Author: shahzad.malik

KUALA LUMPUR: The Pakistan hockey team kicked off their Junior World Cup campaign with an impressive draw against the Netherlands 3-3 on Wednesday at Malaysia National Hockey Stadium.

The Netherlands started the game on high with two field goals in the 21st and 30th minutes by Boris Aardenburg and Casper van der Veen respectively to end the first half with a massive advantage over Pakistan.

Pakistan then decreased the deficit by one goal in the third quarter courtesy of midfielder Arshad Liaqat’s field goal to bring the scores down to 2-1.

The Green Shirts then earned a penalty in the 36th minute of the third quarter, which was successfully converted by Sufian Khan to level the scores.

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However, the Netherlands did not slow down and took the lead again in the 47th minute with a field goal by Olivier Hortensius.

Their lead did not last long as Pakistan’s Arbaz Ahmed helped his side level the scores with an equalizing penalty corner.

Pakistan will play their next Junior Hockey World Cup match against New Zealand tomorrow and then against Belgium on 9th December.

Pakistan won the inaugural Junior World Cup in 1979 and then claimed bronze medals in the next three editions before getting a silver in the 1993 edition.

They have not been able to win any medal in the Junior World Cup since 1993 and finished at their lowest 11th position in the 2021 edition in Bhubaneswar, India.

READ: Shan Masood’s 156* keeps Pakistan in command on first day against Prime Minister’s XI

LAHORE: Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah started the final stage of his rehabilitation today at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore on Wednesday.

The young pacer was injured during the Asia Cup 2023 match against India in September as walked off the field during the 46th over of India’s innings on the reserve day.

Later, the PCB confirmed that Naseem Shah had been ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 and was replaced by Zaman Khan in the Pakistan squad.

Consequently, he was ruled out of the ICC World Cup 2023 and Hasan Ali was included in Pakistan’s World Cup squad.

Later, Naseem Shah underwent surgery in the United Kingdom. Following the surgery, he remained in the UK for two months for rehabilitation and initial training as the PCB covered his medical costs and he received continuous care from a team of expert medical staff.

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Naseem’s rehabilitation is being continued at NCA, Lahore under the care of a strength and conditioning coach, a physiotherapist and a doctor. Currently, he is doing light gym exercises and partial bowling practice and will start batting tomorrow.

Notably, Naseem Shah was traded last week from Quetta Gladiators to Islamabad United for Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Abrar Ahmed ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine draft.

The PSL Player Draft for the ninth season will take place at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on 13 December 2023.

The retentions and trades are to be finalized before the PSL 9 Player Draft, after the conclusion of the National T20.

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Pakistan Women with this victory took an unassailable lead in the three-match T20I series, having defeated New Zealand women, also known as White Ferns, in the first T20I at the same venue on Sunday by seven wickets.

This marks only the second win for the Pakistan women’s team over third-ranked New Zealand.

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After being asked to bat, Pakistan scored 137 for six in their allotted 20 overs, the highest score against New Zealand in this format.

Muneeba Ali top-scored for the side with 35 off 28 balls, hitting six fours. Player of the match, Aliya Riaz, smashed three fours and a six in her unbeaten knock of 32 off 22 balls to help her side post a respectable total.

For the White Ferns, Molly Penfold and Fran Jonas bagged two wickets each.

In turn, Pakistan bowlers kept it tight from the beginning, restricting the White Ferns from scoring runs.

Nashra Sundhu, playing her 50th T20I match today, bowled economically in the middle overs, conceding only 22 runs from four overs.

Pakistan captain Nida Dar became the joint-leading wicket-taker in Women’s T20Is alongside Australia’s Megan Schutt when she dismissed Maddy Green for 18 off 23 balls, increasing her tally of scalps to 130 in the format.

The star in the bowling unit was once again Fatima Sana, who gave away 22 runs and bagged three wickets, including the prized scalps of captain Sophie Devine (5, 5b, 1×4) and Suzie Bates (18, 18b, 2x4s).

Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal grabbed two wickets for 29 runs in four overs.

READ: Shan Masood unveils Pakistan’s batting order for first Test against Australia

DUNEDIN: Pakistan women’s team achieved yet another milestone on Tuesday, defeating New Zealand women by 10 runs in the second T20I to win the series at the University of Otago Oval in Dunedin.

With this win, Pakistan Women take an unassailable lead in the three-match T20I series, having defeated New Zealand women, also known as White Ferns, in the first T20I at the same venue on Sunday by seven wickets.

This marks only the second win for the Pakistan women’s team over third-ranked New Zealand. Also, they became the first Asian side to beat New Zealand in a T20I series.

After being asked to bat, Pakistan scored 137 for six in their allotted 20 overs, the highest score against New Zealand in this format.

Muneeba Ali top-scored for the side with 35 off 28 balls, hitting six fours. Player of the match, Aliya Riaz, smashed three fours and a six in her unbeaten knock of 32 off 22 balls to help her side post a respectable total.

For the White Ferns, Molly Penfold and Fran Jonas bagged two wickets each.

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In turn, Pakistan bowlers kept it tight from the beginning, restricting the White Ferns from scoring runs.

Nashra Sundhu, playing her 50th T20I match today, bowled economically in the middle overs, conceding only 22 runs from four overs.

Pakistan captain Nida Dar became the joint-leading wicket-taker in Women’s T20Is alongside Australia’s Megan Schutt when she dismissed Maddy Green for 18 off 23 balls, increasing her tally of scalps to 130 in the format.

The star in the bowling unit was once again Fatima Sana, who gave away 22 runs and bagged three wickets, including the prized scalps of captain Sophie Devine (5, 5b, 1×4) and Suzie Bates (18, 18b, 2x4s).

Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal grabbed two wickets for 29 runs in four overs.

Pakistan women’s team will depart for Queenstown tomorrow morning, where they will take on the White Ferns in the third and final T20I of the series on Saturday, 9 December.

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LAHORE: Sohail Tanvir, the head of the junior selection committee, has finalised the 15-member Pakistan U19 squad for the upcoming ACC U19 Asia Cup 2023 in Dubai.

Saad Baig will continue to lead the Pakistan U19 team in the eight-team tournament scheduled from 8 to 17 December.

Saad Baig has previously captained the Pakistan U19 team in the home series against Sri Lanka and the tour to Bangladesh earlier this year.

Pakistan U19 are placed in Group A alongside Afghanistan U19, India U19 and Nepal U19.

They will play their first match of the tournament against Nepal on 8 December followed by games against India and Afghanistan on 10 and 12 December respectively.

Prior to the selection of the squad, the Pakistan U19 probables had assembled for a training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre, Karachi on 24 November.

The 15-member squad will now depart to Dubai on 6 December.

Pakistan U19 squad

Saad Baig (captain and wicket-keeper), Ahmad Hussain, Ali Asfand, Amir Hassan, Arafat Minhas (vice-captain), Azan Awais, Khubaib Khalil, Najab Khan, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Mohammad Riazullah, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Zeeshan, Shahzaib Khan, Shamyl Hussain and Ubaid Shah

Non-Travelling Reserves

Ahmad Hassan, Aimal Khan, Obaid Shahid and Mohammad Zulkifal

Support Staff

Shoaib Muhammad (Team Manager), Muhammad Yousaf (Head Coach), Rehan Riaz (Bowling Coach), Mansoor Amjad (Fielding Coach), Muhammad Masroor (Assistant Batting Coach), Umer Rashid Dar (Assistant Coach) Hafiz Naeem Ul Rasul (Team Physio), Usman Hashmi (Team Analyst), Imran Ullah (Trainer), Muhammad Arslan (Media and Digital Manager)

READ: PCB announces selection consultants to chief selector Wahab Riaz

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed the appointment of former Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Salman Butt as consultant members to chief selector Wahab Riaz.

The three have assumed their responsibilities in the selection panel with immediate effect.

