Author: shoaib.jatt

KARACHI: Young hard-hitting batter Ayesha Naseem on Thursday, announced her shocking retirement from international cricket.

According to the details, the 18-year-old batter made the decision in a bid to spend the rest of her life as per the teaching of her religion.

Details further suggested that Ayesha Naseem also informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding her shocking decision to retire.

Notably, Naseem made her international debut for Pakistan in March 2020 against Thailand.

In her budding career, she represented Pakistan in four Women’s ODIs and four Women’s T20Is. She scored a total of 402 runs in her international career.

Naseem rose to fame in January 2023 with her quickfire cameo against Australia in the first T20I.

The right-handed hard-hitting batter scored 24 runs in 20 balls, with the help of three sixes and a four.

Her brief yet brilliant cameo inspired legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram, who termed her a serious talent.

Now that’s some serious talent . https://t.co/P5HS9XkkTS

— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) January 25, 2023

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RIYADH: Young Pakistan cueist Muhammad Hamza Ilyas on Saturday, outclassed his Indian opponent Dhruv Patel 4-2 to storm into the semi-final of the ongoing IBSF World U21 Snooker Championship.

In the quarter-final of the World U21 Snooker Championship, Muhammad Hamza Ilyas carried on his rich vein of form to thump Dhruv Patel 4-2 in the Best of 7.

Hamza completely outclassed Patel in the opening frame by a scoreline of 66-23.

The young Indian cueist soon recollected himself and put on a better show in the next frame but Hamza held his nerves calm to edge him by a mere two points margin and claimed a 2-0 lead.

Patel finally made a scintillating comeback in the third frame in a dominating manner but Hamza claimed the next frame to restore his advantage at 3-1.

The next two frames also followed the same pattern as Patel cut Hamza’s advantage with a dominating fifth-set victory but the Pakistan cueist once again hit back to claim the next frame.

Thus, Hamza Ilyas carried on his unbeaten run and registered a berth in the semi-final of the ongoing competition.

He next faces Germany’s Alexander on Sunday in a bid to reach the final.

Meanwhile, another Pakistan cueist participating in the World Championship, Ahsan Ramzan, succumbed to a shock defeat against Iran’s Tirdad Azadipour.

Tirdad, who lost to Ahsan Ramzan on his home ground in the semi-final of the U21 Asian Snooker Championship, was more cautious and started with an opening break of 54 points to secure the first frame 74(54)-02.

Ahsan Ramzan performed brilliantly and scored a few points in the second session, but Tirdad was once more aggressive and won the game 61-39.

Ahsan attempted to make a comeback in the game but remained unsuccessful.

Tirdad, on the other hand, was prepared to make up for any errors and eventually won the third frame 63-27 to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the 2023 World Under-21 Snooker Championship.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Wednesday, confirmed that they have received clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the four-nation tournament in Mauritius.

Following the issuance of the No-Objection Certificate (NOC), the national team will depart for Mauritius on Wednesday night.

Salman Sufi, the head of Pakistan’s strategic reforms, had earlier announced on his official Twitter account that the NOC had been accepted.

“Have spoken to the secretary IPC and have been informed that Mauritius NOC has been approved,” wrote Salman Sufi.

Pakistan will start their four-nation tournament campaign against host Mauritius on June 11 before taking on Kenya (June 14) and Djibouti (June 17) respectively.

It is worth mentioning here that the PFF is yet to receive the NOC to participate in the upcoming South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, scheduled to take place in India later this month.

I granted NOC for the SAFF Championship, the national football team will directly travel to India after concluding the four-nation tournament in Mauritius.

Notably, Pakistan have been drawn with India alongside invitee Kuwait and Nepal in group A of the SAFF Championship 2023.

A total of eight teams, divided into two groups, will participate in the South Asian tournament.

Group A features host India, Pakistan, Nepal and Kuwait while Bangladesh, Bhutan, Lebanon and Maldives were drawn in Group B.

Pakistan men’s football team will mark their return to the SAFF Championship after missing the last two out of the 13 editions held since 1993.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) could not send its men’s team for the 2015 edition held in India due to the lack of funds.

The national side then missed the 2021 edition as they were serving a suspension from FIFA, which was lifted last year in June.

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz said Pakistan should play the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India as the uncertainty over the team playing the mega event in the neighbouring country looms large.

Punjab’s Sports Minister Wahab Riaz shared his views about Pakistan’s participation as the world champion in the ARY News sports show Bouncer. The left-arm bowler said Pakistan should follow its saying that “politics should be separate from sports”.

