Tag: Karachi test

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced to move the second of the two-match Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh from Karachi to Rawalpindi.

The cricket board took this decision owing to the ongoing construction work in the National Bank Stadium in Karachi to prepare for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.

“Due to the deployment of heavy construction equipment and the need to adhere to tight redevelopment schedules for the National Bank Stadium, which is being prepared for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board, in consultation with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, has decided to move the second ICC World Test Championship fixture to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium,” the PCB stated in a press release.

“This decision allows cricket spectators and fans to watch the live action of both the Tests, which serve as a preview of a busy and hectic international season for Pakistan cricket. During this period, the national side will play a total of nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs from 21 August to 5 April.

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“We have been guided by the construction experts on the timelines for the readiness of the venue. They advised that while construction could continue during playing hours, the resulting noise pollution would disturb the cricketers.

“Additionally, the dust from the construction work could also affect the health and well-being of the players, officials, broadcasters, and media.

“Given that construction must continue uninterrupted to ensure the venue is operationally ready for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the PCB, after consulting all stakeholders and reviewing operational and logistical matters, has decided to hold both Tests in Rawalpindi.

“At this stage, we will not like to speculate on the hosting of the second Test in Karachi from 15-19 October and will continue to work closely with the architects and construction experts on the safe and secure hosting of the match, while keeping the England and Wales Cricket Board updated.”

The Test series will commence in Rawalpindi, with the first Test scheduled to begin on 21 August. Meanwhile, the second Test match is scheduled to be played from 30 August to 3 September.

READ: Pakistan set for rare feat after 28 years in Rawalpindi Test against Bangladesh

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced that the second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh, scheduled in Karachi, will be played without spectators.

The second Test is scheduled to be played from 30 August to 3 September, however, due to the ongoing construction work in the National Bank Stadium, the match will be played with empty stands.

“In light of ongoing construction work at the National Bank Stadium as part of preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made the difficult decision to hold the second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, scheduled from 30 August to 3 September, without spectators in attendance,” the cricket board said in a statement.

“We understand the vital role that our passionate spectators play in cricket, providing inspiration and motivation to our players.

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“However, the health and safety of our fans is our utmost priority. After careful consideration of all available options, we have decided that the safest course of action is to hold the second Test in front of an empty stadium.”

The PCB also announced that the ticket sales have been stopped, however, the fans, who have already grabbed their passes will get a refund.

“As a result of this decision, ticket sales have been suspended with immediate effect. Fans who have already purchased tickets will receive a full refund automatically, with the amount credited to the account details provided at the time of purchase.

“While we deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause, we want to assure our valued fans that the ongoing stadium upgrades are aimed at enhancing their experience.

“The renovations are part of our commitment to making the venue more spectator-friendly and preparing it for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be the first ICC event hosted in Pakistan since 1996.”

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KARACHI: England’s wicket-keeper batter Ollie Pope surprised a young Pakistan by giving him a special gift on Tuesday in the final Test at National Bank Cricket Arena.

England sealed a sensational eight-wicket early on day four of the third Test and became the first team to clean-sweep Pakistan in a Test series at home.

Soon after the conclusion of the match, Pope went towards the stands where a few enthusiastic young Pakistani fans were waving at him. He responded to their affection by tossing his shoes towards one of the children.

Pope remained one of the leading run-getters for England in the Test series as he accumulated 238 runs with help of a century and two fifties.

Moreover, the English player also gifted signed cricket balls to Pakistani fans present in the stadium as a token of appreciation.

It is pertinent to mention here this was England’s first Test tour of Pakistan since 2005.

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KARACHI: After Pakistan’s dismal 0-3 series whitewash against England, skipper Babar Azam has taken complete responsibility for the disappointing results, saying as a captain he will be at the forefront to defend the team.

Speaking at a press conference after England sealed a comprehensive eight-wicket win in the final Test on Monday, Babar said his side lacked experience players, especially the injuries to their bowling mainstays remained a major blow for the team.

“We played some good cricket in patches, but overall we could not finish the games properly,” he said. “And we too are very disappointed over the results and the series loss”

Babar added that his team perceived batting as their strength since their key bowlers were unfit but losing back-to-back wickets on several instances proved costly for the team and caused the defeats.

“Pitches were equal for both teams. We’ve to give credit to the English team for the way they played and utilized the conditions” he added.

Pakistan captain expressed that the team is in the building phase and he could not change things drastically in a week or two.

“We’ve to build the team,” he said.”We have to back the new players and give them proper chances and some time,”

Talking about his captaincy, Babar dispelled the impression there was any additional burden on him due to the role, saying: “I enjoy the captaincy and try my best to do whatever I can for the team.”

Moreover, the Pakistan captain also put his weight behind team management and said they had vast experience and services for the team.

