Tag: England vs Pakistan

KARACHI: ARY Digital Network has once again an exciting update for sports lovers in Pakistan as it has exclusively acquired digital rights for the upcoming home Test series against England and New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan.

After successfully acquiring the rights to the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the next two La Liga seasons, and FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, ARY Digital Network has now successfully secured the rights to Pakistan’s upcoming home series against England and New Zealand.

Viewers in Pakistan can watch the live streaming through the ARY ZAP application.

LIVE SPORTS ACTION CONTINUES ON #ARYZap!

Proud partners of @TheRealPCB for the upcoming home season featuring historic tours by @englandcricket and @BLACKCAPS.#PAKvENG #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/N9fZHV6YBh

— ASports (@asportstvpk) November 28, 2022

The historic home Test series will kick off on December 1 as Pakistan take on England on their home soil after a gap of 17 years. The second and third Tests, however, will be played on December 9 and 17 respectively. All three matches of the series will embark at 10:00 AM according to Pakistan Standard Time (PST).

Following England’s historic Test series, cricket fans can also catch New Zealand’s Tour of Pakistan in crystal clear HD quality on ARY ZAP which will be completed in two phases – December 27 – January 15 and April 13 – May 7 – and will feature two Tests, five T20Is and a total of eight ODIs.

Known for promoting sports in the country, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ARY Digital Network Mr Salman Iqbal- who also owns the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings- has the honour of launching Pakistan’s first HD sports channel A-Sports in October 2021.

A-Sports has previously aired ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, home T20I series against England, ODI series against the Netherlands, home ODI series against England, Formula 1 Grand Prix Season 2022-23, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, PSL Season 2022 and Karachi Open Squash Championship among other major sports events since its launching.

ARY ZAP, the popular app owned by ARY Digital Network, live-streamed ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, home T20I series against England, ODI series against the Netherlands, home ODI series against West Indies, Formula 1 Grand Prix Season 2022-23 among other major sports events since its launch.

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ISLAMABAD: England squad on Sunday stepped foot in Pakistan to play a historic Test series in the country after a gap of 17 years, which will roll into action from December 1 at Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.

A strong English Test squad landed in the country early Sunday from Abu Dhabi, where they practised against England Lions to race up the preparations for the historic series.

England will take on hosts Pakistan in three Tests in Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi respectively under the leadership of their newly-appointed captain Ben Stokes, who redeemed his 2016 failure to steer England to their second T20 World Cup title.

The Rawalpindi Test, scheduled to commence on December 1, will mark the first Test between Pakistan and England on the former’s soil after 17 years. Meanwhile, Rawalpindi will host England for a Test match for the first time.

Taking to Twitter, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) shared the footage of their Test squad touching down in Pakistan.

Touchdown in Pakistan for our Men’s Test squad! 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/2GbRr1Xcw1

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 26, 2022

It is pertinent to mention that England last toured Pakistan for a full-fledged tour back in 2005 when they played three Tests and five ODIs.

ENGLAND SQUAD: Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Joe Root, James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Test squad for the upcoming home series against England has started training at the Islamabad Club Cricket Ground here on Friday.

In the practice session, the England-series bound squad hit the training sessions. The players practised according to certain match scenarios and participated in batting and fielding drills.

The national players will carry out robust training sessions for three days up until November 27 when England’s squad is scheduled to land in the country for the historical series.

Following the conclusion of the ongoing training camp, both Pakistan and England squads will then start practising at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.

It is worth mentioning here that England will be touring Pakistan for a Test series after 17 years. The three-match Test series will be played in Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi, respectively.

PAKISTAN SQUAD

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shan Masood, and Zahid Mehmood.

ENGLAND SQUAD

Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Will Jacks, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday, unveiled the match officials for the historic Test series between Pakistan and England, scheduled to commence on December 1.

According to the PCB, Andy Pycroft, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, will lead the playing control teams for the historic Test series between Pakistan and England.

Meanwhile, a total of seven umpires will be officiating the three ICC World Test Championship fixtures, out of whom three are from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires.

West Indian umpire Joel Wilson, one of the 11 members of the ICC Elite Panel of umpires will join Ahsan Raza as the on-field umpire for the first and third Test, while Marais Erasmus and Asif Yaqoob will serve as the third and the fourth umpire respectively.

For the second Test in Multan however, Erasmus will join Aleem Dar for the on-field, while Wilson and Riaz will be performing third and fourth umpire roles.

It is pertinent to mention that the first Test between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi will mark England’s first Test on Pakistani soil since 2015.