The provincial minister said that Indian cricketers are friendly towards their Pakistani counterparts but can’t tour the country as they cannot go against the government’s decision.

Moreover, the cricketer added that India should have toured Pakistan for the Asia Cup. He said Green Shirts should participate in the World Cup under any situation.

He also said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does what it wants as it is the most influential cricket board.

Wahab Riaz, speaking about himself, said he does not only want to play in the World Cup but also to play more for the country. He added he is trying to make a comeback for the national team, but it might be too late for him. 

The cricketer said the team is performing well. The pacer added the team’s bowling unit is good, but there is a shortage of bowlers who can bowl their 10 overs.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan’s last tour of India was in 2012-2013 when the two sides bilateral series for the last time. 

Since then, the two sides have only met in ICC and regional tournaments.

Speaking to the media in Lahore on Monday, Wahab Riaz requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to let him practise at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), albeit he is not invited to the specialised camps.

Wahab Riaz further said it was the board’s own choice not to call him for the specialised camps for the bowlers, starting later this month at the NCA.

“It is their (PCB’s) choice if they did not invite me to bowlers’ camps,” he told reporters while attending the Torch Lighting ceremony for the DC Lahore Young Games 2023.

On Friday, PCB called up 13 spinners and 11 fast bowlers for the two camps that will run from 10 till 15 June (for spinners) and 16 till 21 June (for fast bowlers).

“I will continue my bowling practice at the NCA,” added Wahab Riaz, besides requesting the PCB to allow him to use the facility for the purpose.

 

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LAHORE: ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardice will reach Lahore on Tuesday morning on a two-day visit to meet the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) top officials. 

According to the details, International Cricket Council’s high-ups will meet the Chair of the PCB Management Committee Mr Najam Sethi (also an ICC Director), PCB Chief Operating Officer Barrister Salman Naseer and other board officials during the visit.

“While Mr Allardice has regularly visited Pakistan, first as ICC General Manager – Cricket and then as ICC Chief Executive, this will be Mr Barclay’s first visit to Pakistan.” said the PCB media release on Sunday.

“Mr Barclay will be the first ICC Chairman to tour Pakistan since ICC President Ray Mali’s visit in 2008. This will also be the first time since October 2004 that both the top two ICC officials will together visit the Pakistan cricket headquarters,” it added.

READ: Pakistan hold India to 1-1 draw in Junior Asia Cup

QUETTA: Renowned Pakistan Javelin thrower Olympian Arshad Nadeem on Saturday, outpowered his opponents to get his hands on the gold medal in the ongoing 34th National Games here at Ayub Stadium. 

In the Javelin event, Arshad Nadeem showcased his potential and proved his mettle once again as he recorded the longest throw of 78.02m in his third attempt. His attempt was unmatched by any of his competitors.

Consequently, Water and Power Development Authority’s (WAPDA) Arshad Nadeem clinched the gold medal.

Yasir Sultan, Nadeem’s WAPDA teammate registered the second-best distance of 77.50m to bag the silver medal. Whereas, Army’s Amad managed a Bronze medal after he threw his javelin for the third-best distance of 73.18m.

“I came here to win nothing less than a Gold medal. I trained hard after undergoing shoulder injury,” Arshad Nadeem said.

“This Gold medal has given me immense confidence after recovering from shoulder injury. It was my first event after surgery,” he added.

Notably, the star athlete underwent elbow surgery last year in the United Kingdom briefly after his record-breaking performances in Commonwealth Games and Islamic Games.

Arshad Nadeem created history for Pakistan by winning the gold medal in the Javelin throw at the 2022 Commonwealth Games as he became Pakistan’s first gold medalist in the Games athletics since 1962.

He also registered a national and Commonwealth Games record throw of 90.18 metres in the process.

Briefly after CWG glory, Arshad Nadeem also represented Pakistan in Islamic Games despite coping with the elbow injury but once again he defied the injury and threw the javelin with all his force as his spear amassed 88.55m, setting the Islamic Games record before getting his hands on the gold.

READ: Shadab Khan issues update on his injury after nasty collision in T20 Blast

HOVE: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan on Saturday, provided an update regarding his health status after a severe bump with his Sussex teammate Nathan McAndrew amid his side’s T20 Blast fixture against Somerset.

The collision between Shadab Khan and Nathan McAndrew occurred on the fourth ball of the seventh over of Somerset’s innings when Tom Kohler-Cadmore top-edged a delivery off Ravi Bopara over extra cover.

