Author: shahzad.malik

AHMEDABAD: Pakistan Men’s cricket team is set to undergo a two-day training session, commencing tomorrow in Ahmedabad ahead of the high-octane ICC World Cup 2023 clash against India on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

According to the details, Pakistan’s World Cup-bound contingent will engage in a rigorous practice session from 6 PM to 9 PM local time on Thursday (tomorrow) after reaching Ahmedabad today via chartered flight.

They will continue their training on Friday from 2 PM to 5 PM and will partake in several batting, bowling and fielding drills to boast their preparations for the most anticipated clash of the ICC World Cup 2023.

The Green Shirts scripted a decent start to their World Cup campaign with a resounding 81-run victory over the Netherlands on Friday at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, in their second match against Sri Lanka yesterday, Pakistan pulled off the highest run chase in the history of the World Cup, courtesy of gutsy centuries by Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan.

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Pakistan, however, had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they had slipped to 37/2 in the eighth over as opening batter Imam-ul-Haq (12) and captain Babar Azam (10) failed to score big.

Following the slump, Mohammad Rizwan joined Abdullah Shafique in the middle and the pair launched an astounding recovery.

They batted sensibly over the course of their marathon partnership which saw them adding 176 runs to the total with Abdullah scoring his maiden ODI century.

Abdullah was dismissed after scoring 113 in 103 deliveries, laced up with 10 boundaries and three sixes.

Mohammad Rizwan then took the reigns of Pakistan run chase and he stitched a crucial 95-run partnership with Saud Shakeel, who scored a 30-ball 31 before perishing in the 45th over.

Rizwan held his ground firm and hit the winning runs for Pakistan in the penultimate over after notable support from Iftikhar Ahmed, who remained unbeaten on 22 in just 10 balls.

Mohammad Rizwan top-scored for Pakistan in their second ICC World Cup 2023 fixture with an unbeaten 131 in 121 deliveries, smashing eight boundaries and three sixes.

READ: Kane Williamson, Tim Southee likely to be fit for Bangladesh match

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Men’s cricket team will hold a training session tomorrow at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium ahead of their ICC World Cup 2023 clash against Sri Lanka, scheduled on October 10.

According to the details, Pakistan’s World Cup-bound contingent will engage in a rigorous practice session from 10 AM to 1 PM local time.

The players will partake in several batting, bowling and fielding drills to boast their preparations for their second ICC World Cup 2023 fixture.

The Green Shirts scripted a decent start to their campaign with a resounding 81-run victory over the Netherlands on Friday at the same venue.

A combined bowling effort after Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel’s anchoring half-centuries propelled Pakistan to taste their maiden success in the mega event.

Set to chase 287, the Netherlands could score 205 despite Bas de Leede and Vikramjit Singh’s half-centuries.

Singh scored 52 off 67 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and a six while de Leede top-scored for the Dutch with a 68-ball 67 which included six boundaries and two sixes.

Besides them, Logan van Beek offered some resistance with his unbeaten 28-run cameo.

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with 3/43, followed by Hasan Ali with 2/33 while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz struck out a batter each.

Put into bat first, Pakistan could register a below-par total of 286 runs on the board despite anchoring half-centuries.

Pakistan got off to a dismal start as they lost their top three Fakhar Zaman (12), Imam-ul-Haq (15) and Babar Azam (5) with just 38 runs on the board in 9.1 overs.

Following the slump, wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan was joined by young Saud Shakeel at the crease and the pair launched an astounding recovery.

Saud scored a brisk 68 in 52 deliveries, laced with nine boundaries and a six while Rizwan scored 75-ball 68, hitting eight boundaries.

All-rounders Shadab Khan (32) and Mohammad Nawaz (39) then put together a crucial partnership for the seventh wicket and added 64 runs to the total.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

• October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
• October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad
• October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
• October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
• October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
• November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures, starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

READ: Mickey Arthur has inside knowledge of ‘dangerous’ Sri Lanka

Saad Baig will continue to lead Pakistan U19 against Sri Lanka U19 in the home series set to be played in Karachi. The two sides will compete in a solitary four-day match followed by a series of five 50-over matches.