The historic series part of the ICC World Test Championship will take place from December 1 to 21.

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LONDON: England Cricket Board on Wednesday added an 18-year-old British-Pakistani, Rehan Ahmed, to the Test squad for the historic tour of Pakistan, commencing on December 1.

The leg-spinning all-rounder has received his maiden England call-up and if he gets a chance in playing XI during the three-match series against Pakistan, he will become the youngest cricketer to play a Test for England.

Leicestershire’s Rehan is currently part of the England Lions and playing a warm-up game against the senior side during their training camp in Abu Dhabi.

“The 18-year-old, who has been with the Lions in their red-ball training camp in the UAE and is currently playing in the three-day warm-up fixture against the England Test squad in Abu Dhabi, has impressed coaches with his attitude and genuine potential to be given his first call up to the senior side.” said ECB in a press release

England red-ball coach Brendon McCullum praised the youngster’s approach towards the game besides calling him an unfinished article.

“We know he’s not the finished article and has raw potential, but Ben (Stokes), myself and the rest of the coaches like how he approaches his game. The experience of being part of the squad in Pakistan will be hugely beneficial for him, and he will add to the make-up of our squad.” said McCullum as quoted by the ECB release.

On Saturday, England will fly to Pakistan after concluding their Test camp at the Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub.

Ben Stokes-led side will arrive in Pakistan on November 27 and after the Test in Rawalpindi, the team will travel to Multan for the second Test from December 9 to 13.

The final match of the tour will be staged at the National Stadium in Karachi, commencing on December 17.

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ABU DHABI: England’s Pakistan-bound Test squad will play a three-day warm-up match against England Lions here to race up their preparation for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

According to the details, England’s warm-up match against the Lions will commence tomorrow and will conclude on November 25.

Following this, the English squad will take a rest day on November 26 before departing for Pakistan a day later.

England Test captain Ben Stokes will not participate in the warm-up match against the Lions due to excessive workload and Olly Pope will take up the leadership responsibility in the former’s absence.

Injury-prone English pacer Jofra Archer will represent England Lions, led by Dan Lawrence.

It is pertinent to mention that the three-match Test series between Pakistan and England will take place from December 1 to 21. Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi will respectively host the matches.

LAHORE: England’s first Test in Pakistan after a gap of 17 years will go as per schedule in Rawalpindi despite the potential of political unrest in the city, sources claimed.

Following the potential political unrest in the city, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier considered shifting the first Test of the series between Pakistan and England to Karachi.

The consideration came in light of Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf’s (PTI) long march that is likely to reach Islamabad in the third week of November.

The PCB, however, feels confident enough to go with the original plan despite the continued risk of political instability in the region.

Consequently, the series, as per the original schedule, will begin in Rawalpindi on December 1 and conclude in Karachi. The second Test will take place in Multan.

It is pertinent to mention that England’s Test squad is likely to land on November 27 to lock horns with Pakistan in the three-match Test series.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering shifting the first Test of the upcoming three-match home series against England to Karachi in light of the ongoing political unrest in Rawalpindi, sources claimed.

According to the details, following the current political situation in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the PCB is considering amending the venue of the first Test between Pakistan and England, scheduled to commence on December 1.

The consideration came in light of Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf’s (PTI) long march that is likely to reach the capital in the third week of November.

Meanwhile, England’s Test squad is likely to land in Islamabad on November 27 to lock horns with the hosts in the three-match Test series.

Consequently, Karachi is being considered to be the backup venue to host the opening Test, while the city is also scheduled to host the third Test.

Furthermore, according to a PCB official, no decision has been made to alter the schedule; only the change of location is being considered, and even that decision will only be made after consultation with the government and all stakeholders.

“No decision has been taken to change the schedule, Plan B option is definitely under consideration,” a well-placed source in PCB told.

“The decision to alter the venue will be taken after consultation with all stakeholders and the government’s advice. The change in schedule will be announced after the approval of the government authorities.”

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MELBOURNE: Pakistan captain Babar Azam revealed the reason behind the national team’s defeat at the hands of England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 final at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

Babar, while speaking to the post-match ceremony, raised the batting line-up’s falter and asserted that Pakistan were 20 runs short in the first innings.

The skipper also coined Shaheen Shah Afridi’s injury as another key factor behind the team’s shortcoming in the mega final.

“First of all I would like to congratulate the England team, it almost felt time like home as everyone came here to support us,” said Babar.