“Their job is to share their experience and plans with us, in the end as players it is our responsibility to execute those plans,” he added.

READ: England beat Pakistan in final Test to complete 3-0 series whitewash

 

 

KARACHI: Centurion Harry Brook and Ben Foakes played astounding knocks to help England gain a vital lead in the first innings as they were bowled out for 354 before the close of the second day’s play, here at National Bank Cricket Arena on Sunday. 

Brook smashed his second hundred in consecutive innings to help England close in Pakistan’s first innings total of 304 and stitched a valiant 117-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Ben Foakes to elevate the batting side after were stuck at 145 for the loss of five wickets.

Wicket-keeper Foakes contributed 64 from 121 balls while tailenders Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson chipped in with 35 and 29, respectively to help England finish on a 50-run lead in the first innings.

Pakistan openers, on the other hand, trod very cautiously and denied England a breakthrough before the day’s end as Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood remained unbeaten on 14 and 3, respectively.

At 21 without loss, Pakistan will resume the play on day 3 with a deficit of 29 runs.

With Brook and Foakes on the charge for the most part of the day, spinners topped the bowling charts for Pakistan as Abrar Ahmed and Nauman Ali bagged four wickets each while Mohammad Wasim took one wicket.

After finding three key wickets in the morning session, Pakistan went through a submissive second session with Ben Stokes’ chaotic run-out proving to be the lone cherishing moment for the team.

Stokes and Brook ended up on the same end of the wicket following a miscommunication for the third run.

Earlier, Ollie Pope starred with an impressive half-century in a spin-dominated first session that helped Pakistan keep England under control.

Nauman Ali struck back-to-back wickets, dismissing Ben Duckett and veteran Joe Root on consecutive deliveries to jitter England’s top order and aided Pakistan to contain England on 140/4 before Lunch.

At 58 for three, overnight batter Pope and Harry Brook braced England for a while before Abrar Ahmed provided a breakthrough to Pakistan and dismissed Pope soon after he made his fifty.

England, who are already 2-0 up in the series, were petrified by the mystery spinner Abrar when he removed Zak Crawley on the stroke of day close after Pakistan were bowled out for 304 in the first innings.

Skipper Babar Azam and Salman Agha notched-up fifties while retiring Azhar Ali managed 45 on the opening day of the Karachi Test when England spinners were on the charge.

Jack Leach and debutant Rehan Ahmed shared six wickets between them with a wicket to part-time Joe Root’s credit as well.

KARACHI: England’s Test squad looked determined to continue their aggressive approach as all the players partook in the robust six-hitting batting drill ahead of the Karachi Test, scheduled to commence on December 17.

A video is making rounds on social media, in which the English squad can be seen participating in a six-hitting practice session at the National Bank Cricket Arena here.

In the video, England’s Test head coach Brendon McCullum was standing behind the stumps, while each English player came out at the crease to slog the ball out of the park off Paul Collingwood.

English players are ready to play Karachi Test in T20 style#Karachi #PakvsEngland pic.twitter.com/F0Kcvhxyeq

— Ali Hasan 🏅 (@AaliHasan10) December 16, 2022

 

It is pertinent to mention that the England Test team adopted an aggressive approach following the appointment of their head coach McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, often called “BazBall”.

The touring side continued to trouble Pakistan with their ruthless style of playing Test cricket and also created a record for making the most runs on the first day of a Test match in the first match.

The aggressive approach of the English side, has thus far, benefitted them well as they lost just one out of their last eight matches since McCullum and Stokes took reigns.

England also lead the three-match historic Test series against Pakistan 2-0 and will lock horns with the Babar Azam-led Pakistan in the final Test from December 17-21 with Stoke’s sight set on the whitewash.

READ: Imam-ul-Haq ruled out of Karachi Test 

KARACHI:  The tickets for the final Test between Pakistan and England, scheduled from December 17 to 21 at National Bank Cricket Arena Karachi, will be available for purchase from Tuesday.  

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced it had kept the ticket prices at nominal rates, starting from Rs150, in order to ensure that the action would be accessible for all cricket fans.

According to the details, the ticketing price for the General enclosure – Nasim-ul-Ghani, Iqbal Qasim, Muhammad Brothers, Intikhab Alam and Wasim Bari- has been set ticket at PKR150, and a  First-Class enclosure – Asif Iqbal, Waqar Hassan and Majid Khan – ticket is for PKR250.

Meanwhile, a Premium enclosure – Imran khan, Quaid, Wasim Akram and Zaheer Abbas – is for PKR300 and a VIP enclosure – Hanif Muhammad, Javed Miandad and Fazal Mehmood – is for PKR500.