The recently appointed seven-member junior selection committee headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq has selected the 16-member Pakistan U19 squad for the four-day match. The match is scheduled to take place from 15 to 18 October.

The squad for the one-day series will be announced later next week. The one-day series will be held at the same venue – National Bank Stadium, Karachi – from 22 to 31 October.

Saad Baig, who captained Pakistan U19 on the tour to Bangladesh earlier this year, will have the services of eight players who were part of the playing XI in the only four-day match on the tour.

The list includes Ali Asfand, Amir Hassan, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Ibtisam, Mohammad Ismail, Shahzaib Khan and Wahaj Riaz.

Six of the remaining seven players part of the 16-member squad have notably excelled in the ongoing National U19 Championship 2023-24.

These are Ahmed Hussain (Peshawar U19, three matches, 19 wickets), Hamza Nawaz (Bahawalpur U19, three matches, 280 runs, 1×100, 2x50s), Huzaifa Ayub (Bahawalpur U19, three matches, 15 wickets, one five-fer), Mohammad Zubair (Peshawar U19, three matches, 236 runs, 1×100, 1×50), Naveed Ahmed Khan (Karachi Whites U19, three matches, 20 wickets, one five-fer) and Shahmeer Ali (Rawalpindi U19, three matches, 244 runs, 1×100, 1×50) have performed well in the ongoing National U19 Championship 2023-24. Meanwhile, the seventh player Aimal Khan is currently representing the FATA Region in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24, where the right-arm fast bowler has taken six wickets in two outings.

Pakistan’s squad will assemble in the team hotel on Tuesday night and will train at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on the following two days.

The team management and training schedule will be announced in due course.

Pakistan U19 Squad: Saad Baig (captain and wicket-keeper), Ahmed Hussain, Aimal Khan, Ali Asfand, Amir Hassan, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Hamza Nawaz, Huzaifa Ayub, Mohammad Ibtisam, Mohammad Ismail, Mohammad Zubair, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Shahmeer Ali, Shahzaib Khan and Wahaj Riaz

Series schedule:

15-18 October – Four-day match

22 October – First One-Day
24 October – Second One-Day
27 October – Third One-Day
29 October – Fourth One-Day
31 October – Fifth One-Day

READ: Inzamam-ul-Haq to head Pakistan’s senior and junior selection committees

HANGZHOU: Bangladesh beat Pakistan by six wickets on DLS to secure the bronze medal in the Asian Games 2023 Men’s Cricket event at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field here on Saturday.

The match had a delayed start due to rain and was shortened to 13 overs a side after Bangladesh won the toss and opted to field first.

Pakistan managed to score 48 for one in five overs when rain interrupted play. Mirza Baig top-scored for his side, returning undefeated on 32 off 18 balls, which included four fours and two sixes.

As no further play was possible during Pakistan’s innings, Bangladesh were given a revised target of 65 to win from five overs.

In the run-chase, Bangladesh got off to a flying start and were on course to achieve the target with ease, needing 25 runs from two overs.

However, Arshad Iqbal, Pakistan’s most successful bowler, conceded only five runs in the penultimate over and dismissed Afif Hossain (20, 11b, 3x4s, 1×6) leaving Bangladesh requiring 20 runs in the final over.

Left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem bowling the final over, went for 16 runs in the first four deliveries but came back stronger to dismiss Yasir Ali (38, 16b, 4x4s, 2x6s) the top run-getter for Bangladesh the next ball.

With four runs required on the final ball, Rakibul Hasan struck a boundary to help his side win the bronze medal.

For Pakistan, Arshad was the most successful bowler with three for 14 runs from two overs.

Prior to that, Afghanistan beat Pakistan by four wickets in the Asian Games 2023 Men’s Cricket second semi-final on Friday.

