Author: Zahid Noor

AMSTERDAM: Pakistan cricket team under the supervision of manager Mansoor Rana visited the headquarters of AFC Ajax here on Friday.

The national players including Pakistan captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Rauf, and Abdullah Shafique also paid a visit to the Dutch football club headquarters.

The national team visited the practice and High-Performance centre of the football club. Whereas, manager Mansoor presented the CEO of AFC Ajax with a commemorative bat – signed by the Pakistan contingent, which would be kept at the headquarters.

Taking to Twitter, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also shared glimpses of the team’s memorable visit to the football club’s headquarters.

Bonding across sports 🤝

🔊🔛 Enjoy highlights of the 🇵🇰 team's trip to the home of @AFCAjax 👏 pic.twitter.com/Y0d0eje3hH

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 19, 2022

The captains of the Pakistani team and Ajax swapped signed jerseys before posing with them.

The CEO of AFC Ajax and a former goalkeeper Van der Sar addressed Babar as the Lionel Messi of Cricket amid his interaction with the touring team.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan’s side is on a tour of the Netherlands to compete in a three-match ODI series. The touring side leads the series 2-0 with a game to spare.

READ: New Zealand A squad for India tour includes Netherlands’ van Beek

ROTTERDAM: Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf stated that bowling with a new ball was a challenge for him after he proved himself as a strike option for the team following his brilliant performance in the second ODI against the Netherlands.

Haris along with Naseem Shah, who is currently on his first ODI assignment, led the charge for Pakistan against the Netherlands in the absence of the team’s main strike bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi after he was rested due to an injury.

“Previously I used to bowl with a slightly old ball, but I bowled with a new ball in the series against Australia and here as well. It was a new challenge for me and I was trying to utilize it effectively,” said Haris in an interview given to this reporter.

Commenting on playing conditions, the right-arm pacer believed that the drastic contrast in the Netherlands’ conditions from that of Pakistan added to his learning experience.

“Conditions were very different here, the ground was soft, the ball was getting a grip in the wicket and the wicket was slow, you get to learn a lot from these things,” he added.

Naseem, on the other hand, stated that although he had been a regular member of Pakistan’s Test team yet the feelings were altogether different here as it was his debut ODI series.

“Although I have played Tests but the feelings during the debut are unmatched, Conditions were excellent here and it was an exciting ODI debut for me,” said Naseem.

Commenting on the playing conditions in the Netherlands, the young speedster stated that although the pitch was grassy, the ball was coming nicely onto the bat initially.

“The aura of playing at the international level was very different from league cricket,” he said. “Although the pitch looked grassy, the ball was slowing a bit before reaching the batsman. The ball was getting stuck and swinging simultaneously.” he maintained.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against the Netherlands after their comprehensive seven-wicket victory yesterday in the second ODI.

Haris Rauf produced sensational bowling figures of 3/16 while Naseem claimed two wickets to propel the collapse of the Dutch team in the second ODI. Whereas, Mohammad Nawaz also bagged three wickets with Shadab Khan and Mohammad Wasim making a scalp each to restrict the hosts to 186.

READ: ‘Rizwan guided me a lot during our partnership’ says Salman Ali Agha

ROTTERDAM: Pakistan’s young middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha revealed that wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan guided him during the match-winning partnership against the Netherlands in the second ODI.

Salman, who scored a magnificent half-century in his second ODI, credited wicket-keeper batter Rizwan for offering the guidance to build up his astonishing knock.

“Definitely he’s our senior player and one of the best players of Pakistan across all the formats. So, he was guiding me a lot like how to play, how to tackle some specific deliveries. So, his guidance helped me a lot,” Salman stated.

The right-handed batter while responding to a question regarding his plan regarding whether he will be targeting to score a century or a half-century, asserted that the team’s requirement would be the topmost priority for him.

“Thrive would be to play as I played in this match, according to the team’s demand. There is no doubt that a player has his individual milestone in his mind but the team is the top most priority,” Salman shared.

Salman then went on to comment on the conditions of the Netherlands and shared that the wicket is quite slow and offers a spongy bounce which make it difficult for a batter to hit the ball.

“The wicket is here is on a slower side and offers a spongy bounce. So, if a bowler bowls a length delivery, so it sponge bounces making it difficult to hit the ball. But, I tried to take on the challenge with a positive mindset and play my shots and thanks to Almighty it paid off,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Salman scored his first fifty in ODI cricket in his second match, put on a match-winning 92-run partnership with Rizwan and propelled Pakistan to seal a resounding seven-wicket victory over the Netherlands and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

READ: Pakistan crush Netherlands in second ODI to claim series victory 

ROTTERDAM: Pakistan’s star with the bat of the first ODI against the Netherlands, Fakhar Zaman admitted that the touring side could have played better against the hosts.