The physical tickets can be purchased from Asghar Ali Shah Stadium in Nazimabad, RJ Mall (Pakistan Physical disability cricket association) and Sector-35-F, Korangi n0.4.

Furthermore, van booths at Do Talwar Clifton and Numaish Cowrange will also be set up by the PCB, through BookMe, to further facilitate the fans in obtaining the tickets.

It is pertinent to mention here that the visiting side has an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after they sealed a dramatic win by 26 runs in the second Test in Multan earlier today and also triumphed over Pakistan in a tense finish in Rawalpindi in the first game.

READ: ‘Pakistan should include Sarfaraz, Shan in Playing XI’ suggests Malik

LAHORE: Pakistan former captain Shoaib Malik has put his weight behind wicket-keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed and opener Shan Masood to be included in the Playing XI for the final Test of the historic three-match series between Pakistan and England. 

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Shoaib suggested two changes in Pakistan’s batting lineup for the third Test, scheduled to take place in Karachi from December 17 to 21.

“In my opinion, Pakistan should include Sarfaraz Ahmed & Shan Masood in playing 11. Sarfaraz will bring much experience & Shan will help this team to have more stability. I hope our team will perform well in Karachi insha’Allah.” he tweeted.

– In my opinion, Pakistan should include @SarfarazA_54 & @shani_official in playing 11. Sarfaraz will bring much experience & Shan will help this team to have more stability. I hope our team will perform well in Karachi inshaAllah. #PakistanZindabad

— Shoaib Malik 🇵🇰 (@realshoaibmalik) December 12, 2022

Malik’s suggestion for changes in the team came at a time when Pakistan faced two consecutive defeats and lost the home series 2-0 against England.

England sealed a dramatic win earlier today as they beat Pakistan by 26 runs in Multan Test on day 4.

Shan, who batted at No 3 for Pakistan in the recently concluded T20 World Cup was Pakistan’s automatic choice to open in the red-ball format before he was sidelined since January 2021, when he played his last Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.

Sarfaraz, on the other hand, was captain of the side when he played his last Test in January 2019 and has since been unable to find a spot in the Playing XI.

READ: ‘We think the ball touched ground first’ Babar on Saud’s dismissal

KARACHI: Pakistan’s right-handed opener Abdullah Shafique shared that the team will surely go for the victory if the situation builds up on the final day of the ongoing second Test against Australia.

Abdullah, while talking to the presser after the conclusion of the fourth day of the Karachi Test, expressed satisfaction with his performance and claimed that the home side will go for the victory if the situation remained favourable.

“The batting remained satisfactory in the last two sessions. We will try to play according to the situation and to keep the momentum in our favour,” he said.

“The team will surely go for the victory if the situation remained suitable for us,” he added.

Abdullah then heaped praises on his captain Babar Azam, said he is a world-class batter and he always tries to learn from him.

“I think Babar Azam is a world-class batter and I always try to get help from him,” he said.

The right-handed batter then went on to reply to a reporter, who asked about him scoring a second century in a row, said the team performance is always his first priority.

“Team performance is before my personal achievement. Our focus tomorrow will be to do what is best for our team, and, I will try my best to win this game for them,” he replied.

Abdullah then acknowledged Australia’s bowling attack and revealed how he, alongside Babar nullified their attack.

“The Australian bowlers were taking advantage of the rough areas. Their strategy seemed to trap us on the leg side, but Babar Bhai and I decided to play defensively instead to wave off the threat,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan finished at 192/2 at the stumps on the fourth day of the ongoing Test. The home side needs further 314 runs to pull off the victory by chasing a world record.

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s former Test captain Javed Miandad lashed out at the performance of the Pakistan Cricket Team, also recalled his playing days, said that we used to finish the game within two to three days in our time.

Javed, while talking to the media, during a local event, said Pakistan used to win within two to three days on the spinning wickets.

“We used to dominate in our home grounds by making spin wickets. When I was playing, we have also finished Tests in two three days,” he said.

Javed further stated that he believes Pakistan should win at home.

“Pakistan made pitches according to their strength. Now, I think they need to win here because if they lose at home, they will lose everywhere in the world,” he said.

“400, 500 runs are normal in Test cricket. You are playing for Pakistan so you have to soak the pressure and show the intent,” he added.

Javed then went on to comment about the pitches of Pakistan and said the pitches here do not support fast bowling.

“Spin pitches can be made in Pakistan, the soil here is not suitable for fast pitches,” he said.

“Lahore’s pitch is a little fast, but not as fast as they are made in different parts of the world,” he added.

Pakistan’s batting great then furthered expressed his desire that the ongoing second Test between Pakistan and Australia here, concludes a result.

It is pertinent to mention here that Australia set Pakistan a massive target of 506, while Pakistan have managed to score 94 for the loss of two wickets in 44 overs.

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