READ: Inzamam-ul-Haq to head Pakistan’s senior and junior selection committees

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee chairman Zaka Ashraf on Wednesday, extended best wishes to the Pakistan Men’s cricket team upon their participation in the ICC World Cup 2023 in India.

Zaka Ashraf extended his support to the team and urged the players to focus on playing great cricket rather than worrying about winning or losing.

“I extend my support and best wishes to the Pakistan team. I am confident that our team has the potential to achieve remarkable feats. They should focus on playing competitive cricket and delivering an excellent performance in the tournament.

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

“I believe they will be victorious and will bring the trophy home to us. The players just need to trust in their abilities and rest assured, the entire nation is firmly supporting them.”

Pakistan team will begin their quest for the ICC World Cup 2023 on October 6th when they take on the Netherlands at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan’s warm-up matches schedule:

• September 29 — vs New Zealand in Hyderabad
• October 3 — vs Australia in Hyderabad

Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

• October 6 – vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
• October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
• October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad
• October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
• October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
• October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
• November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures, starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

READ: Naseem Shah undergoes shoulder surgery in London

Star javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem on Tuesday withdrew from the javelin throw final event of the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China.

Arshad Nadeem decided not to participate in the final due to the recurring pain in his previously injured leg. He suffered an injury during training, and the MRI reports identified the recurrence of the old injury consequently ruling him out of the Asian Games.

The final of the javelin throw event of the Asian Games 2023 is scheduled to be played tomorrow.

Arshad Nadeem is already having a roller coaster of a year as he made history in August by clinching a silver medal, at the World Athletics Championship. This was Pakistan’s first-ever medal in the tournament’s history.

Arshad Nadeem secured the silver with his best throw in his third attempt which went at a distance of 87.82 meters.

Arshad started things slowly with a 74.80m throw in his first attempt, however, he made a sounding comeback with an 82.81m throw in his second attempt.

His aforementioned third throw, proved to be his best in the season, going as far as 87.82 meters, while his fourth attempt could only go at 87.12m.

His fifth and sixth attempts failed to breach Neeraj Chopra’s 88.17-meter mark, hence settling for a silver.

Prior to that, Arshad Nadeem secured his place for the final of the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, as well as, the Paris Olympics in 2024 in the qualifying round of the World Athletics Championship.

Arshad Nadeem started off the qualifying round of the javelin throw event with a 70.63m throw in his first attempt, while in his second attempt, he threw his javelin at a distance of 81.53 meters.

However, the Automatic qualifying mark for the final of the World Athletics Championship was 83 meters, while the benchmark for the Paris Olympics was 85.50 meters.

Arshad Nadeem breached both benchmarks in his third attempt with an amazing 86.79-meter throw, consequently qualifying for both events.

It is worth mentioning that Arshad Nadeem was declared fit for the World Athletics Championship earlier this month by the medical board, after being ruled out of the Asian Athletics Championship, due to an injury to his left knee.

READ: Aamer Jamal’s blitz powers Pakistan Shaheens to Asian Games semi-final

HANGZHOU: Aamer Jamal’s blistering 41 off 16, followed by a combined bowling effort by spin bowlers helped Pakistan Shaheens qualify for the Asian Games 2023 semi-finals after thumping Hong Kong by 68 runs in the quarter-final match at Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field on Tuesday.

After being put into bat first, Pakistan put 160 on the board, courtesy of Aamir Jamal’s fiery batting display at death.

In the second innings, the Qasim Akram-led spin attack proved too difficult a task for the Hong Kong batters who folded for 92 runs in 18.5 overs.

Nizakat Khan won the toss for Hong Kong and elected to field first. After a bumpy start to the innings, Pakistan eventually ended with a solid total of 160, owing to Aamir’s extraordinary hitting in the final overs of the innings.

Coming to bat in the 17th over, Aamir took only 16 balls to score 41 runs, including four maximums and two boundaries.

