Author: shahzad.malik

LAHORE: The Pakistan Men’s cricket team is yet to receive Indian visas to participate in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, scheduled to commence on October 5.

According to the details, India subjected visa issuance to Pakistani players and officials with security clearance.

Consequently, Pakistan’s pre-World Cup team bonding trip to Dubai has also been cancelled due to visas delay.

Pakistan’s squad for the World Cup was due to leave for Dubai early next week and stay for a couple of days before flying to Hyderabad, where they are scheduled to take on New Zealand in the warm-up fixture on September 29.

However, the Pakistan contingent will now depart from Lahore to Dubai early next Wednesday and then travel to Hyderabad.

Details further suggested that Pakistan are only one still awaiting visas out of the nine sides travelling to India for the World Cup.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already notified the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding visa delay as PCB was guaranteed that they would acquire visas in a timely manner.

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: Inzamam-ul-Haq opens up on Hasan Ali selection in ICC World Cup 2023 squad

LAHORE: Chief Selector of Pakistan’s men’s cricket team Inzamam-ul-Haq on Friday, clarified that Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir can be considered for selection when needed for the team.

Inzamam-ul-Haq announced announced a 15-member Pakistan squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 in India with the only major change being pace bowler Hasan Ali replacing injured Naseem Shah.

While many fans hoped to see Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir in the touring party for the World Cup, Inzamam-ul-Haq stated the clear criteria for selection.

“The doors of the Pakistan team are open for everyone, be it Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir or even Shan Masood, they are all good players and have performed for Pakistan,” said Inzamam-ul-Haq.

“However, the criteria for selection is our domestic cricket, whoever wants to get selected needs to perform in domestic cricket to be in contention,” he further added.

“Mohammad Amir is a good cricketer but he is currently retired, but just like everyone else, doors are open for him,” he concluded.

The 15-member Pakistan team will kick off their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Prior to that, they will play two warm-up matches against New Zealand and Australia on September 29 and October 3 respectively.

Pakistan ICC World Cup 2023 squad

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafiq, 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: Zaman Khan, Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed

READ: Inzamam-ul-Haq opens up on Hasan Ali selection in ICC World Cup 2023 squad

LAHORE: Inzamam-ul-Haq, the national chief selector announced a 15-member Pakistan squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, the notable selection, however, was the returning pace-bowler Hasan Ali.

Hasan Ali returned to the Pakistan ODI squad after one year, replacing injured fast bowler Naseem Shah, who injured his right shoulder during the Asia Cup 2023 match against India. He last played an ODI match against West Indies in June 2022, where he picked up two wickets.

The head of national selection committee, Inzamam-ul-Haq justified Hasan Ali’s selection on the basis of experience and injuries to other pace bowlers.

“We were forced to make one change [Hasan Ali] because of an unfortunate injury to Naseem Shah,” said Inzamam-ul-Haq. “Our fast bowlers are facing injuries, [Mohammad] Hasnain has an ankle injury and is out injured and so is Ihsanullah, so Hasan Ali has been included in the team on the basis of experience.”

He also explained the reason for Hasan Ali not replace Naseem Shah in Asia Cup 2023 instead of Zaman Khan.

“Hasan Ali was suffering from a finger injury at the time when Naseem Shah got injured in the Asia Cup,” Inzmam-ul-Haq explained.

Hasan Ali underwent surgery after he injured his finger while playing for Dambulla Aura in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) playoff game against Galle Titans last month. He picked up eight wickets at an astonishing average of 16.12 in the five games in the tournament.

Hasan Ali has represented Pakistan in 60 ODI games and picked 91 wickets, since his debut in 2016. He was also part of Pakistan’s squad in the ICC ODI World Cup 2019, as well as Pakistan’s successful Champions Trophy triumph under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed in 2017.

The 15-member Pakistan team will kick off their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Prior to that, they will play two warm-up matches against New Zealand and Australia on September 29 and October 3 respectively.

READ: Mohammad Hafeez steps down from PCB Cricket Technical Committee

LAHORE: The much-anticipated Pakistan squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 will be announced on Friday morning, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed.