Fakhar, who led the charge for a competitive total for Pakistan with a magnificent century, spoke to this reporter and here and acknowledged that the Green Shirts could have played better while emphasizing different conditions resulting in the slow start for the touring side.

“No doubt, we could have played better than this. The ball was seeming at the start a bit too much and the Dutch bowlers too did exceptionally well. So, credit goes to them also,” Fakhar said.

“We were facing difficulty in the start as the ball was seeming quite a lot and there were spinners as well. So the plan with Babar was that we should not give away wickets no matter how few the runs were,” he revealed.

The left-handed opener then went on to comment on the team’s performance and the narrow victory against the Netherlands and emphasized that no team is weak in international cricket while asserting that players did not feel that the match was slipping away from their grip at any stage.

“At no point did we feel that the match was slipping away. This is cricket and you can’t relax until the last ball, Netherlands played well but the match was in our hands,” Fakhar asserted.

“No team is weak, three of their players were dismissed early but the partnership remained brilliant for them,” he concluded.

It is apropos to mention here that the full-strength Pakistan side managed to hold on the Netherlands by a bare margin of 16 runs in the first ODI of the three-match series.

Fakhar was the pick of the batters as he smashed a magnificent 109 off as many balls, laced with 12 boundaries and a six.

READ: Aisam-ul-Haq appointed as Goodwill Ambassador of Punjab government

ROTTERDAM: Pakistan ace-pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to miss the first two matches of the upcoming ODI series against the Netherlands, confirmed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday.

According to the PCB, the left-arm pacer has been ruled out of the first two games as he is currently undergoing rehabilitation after he pulled a knee injury during the Sri Lanka tour.

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Babar Azam has the opportunity to set another record for himself as a century in the forthcoming ODI series will make him the first Pakistan captain to score 10 tons.

Wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, on the other hand, needs to score 18 runs in the upcoming series to complete one thousand runs in ODI cricket.

Earlier Babar, in a press conference ahead of the team’s departure for the Netherlands also hinted at Shaheen’s possible absence as he revealed that the left-arm pacer will be rested at least for the first two ODIs, while at the same time expressing his desire for Shaheen to regain his fitness before Asia Cup 2022.

“We’re looking long-term at his fitness and health. We want him to play a game against the Netherlands if he’s fit and be ready for the Asia Cup,” Babar said.

“We have eleven trump cards. Each of them can be a matchwinner on their day. I have faith in every one of them, whether batters or bowlers,” he maintained.

Despite a knee injury, Shaheen was named for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Besides Shaheen, Pakistan all-format captain Babar also opened up on the ouster of the right-arm pacer Hasan Ali by stating that the latter has a chance to regain his form by playing domestic cricket.

“Our fast-bowling bench strength is excellent. They’ve now got an opportunity to showcase their skills. This is how you expand your pool,” Babar asserted.

“Yes, he’s (Ali) not in form, but it’s not like he has to prove anything. Domestic cricket is coming up. He’ll play that and make a strong comeback hopefully,” he maintained.

It is pertinent to mention here that the three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Netherlands will kick start on August 16. Whereas, the Green Shirts will start their Asia Cup 2022 campaign on August 28 against India.

READ: Bangladesh Cricket Board unveils squad for Asia Cup 2022 

THE HAGUE: National cricket team celebrated the country’s 76th Independence Day on Sunday in a ceremony held here at the Pakistani Embassy as the Green Shirts are currently touring the Netherlands for three-match ODI series. 

Speaking on the occasion, national men’s team skipper Babar Azam said that he felt proud to be a Pakistani and referred to his teammates as ambassadors of the country.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared pictures of the national team and other members of the Pakistani contingent attending the ceremony on its official Twitter account.

پاکستان کرکٹ ٹیم کی جانب سے تمام اہل وطن کو جشن آزادی مبارک#PakistanAt75 #IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/Rqrp9k0xIi

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 14, 2022

“I feel proud of being a Pakistani. We all are ambassadors of Pakistan” said Babar while addressing the ceremony.

“We feel delighted when overseas Pakistanis raise Pakistani flags inside international grounds,” he added.

“It gives us joy when fans boost our confidence by showing their support. We always strive to make our country proud,” he said.