Earlier in the innings, veteran Asif Ali and debutant Arafat Minhas stitched a partnership of 36 runs from 26 balls for the seventh wicket. Asif (25, 21b, 1×4, 2x6s) and Arafat (25, 16b, 2x4s, 2x6s) were the second-highest scorers after Aamir.

Hong Kong had an impressive day with the ball; Ayush Shukla ended the innings with four wickets and Mohammad Ghazanfar grabbed three wickets.

In turn, Pakistan spinners rose to the occasion, allowing the side to completely command the game. The Hong Kong batters fell victim to the web Arafat, Sufiyan Muqeem, Qasim Akram and Khushdil Shah spun around them.

Khushdil got three wickets while the remaining three got two wickets each. Babar Hayat was the highest scorer for the side, after making 29 runs in 27 balls, hitting three boundaries and two sixes.

Pakistan will now feature in the second semi-final on Friday, 6 October against the winner of the third quarter-final between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka scheduled tomorrow.

READ: Arshad Nadeem withdraws from the Asian Games 2023

HANGZHOU: Pakistan Shaheens on Sunday touched down in Hangzhou, China to participate in the men’s cricket competition of Asian Games 2023.

Qasim Akram-led Pakistan Shaheens will rest today before taking part in the training session tomorrow afternoon to prepare for the 19th Asian Games.

The T20 format will see Pakistan Shaheens starting their journey from the quarter-final stage, after having directly qualified by virtue of being one of the top four ICC-ranked sides in the continent.

The quarter-finals are scheduled to take place on 3 and 4 October, with Pakistan playing their quarter-final on 3 October at Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field in Hangzhou.

The semi-finals will take place on 6 October, while the final and the bronze medal match are scheduled to take place on Saturday, 7 October.

Pakistan Shaheens underwent a five-day camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore where players, under the guidance of coaches, engaged in training sessions and featured in match scenarios to get ready for the tournament.

The squad includes 15 players of which seven have already represented Pakistan in international cricket. These include Aamir Jamal (2 T20Is), Arshad Iqbal (1 T20I), Asif Ali (21 ODIs, 55 T20Is), Haider Ali (2 ODIs, 33 T20Is), Khushdil Shah (10 ODIs, 24 T20Is), Shahnawaz Dahani (2 ODIs, 11 T20Is) and Usman Qadir (1 ODI, 23 T20Is).

Pakistan Shaheens’ captain Qasim Akram, ahead of his team’s departure for the Asian Games 2023, termed it an honour to lead the side in the event while expressing hope that his players would continue to perform for the team.

“It is an honour for me to lead the side in the Asian Games. The players have performed well in the past, winning the ACC Emerging Asia Cup recently and I am looking forward to the same performance from the players in the upcoming games,” stated Qasim Akram.

“We have a good combination and have undergone rigorous training, preparing for whatever challenges spinning wickets may present. So, we are ready for the challenge.

“This will be our first tour to China, so we will keep things very simple and aim to win matches for the country.

“I will urge the fans to keep supporting the Shaheens side in the Asian Games.”

Pakistan Shaheens squad for Asian Games 2023:

Qasim Akram (captain), Omair Bin Yousuf (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Rohail Nazir (wk), Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Qadir

Player Support Personnel – Shahid Aslam (head coach-cum-manager), Umar Rasheed (bowling coach), Hanif Malik (batting and fielding coach) and Hafiz Naeem ul Rasool (physiotherapist)

READ: Real Madrid crush Girona to reclaim top spot in La Liga

HYDERABAD: Mickey Arthur, Director of Pakistan’s men’s cricket team, has joined the Pakistan squad in Hyderabad, India on Sunday for the ICC World Cup 2023, scheduled to commence on October 5.

Pakistan team is scheduled to face Australia in their second warm-up match on October 3, at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, before kicking off their ICC World Cup 2023 campaign with the match against Netherlands on October 6 at the same venue.

Pakistan lost their first warm-up match against New Zealand by five wickets as New Zealand batters chased down a mammoth 346 total with 38 balls to spare.