In an official statement, the PCB revealed that the national men’s Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq met PCB management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf on Thursday afternoon and finalized the 15-member squad for the ICC World Cup 2023.

“Inzamam ul Haq, chief selector, who couldn’t make into the meeting yesterday due to a medical emergency but met Zaka Ashraf on Thursday afternoon to share his input,” PCB said in a statement.

“After the completion of the review, Inzamam has finalised the Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup, which will be announced on Friday morning in a press conference scheduled to take place at 1115 am at Level 2, Far-End Building of Gaddafi Stadium,” the statement added.

The PCB also reviewed the national men’s team’s performance in the recently concluded ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023.

The PCB high-ups under the Chairman Management Committee Zaka Ashraf on Wednesday evening met with the National coaching staff headed by Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, and former captains Misbah ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez.

In the meeting, the complete men’s national coaching staff which includes head coach Grant Bradburn, batting coach Andrew Puttick, and bowling coach Morne Morkel were also invited to report on the team’s recent performance.

The review meeting was also attended by Dr Sohail Saleem to brief about players’ injuries and the way forward for players’ rehabilitation programs.

In a robust analysis, every aspect of recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans came into discussion with a view to bringing improvement to the side. There was an agreement on making a better approach and strategy on players’ workload. The importance of strengthening the bench was also emphasised.

Chairman Management Committee Zaka Ashraf: “The philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus. The idea is to have everyone on board and debate about performances, identifying the problems and their solutions. We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team.

“Discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which caused them to fatigued ahead of their national duty. But going forward we have agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players workload and give national duty a priority.

“I am glad we had a good positive review session and are on the same page. We are confident that the experience gained in the Asia Cup was a learning curve and will help prepare for the ICC Men’s World Cup.

“Our team is filled with talent, and we believe they have the capability to compete and win at the highest level. We have world-class batters and bowlers and are committed to providing them with the necessary support and resources to ensure they are well-equipped ahead of the mega event.”

READ: Joe Root rested for remaining Ireland ODIs to prepare for ICC World Cup 2023

HANGZHOU: Pakistan Women’s cricket team qualified for the Asian Games 2023 semi-finals after their quarter-final clash against Indonesia at Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field was washed out due to persistent rain here.

Pakistan women’s cricket team qualified for the semi-finals on the basis of better seeding in the tournament.

Notably, the Pakistan women’s team is the defending champion of the women’s cricket event of the Asian Games, having won gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games.

Pakistan women’s team entered the Asian Games 2023 with momentum in their favour as they secured a historic whitewash against South Africa.

“The team is in high spirits and every player is looking forward to the Asian Games. After practicing for two days here in Hangzhou, we are all set to play Indonesia tomorrow. The Asian Games hold a special place in our hearts, and we are determined to bring home another gold medal,” Dar was quoted as saying in a PCB press release.

“That we enter this tournament after having beaten South Africa comprehensively in the T20I series will certainly help us and we look forward on carrying that momentum. The players are up for showcasing their skills on the field again.”

India on the other hand have also qualified for the semi-finals while Sri Lanka will face Thailand and Bangladesh will face Hong Kong in the other two quarter-finals on Friday.

Meanwhile, the final and the third-place playoff for the Bronze medal will be held on September 25.

Squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Anoosha Nasir, Diana Baig, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Nataliya Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah and Umm-e-Hani

Player Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (team manager), Mauhtashim Rashid (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach), Taufiq Umar (batting coach) and Rifat Gill (physiotherapist).

READ: South Africa’s pace duo ruled out of ICC World Cup 2023

Test cricketer Ahmad Shahzad has presented a cheque of one million rupees to star athlete Arshad Nadeem for winning the silver medal at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

Ahmad Shahzad congratulated Arshad Nadeem on winning the medal and making Pakistan proud.

“Arshad Nadeem has created a new history by winning this medal,” said Ahmad Shahzad. “He will also win a medal for Pakistan in the Asian Games as well as in the Paris Olympics.”