He further hoped that the team would give their best performance in the upcoming series against the Netherlands and claimed that the players were in sublime form.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Babar Azam-led national side will lock horns against the hosts in Rotterdam for three 50-over matches on August 16, 18 and 21.

READ: Netherlands announce 15-member ODI squad against Pakistan

LONDON: England and Wales Cricket Board suspended Yorkshire right-arm off-break bowler Adam Lyth from bowling in ECB competitions following an independent assessment of his bowling action conducted at Loughborough University.

The left-arm pacer, who also represented England in seven Tests and played 205 first-class matches over the course of his 16-year-long career, has been barred from bowling in the domestic circuit.

Following the procedure outlined in the ECB’s Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with a Suspected Illegal Bowling Action, the suspension will take effect.

Lyth’s bowling action was reported in the Vitality Blast semi-final at Edgbaston on July 16.

“The subsequent assessment found that the elbow extension in Lyth’s bowling action exceeded the 15-degree threshold as defined in the Regulations,” ECB stated.

“Lyth is ineligible to bowl in ECB competitions until he is able to pass an independent re-assessment of his bowling action,” the statement concluded.

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BIRMINGHAM: National Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who shone in the ongoing Commonwealth Games as he claimed a historic gold medal for Pakistan, got the reward for his astonishing performance.

In a video message, Arshad expressed gratitude for his outstanding performance at the Games and announced that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had granted him a scholarship to help with his training for the Paris Olympics 2024.

“First of all, I would like to thank Almighty Allah for making me capable enough of winning the gold medal for Pakistan. I am honoured for being awarded a scholarship by International Olympic Committee which will help me prepare for Paris Olympics 2024,” Arshad shared.

“On this occasion, I would like to thank Pakistan Olympic Association, Pakistan Sports Board, and Pakistan Athletics Federation for their efforts to arrange this scholarship for me,” Arshad added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the 25-year-old defied his elbow injury on Sunday to set a new Games record and claimed a historic gold medal for Pakistan.

READ: Kohli, Rahul return as India announce squad for Asia Cup 2022 

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan’s ace athlete Arshad Nadeem revealed that he missed his Indian counterpart Neeraj Chopra’s presence in the Commonwealth Games after he bagged a historic gold medal in the men’s javelin throw final, here on Monday.

Speaking to ARY News following his astounding feat the other day, Arshad shared his inspirational journey from the Tokyo Olympics to creating history in the Commonwealth Games and stated that it was a matter of great pride for him to win a gold for Pakistan for the first time.

“I competed in international competitions for the first time since suffering an injury after the Tokyo Olympics. My targets were the Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Championships and Islamic Games,” he said.

“I’ve been working on my injury. Hopefully, I will earn more medals for Pakistan in the future”, hoped Arshad who defied an elbow and knee injury the other day to set the Commonwealth Games record with his magnificent throw of 90.18 metres.

“When I made an 88 metres throw and after (Anderson) Peters threw as well, I feel more motivated that there is still throw left in me and I can do that,” said Arshad as he beat World Atheltic Champion, Grenada’s Anderson Peter who threw a distance of 88.64m to finish second in the CWG final.

While he also surpassed Neeraj Chopra’s Tokyo Olympics throw of 87.58m, the 25-year-old Arshad revealed that he has been friends with the Indian javelin star and claimed that he felt his absence during the Games.

“Injuries are part and parcel of the game. If Neeraj was here, it would’ve been more exciting. I pray for his recovery and wish him luck for his next competition” he added.

Moreover, the star athlete expressed the joy that he won the medal at a time when the country’s independence was just around the corner and stated that the whole nation would celebrate the 14th August with the medals this time.

READ: Australia edge India to make Commonwealth Games cricket history

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan’s ace athlete Arshad Nadeem seemed hopeful for another sensational performance in today’s action-packed men’s javelin throw final in the Commonwealth Games 2022.

In a video message ahead of today’s final, Arshad stated that he would try his best to produce an exceptional performance in the contest and urged the whole nation to pray for his success.

The 25-year-old javelin star will be seen in action today alongside 12 other competitors in the final including the two-times World Athletics Champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.

“I have worked hard for the event despite the elbow and knee injury. I will try my best to perform well in today’s final,” he said.

“People of Pakistan have always showered love on me and I ask them to pray for me today as well” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that Arshad created history for Pakistan as he became the first athlete from the country to reach a final at World Athletics Cham­pionships. Whereas, he finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

READ: ‘If I have to go through this pain again for Pakistan, I won’t hesitate’ Akhtar