Mickey Arthur was appointed Director of the Pakistan men’s cricket team earlier this year. In this role, Arthur is involved in designing, formulating and overseeing strategies behind the Pakistan men’s team.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be rejoining the Pakistan cricket team and look forward to working with the group,” Mickey Arthur said after his appointment.

Arthur has served as the head coach of Pakistan from 2019 to 2019. During his tenure, the Pakistan team became the number one team in the Tests and T20I rankings, as well as winning the Champions Trophy in 2017.

“Since moving on, I have kept a track of the players and their collective performances. This is a talented bunch with the potential to be number one across all formats and my endeavour is to put in place strategies and create an environment that can contribute in further enhancing their performances so that we can extract the best out of them.”

Mickey Arthur is part of the coaching staff for the ICC World Cup 2023, as well as the away series against Australia and the home series against the West Indies.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

• October 6 – vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
• October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
• October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad
• October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
• October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
• October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
• November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures, starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

READ: Zaka Ashraf ‘proposes’ Jinnah-Gandhi trophy to BCCI

The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that it has successfully negotiated a three-year PCB central contract deal with its senior players that will run from July 1 2023 to June 30, 2026.

As many as 25 cricketers will be offered a momentous deal that will include a portion of ICC revenue.

Unlike last year, red-ball and white-ball national contracts have been merged. This decision was proposed by the central contract committee as a way to evaluate players in terms of winning matches and aimed at promoting fairness, transparent selection process.

The list of players will be divided into four categories with significant increases in monthly retainers. Revenue from ICC will be incorporated in overall monthly remuneration.

Category A (3 players): 202 %
Category B (6): 144 %
Category C (2): 135 %
Category D (14): 127 %

Below is the list of players with categories who are being offered contracts:

Category A: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Category B: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan
Category C: Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique
Category D: Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan

Players’ match fees will also see a major hike: 50% increment in Test, 25% in ODI and 12.5% in T20I.

Centrally contracted players who are playing domestic cricket will be paid 50% of the international match fee. In addition, players will be allowed to play two foreign leagues in each season.

The three-year tenure of the PCB central contracts will have its financial model locked for the term. Player performance however will be reviewed after every 12 months. The previous central contract cycle expired on 30 June and the new deal will be deemed effective from 1 July, 2023.

PCB Management Committee Chairperson, Zaka Ashraf: “I am pleased to announce that after lengthy negotiations, the PCB has come to a financial agreement with the players. We believe that our players are the true assets of Pakistan cricket, and it is our utmost priority to ensure their well-being and provide them with the best possible services.

“This deal signifies our commitment to improving the financial health of our players, acknowledging their hard work and dedication to the game. We firmly believe that a financially secure and motivated team is more likely to excel on the field.

“As we move forward, the entire nation stands behind these players to do well in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup. We have faith in their abilities, and we are confident that they will make the nation proud with their outstanding performances.”

Pakistan captain, Babar Azam: “It is by far a historic deal. I am extremely happy and satisfied that we have reached an agreement with the PCB. It has been a lengthy and, at times, challenging negotiation process, but I believe we have reached a fair and beneficial agreement for both parties.

“I would like to extend my special thanks to chairman Zaka Ashraf for personally overseeing and facilitating these negotiations. He took personal interest and his commitment to Pakistan cricket are truly commendable.

“This agreement signifies a new chapter in players’ career and in Pakistan cricket. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all players towards the game and now we are all geared up ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup.”

Usman Wahla, PCB Director – International Cricket Operations: “We’ve not only signed a historic central contract pay deal, but we’ve also taken a monumental step towards recognising the true value of our cricketers both on and off the field.

“I would like to express my appreciation for the visionary leadership of PCB’s senior management, and the collaborative spirit shown by Babar Azam and the senior players involved.

“Together, we’ve written a new chapter in Pakistan’s cricket history with this central contract deal – a testament to teamwork both on and off the field.”

READ: Babar Azam retains top ODI ranking despite Shubman Gill’s threat