“The way the team has gone in the last four matches [was] incredible. I told the boys to play their natural game, with freedom.

“We were 20 runs short [in the final] but the fight to the last over was unbelievable. Our bowling is one of the best but unfortunately, Shaheen’s injury cost us a different result, but that’s part of the game.”

Meanwhile, the winning skipper Jos Buttler was ecstatic and lauded their veteran all-rounder Ben Stokes’ heroics that guided England to their second T20 World Cup title.

“This is the icing on the cake, to win the T20 World Cup, just immensely proud. A long journey and a few changes, but we’re reaping the rewards. Fantastic tournament,” said Buttler.

“He [Stokes] is the ultimate competitor. In anything he does, a hell of a lot of experience to bank on, he timed it perfectly, the impetus he and Moeen had taken it away from Pakistan,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention that England edged Pakistan by five wickets in the final of the T20 World Cup 2022 at the back of Stokes’ gritty half-century.

Pakistan bowlers fought hard and took the match close but Stokes held his nerves calm to redeem his 2016 World Cup heartbreak into exciting glory.

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MELBOURNE: All-rounder Ben Stokes held his nerves strong to cruise England to their second T20 World Cup victory as they defeat Pakistan by five wickets in the final, here at MCG on Sunday.

Set to chase 138, England completed the tricky run chase in 19 overs despite a strong attack put up by the Pakistan bowling department, thanks to their all-rounder Stokes, who powered his side to victory at the back of his brilliant half-century.

England were off to a poor start to their run chase as they lost their in-form opener, Alex Hales, in the first over, courtesy of a magnificent in-swinger by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Jos Buttler and Harry Brook then attempted to anchor the run chase with a scratchy 25-run partnership for the second wicket but Haris Rauf struck in his first over to break the budding partnership as he removed the latter for just 10.

Haris then struck in his next over to put an end to Buttler’s struggling knock, who could manage to score 26 off 20 deliveries.

With England 45/3 in the sixth over, Stokes then stitched two vital partnerships with Harry Brook (20) and Moeen Ali (19) and added 39 and 48 runs for the fourth and fifth wicket respectively.

Pakistan bowlers did their best to keep England at bay of making errors but Shaheen’s injury in the 13th over that forced him to leave the field after bowling the first delivery of his third over turned the dynamics of the game as Stokes attacked Pakistan’s part-timer Iftikhar Ahmed and stole 13 vital runs off just five deliveries.

England then needed just 28 runs off the last four overs and Stokes displayed his experience to maintain the attack as he targeted Mohammad Wasim Jr in the 17th over,  who leaked 16 runs.

With 12 required in 18 deliveries, Stokes held his nerves calm and steered his side to second T20 World Cup glory with six balls to spare.

The left-handed batter top-scored for England with an unbeaten 52 off 49 deliveries, laced with five boundaries and a six.

Haris led the bowling attack for Pakistan with two wickets, while Shaheen, Shadab and Wasim Jr made one scalp each.

Sam Curran starred with impressive bowling figures of 3/12 as England bowlers ran through the batting line to restrict Pakistan to 137/8.

Leg spinner Adil Rashid spun out young sensation Mohammad Haris and skipper Babar Azam before Sam Curran and Chris Jordan wreaked havoc at the death, jointly offering just 18 runs while taking four wickets in the last four overs.

Shan Masood top-scored for Pakistan with a skilful knock of 38 off 28, laced with two fours and a six while Babar contributed 32 off 28.

Pakistan recovered well from early scares as skipper and Shan raised a valiant 39-run partnership on the third wicket, taking the scoreboard to 84/2 in 11 overs before Rashid got rid of Babar with a brilliant googly.

Iftikhar Ahmed went back on a duck after facing six deliveries before Shan built another strong partnership (36 off 25) with no. 5 batter Shadab Khan steering Pakistan to 121/4 before the former fell prey to Curran in the 17th over.

Pakistan went through a lower-order collapse following Shan’s dismissal as the next three wickets fell in quick succession.

Apart from Curran’s brilliance, Rashid and Jordan took two scalps each while Ben Stokes grabbed a wicket too.

Earlier, Openers Babar and Mohammad Rizwan trod cautiously on a seam-friendly surface before England had the first breakthrough in the fifth over as Curren bowled out the wicket-keeper batter while he was trying to drag the outside the off-stump ball.

Energetic young batter Mohammad Haris was tested by England’s furious pace attack before he was dismissed Rashid after managing mere 8 runs off 12 balls.