Arshad Nadeem made history last month as he clinched 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.

Supporting & Encouraging our Heroes who hoist the Green Flag 🇵🇰 across the Globe. My little contribution of Rs. 1mn to power our new Superhero Athletics Star Arshad Nadeem.

Insha'Allah he will bring more medal for Pakistan at Asian Games & Paris Olympics. Love you bro & all my… pic.twitter.com/gzmvScAvbz

— Ahmad Shahzad 🇵🇰 (@iamAhmadshahzad) September 17, 2023

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.

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LAHORE: Pakistan women’s cricket team on Saturday, departed for China to participate in the upcoming Asian Games 2023, scheduled to commence on September 28.

The Asian Games 2023 will run from September 19 to October 8, 2023 in Hangzhou.

The 15-day-long continental event, shifted from 2022 to 2023 due to COVID-19, will feature 40 sports this year.

The Nida Dar-led national team departed from here on Friday evening for Hangzhou via Doha, Qatar.

Pakistan women’s team will start their Asian Games 2023 campaign in the quarter-final on September 21.

Pakistan women’s team recently locked horns with South Africa in a three-match each ODI and T20I series.

The hosts whitewashed South Africa in the T20I series whereas the visitors claimed the ODI series 2-1.

South Africa were leading the ODI series before Pakistan made a remarkable comeback to avoid clean sweep.

Set to chase a modest 186, Pakistan comfortably completed the run chase for the loss of just two wickets and 72 balls to spare, courtesy of a brilliant partnership between Sidra Ameen and Bismah Maroof.

The hosts, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as they lost young opener Sadaf Shamas (13) in the 10th over with 39 runs on the board.

Following the early blow, Sidra Ameen was joined by experienced Bismah at the crease and the pair anchored the run chase with a match-winning partnership.

Bismah and Sidra added 110 runs for the second wicket with both scoring half-centuries.

The pair dominated the South African bowlers before Sidra faltered against Nadine de Klerk in the 33rd over when Pakistan still needed 27 runs.

Sidra Ameen top-scored for Pakistan in the third PAKW vs SAW ODI with an 82-ball 68 which featured six boundaries.

Bismah, on the other hand, stood her ground firm and with a helping hand from Aliya Riaz (19*) steered the Pakistan women’s team to a dominating victory.

Bismah remained unbeaten on 60 off 98 deliveries, hitting five boundaries.

READ: Rain dampens opening day of second round QEAT matches

COLOMBO: Fast bowler Naseem Shah has been ruled out of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 on Wednesday, and has been replaced by backup pace bowler Zaman Khan ahead of Pakistan’s final Super 4 match against Sri Lanka tomorrow.

Naseem Shah injured his right shoulder during the match against India. He continues to be monitored by the team’s medical panel that is taking all necessary precautions keeping in mind the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Haris Rauf, who did not bowl on the reserve day of the PAK vs IND contest as a precautionary measure, continues to recover well after he felt discomfort in his right flank on the first day of the match.

Team doctor Sohail Saleem: “These two fast bowlers [Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf] are our assets and the team’s medical panel will provide them the best possible care ahead of the all-important World Cup.”

Zaman Khan joined the team in Colombo today and will train with the squad at the RPICS in the evening, while Shahnawaz Dahani will join the team on Thursday morning.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Zaman Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani as backup pacers on Monday after the conclusion of the game against India.

“This is only a precautionary measure keeping in mind the fitness and well-being of the players ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup next month,” the statement by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday.

The statement noted that Haris and Naseem will continue to remain under the observation of the team’s medical panel.

“The team management will only request replacement from the ACC technical committee if Naseem or Haris are ruled out for the next seven days,” it concluded.

Haris Rauf is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with nine wickets, while Naseem Shah has picked up seven wickets.

Pakistan will play their last Super 4 match tomorrow against Sri Lanka at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

This match will serve as a virtual semi-final, as the winner of this contest will face India in the final of Asia Cup 2023.

