohammad Amir is still awaiting his visa.

The squad will rest today before hitting the nets tomorrow for the first training session ahead of the first T20I, scheduled on 10 May at Clontarf.

Pakistan will play the following two matches at the same venue on 12, and 14 May 2024. All three matches will start at 3 PM local time.

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The three-match series against Ireland will be followed by four T20Is against England.

These seven games will serve as a stepping stone for the Green Shirts to boast their preparations for this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

Pakistan squad for Ireland and England T20Is

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan.

READ: Ireland name squads for Pakistan series, T20 World Cup 2024

LAHORE: Wicketkeeper batter Haseebullah Khan on Sunday, replaced Azam Khan in Pakistan’s squad for the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

“The national selection committee has announced wicketkeeper/batter Haseebullah as the replacement player for Azam Khan, who was sidelined from the T20I series against New Zealand due to a tear in his right calf muscle, stated PCB in a brief press release.

According to the details, Haseebullah will join the Pakistan team after the third T20I and will be available for selection in the remaining two T20Is, scheduled to be played in Lahore on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

The 21-year-old Haseebullah made his sole T20I appearance against New Zealand earlier this year.

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For the unversed, Azam Khan, who missed the first T20I due to discomfort in his right knee and right calf muscle, was subsequently ruled out of the entirety of the series on Saturday.

“Azam Khan has been advised to undergo a 10-day rest following radiology reports confirming a Grade One tear of his right calf muscle,” stated PCB.

“Consequently, Azam will be unable to participate in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, which culminates in Lahore on April 27,” the statement added.

Notably, the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand is squared off at 1-1 after Mark Chapman’s astonishing knock powered the visitors to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the third T20I.

Pakistan squad for New Zealand T20Is

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haseebullah (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

READ: Chapman stars as New Zealand stun Pakistan to keep series alive