As the ball went sky high after taking a nick off Kohler-Cadmore’s bat, Shadab Khan, from the cover region, ran backwards to take the catch while Nathan McAndrew rushed towards the ball from the long-off and thus got into a devastating collision.

https://twitter.com/sharyofficial/status/1662199792255025153?s=46

 

Both fielders went down on the ground and needed immediate medical attention. The action was temporarily paused for an approximately 10-minute period to ensure the well-being of the players.

Nathan McAndrew was able to recover from the collision in time and took the field while Shadab Khan walked off the field and remained in the dugout for the rest of the match as a precautionary measure, which sparked concerns among his fans.

Meanwhile, the all-rounder has finally issued an update regarding his condition and shared that he is ‘better and feeling good’.

“Alhamdulilah I am better and feeling good. My concussion tests are all done,” wrote Shadab.

“As a precaution, I will take rest for a few days. Thank you for all ur prayers and support,” he added.

Alhamdulilah I am better and feeling good. My concussion tests are all done. As a precaution I will take rest for a few days. Thank you for all ur prayers and support

— Shadab Khan (@76Shadabkhan) May 27, 2023

 

It is pertinent to mention that Shadab Khan could make a modest contribution with the bat, scoring nine runs off eight balls with the help of a six.

He did not bowl for Sussex in the match due to the collision and Somerset, consequently, chased down the target of 184, securing a comfortable five-wicket victory.

READ: Former National Snooker champion Muhammad Bilal passes away at 38 

Two-time National Snooker champion Muhammad Bilal has passed away at the age of 38 due to cardiac arrest in his home town Mandi Bahauddin, Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) confirmed on Saturday.

According to PBSA, the cueist suffered a cardiac arrest last night when he was in his hometown Mandi Bahauddin and lost the battle of his life.

He was one of the finest players of the Snooker circuit of the PBSA, winning several national and international medals throughout his career.

Muhammad Bilal won many laurels for Pakistan. He was the Winner of the National Snooker Championship in 2016 and 2019 and finished as a runner-up in 2018. He was also a runner-up in the 2016 NBP Ranking Snooker Championship.

He proved his mettle at the international level as well, winning two gold medals in the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS) Asian Tour 2018 and International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Team Cup 2019 in Doha, Qatar.

Muhammad Bilal also won four silver medals and six bronze medals in the Asian & World Snooker Championships.

His funeral will be held just after Namaz e Zuhr today in his hometown Mandi Bahauddin.

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Pakistan are placed in Group D with Japan, and Palestine and hosts Bahrain for the qualifiers of the AFC under-23 Asian Cup 2024 in Qatar. 

A total of 43 teams, divided into ten groups of four and one group of three, will play the Qualifiers, scheduled from September 4 to 12 later this year.

The official draw was held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

The anticipation echoes through all 4️⃣2️⃣ sides as the 2024 #AFCU23 Qualifiers Draw concludes!

📆 September 4-12, 2023

1️⃣5️⃣ spots are up for grabs. Who will join hosts 🇶🇦 Qatar in the Finals? pic.twitter.com/HCecWVo7pK

— #WAC2026 (@afcasiancup) May 25, 2023

Each group will be played at a centralized venue in a single round-robin format. The 11 group winners and four best second-placed teams will join the hosts Qatar for the showpiece event.

The U23 AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2024 will take place between April 15 and May 3 next year.

Pakistan will play the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers for the first time since 2015.

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KARACHI: The imported Australian soil on Monday, has finally got custom clearance after 10 months as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly aims to continue striving to improve the quality of the pitches.

The imported soil faced a 10-month-long delay in customs clearance after it reached here at Jinnah International Airport in July 2022.

Following the arrival of Australian soil,  the removal of the old soil from the pitches of the National Bank Cricket Arena here is now underway.

Initially, Australian soil will be seeded in two pitches of the National Bank Cricket Arena here.

Notably, the former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja during his tenure, emphasized the need of producing lively pitches for quality cricket before he was ousted in December 2022.

In this regard, the PCB acquired the services of Damien Hough, the head curator of Adelaide Oval for inspection of local pitches and outfields besides giving consultancy to local curators on pitch-making techniques.

Australian expert thus carried out the inspection of outfields and pitches squares as well during his visit to local stadiums including Gaddafi Stadium, National Bank Cricket Arena, Pindi Cricket Stadium and Naya Nazimabad Cricket Stadium here.

Hough delivered lectures on pitch preparations and the basic methodology of pitch-making for all three formats of the game to local curators, coaches, and city cricket associations, before his departure on July 28.

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