Their first assignment as consultant members to the chief selector includes the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to commence on 12 January 2024 following the conclusion of the Test tour to Australia.

When not engaged in selection duties, the consultant members may be assigned additional tasks such as conducting skills camps.

Kamran Akmal, in a 15-year career from 2002 to 2017, played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is.

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The former wicketkeeper-batter amassed 6,871 runs across formats and bagged 453 dismissals behind the stumps.

He was a member of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 at Lord’s, along with his fellow consultants Rao Iftikhar and Salman Butt.

Rao Iftikhar played a Test, 62 ODIs and two T20Is from 2004 to 2010 and took a total of 78 international wickets.

Former Test captain Salman Butt represented Pakistan in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is.

He made 5,209 runs spanning the three formats with 11 international centuries.

Notably, former fast bowler Wahab Riaz was appointed as the chief selector of the national men’s selection committee last month.

Wahab Riaz in his first assignment selected Pakistan’s 18-member Test squad for the three-match Test series against Australia from 14 December to 7 January in Australia.

Wahab, who made his international debut in 2008, represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 91 ODIs and 36 T20Is picking up 237 wickets and scoring 1200 runs across the three formats.

He was Pakistan’s second-most successful bowler in World Cups, registering 35 wickets across three editions of the marquee event.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to upgrade the category of newly appointed Test captain Shan Masood in the central contract list from D to B.

The decision has been made in line with the board’s policy that if a centrally contracted player below A or B categories is appointed captain, their contract shall be upgraded to category B for the tenure of their captaincy.

34-year-old Shan Masood was named Test captain on 15 November 2023, until the conclusion of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.

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The left-handed batter has featured in 30 Tests, amassing 1,597 runs and will lead Pakistan in his first assignment as captain in the upcoming three-match series against Australia, commencing from 14 December.

Pakistan team will kick off the Test series with the first Test in Perth from 14-18 December 2023.

The second Test match will be played in Melbourne, from 26 to 30 December, while Sydney will host the last game of the tour from 3 to 7 January 2024.

Pakistan squad for the tour of Australia

Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

READ: PSL 9 Player Draft to take place on December 13

RAWALPINDI: Wahab Riaz, the head of the national men’s selection committee, visited the Pakistan team’s training camp for the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia.

Wahab Riaz overviewed the Pakistan team’s preparation for the Australia series and met team manager Naveed Akram Cheema.

He also talked to newly appointed Pakistan Test and T20I captains Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi, as well as, team Director Mohammad Hafeez.

Pakistan’s 18-member squad kicked off training yesterday for the Australian tour scheduled to commence on December 14.

According to the details, 18 players including seven additional players Arshad Iqbal, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usama Mir, and Usman Qadir, partook in the team’s first training session.

Earlier Thursday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) invited three more pacers Sameen Gul, Ali Shafique, and Muhammad Ali to the training camp.

The players participated in several fielding drills and carried out robust batting and bowling sessions.

Game mode 🔛

Day 1️⃣ of the training camp at Pindi Cricket Stadium 🏟️#AUSvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/QEXndWvNBW

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 23, 2023

Pakistan’s training camp for the Australia tour will run until November 28.

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Opening batter Imam-ul-Haq and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf will miss the entirety of the training camp due to their upcoming wedding festivities.

They are expected to join the squad in Lahore on 30th November, just before the team’s departure to Australia.

Pakistan’s quest for their first Test series victory over Australia in their backyard will commence on Dember 14.

It will be a tough challenge for left-handed opener Shan Masood, who became the Test captain after Babar Azam relinquished the role from all formats after his side’s dismal show in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2023.

The Green Shirts will get an opportunity to get used to the testing Australian conditions as they will take on the Prime Minister’s XI in the four-day red-ball fixture at Manuka Oval from 6-9 December 2023.

Pakistan 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

Schedule of Pakistan’s Test tour of Australia

First Test: December 14-18, Perth Stadium

Second Test: December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground

Third Test: January 3-7, Sydney Cricket Ground

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