India has qualified for the final of Asia Cup 2023 after handing Pakistan a 228-run thrashing in a rain-hit Super Four clash of the Asia Cup 2023 on Monday’s reserve day, and following it up with a thrilling 41-run victory over Sri Lanka yesterday.

Notably, if the all-important clash between Pakistan and Sri Lanka gets washed out then Sri Lanka will join India in the final of the Asia Cup 2023 due to a superior net run rate.

READ: Pakistan head coach Bradburn ‘grateful’ for India wake-up call ahead of World Cup

COLOMBO: Fast bowler Haris Rauf has been ruled out of the PAK vs IND clash of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.

“Haris Rauf will not be bowling any further in the Asia Cup Super 4 match against India as a precautionary measure. He felt a little discomfort in his right flank during the match yesterday,” the PCB said in a brief statement.

“He was subsequently taken for a precautionary MRI, which revealed no tear. He is under the observation of the team’s medical panel.”

Haris Rauf gave away 27 runs in his five wicketless overs against India yesterday before rain played spoilsport.

The highly-anticipated PAK vs IND clash was postponed yesterday to the reserve day after persistent rain denied play on Sunday.

When the rain intervened, India had raced to 147/2 in 24.1 overs with KL Rahul (17*) and Virat Kohli (8*) at the crease. They will resume India’s first innings today.

Earlier, after being put into bat first in the high-octane PAK vs IND clash, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill gave India a flying start with a magnificent 121-run partnership.

The pair dominated Pakistan’s bowling attack including their pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.

Both Gill and Sharma, who struggled against the trio in the previous PAK vs IND clash on September 2, made a sensational comeback.

The duo frustrated Pakistan bowlers before Shadab Khan finally struck in his third over, removing Sharma, soon after he amassed his half-century.

Rohit Sharma smashed six boundaries and four sixes on his way to a brisk 49-ball 56.

Gill, on the other hand, soon followed the footsteps of his captain and walked back to the pavilion in the next over after being outdone by Shaheen Shah Afridi’s slower delivery.

He scored a 52-ball 58 which featured 10 boundaries.

Following the back-to-back blows, star batter Virat Kohli and returning KL Rahul batted cautiously amid their unbeaten 24-run partnership for the third wicket before rain interrupted the PAK vs IND clash.

After the dark clouds scattered and the rain finally decided to ease out, the umpires carried out several field inspections and opted not to resume the action due to a wet outfield.

Sri Lankan groundsmen made desperate efforts to dry out the wet areas by using sponges and fans and when they apparently got the situation under control, rain returned and eventually forced the match to be decided on the reserve day.

READ: New Zealand unveil squad for ICC ODI World Cup 2023

COLOMBO: The Pakistan cricket team touched down at Colombo airport on Thursday via a chartered flight from Lahore to participate in the remaining Super 4 stage matches of the ongoing ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023.

Pakistan team will take a rest today, as well as tomorrow before hitting the practice nets on Saturday, September 9 to prepare for their next Super 4 stage match.

Pakistan will play their second match of the Super 4 stage against arch-rivals India on Sunday, September 10 in Colombo.

The teams of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also reached Colombo along with the Pakistan team.

Asia Cup 2023’s remaining Super 4 stage matches, as well as the final, are scheduled in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

Pakistan hosted a total of four matches in the ongoing tournament including the ongoing Super 4 fixture between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Asia Cup 2023 featured six teams, divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Super 4 stage.

Hosts Pakistan and their arch-rivals India qualified from Group A with three points after both teams defeated Nepal and shared a point each due to the match between them being washed out. Meanwhile defending champions and co-hosts Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh qualified from Group B, after Afghanistan missed out on a Super 4 berth by the barest of margins in their final group-stage match against Sri Lanka.

This year’s Asia Cup kicked off with host Pakistan defeating Asia Cup first-timers Nepal in the curtain raiser on August 30 in Multan. Meanwhile, the final of the tournament will be played on September 17 in Colombo

The Asia Cup 2023 is being played in the ODI format and is serving as an opportunity for the Asian teams to bolster their preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

READ: Netherlands name squad for ICC ODI World Cup 2023