Tag: Moin Khan

LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators head coach Moin Khan has advocated for the inclusion of more teams in the Pakistan Super League to support cricket’s development in Pakistan.

While speaking to the media ahead of their clash against the Karachi Kings tomorrow, Moin Khan remained optimistic about the inclusion of new teams in PSL.

“More teams mean increased revenue, which can be invested back into cricket development. Plus, it gives young players more opportunities and a bigger platform to showcase their skills, ” he remarked.

“We’re in touch with the PCB and hopeful they’ll accommodate the new team. Their presence will have a real impact,” he added.

He expressed satisfaction with Quetta Gladiators’ progress, saying the side is growing stronger as the tournament progresses.

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

“We’re glad to have Mark Chapman onboard. His inclusion will definitely enhance the team’s performance,” Moin said.

He praised the overall standard of the PSL 10, highlighting that top players are participating in the event.

“The quality of the PSL is excellent. Top players are coming in, and franchises are giving chances to promising youngsters.”

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Moin highlighted that several young players are emerging from different franchises and said it’s a positive sign for Pakistan cricket.

“There’s good talent coming through. We’ve identified some of it, and the deserving players are getting opportunities,” he added.

Moin downplayed age concerns in T20 cricket, backing veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik to shine despite criticism.

“An average age of 30 isn’t much. It brings experience,” he said while praising Shoaib Malik’s fitness and contributions to the side.

He also acknowledged the effect of dew in night matches and shed light on the playing conditions ahead of their crucial encounter against Karachi Kings.

“We’ve been practicing for the past three days. Dew becomes a big factor. If it continues, it’ll be a challenge. Chasing teams have a clear edge in such conditions,” he concluded.

READ: Pakistan’s Usman Wazeer knocks out India’s Eswaran in first round

Former captain Moin Khan has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take bold steps and rebuild the team after the disastrous ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.

“I’ve been listening to a lot of former players’ comments lately, but since we’re already losing, why not just build a new team? What’s the worst that can happen? We will lose again, but at least we would have done something different,” Moin remarked.

The 2017 Champions Trophy winners had a forgettable title defence, suffering back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India before their last group-stage match against Bangladesh was washed out.

Their early exit from the Champions Trophy has once again sparked discussions about Pakistan cricket’s direction, with many questioning the persistence of certain players in the squad despite inconsistent performances.

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Moin made it clear that while nobody is doubting the talent of the current players, every cricketer must justify his place in the team with consistent performances.

He also stressed the importance of patience from fans and former players if the selectors decide to rebuild the squad, even in just one format.

“Especially with social media nowadays, when selectors drop a senior or not-so-senior player, there’s immediate backlash. But when the same team keeps losing, those players are brought back, and the cycle continues. So, where exactly are we headed?” Moin questioned.

The former wicketkeeper-batter also dismissed claims about a lack of quality cricketing talent in Pakistan, instead pointing fingers at inconsistent selection policies.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

“The real issue is whether we even try to properly and justly give exposure to new players, groom them, and encourage them. Our problem is that we have different policies for different players,” he said.

According to sources, senior players of the Pakistan cricket team, including Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, are likely to be given a break for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

The series between Pakistan and New Zealand will run from 16 March 16 to 5 April, featuring five T20Is and three ODIs.

READ: Here’s how Afghanistan can still qualify for Champions Trophy semi-final

Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan has criticised the national team’s overly friendly attitude towards the players of India on the field, calling it “unfathomable” and a “sign of weakness.”

Speaking on a local show, Moin didn’t hold back his disappointment over how modern-day cricketers interact with their Indian counterparts during high-pressure matches.

“I just don’t get it when I watch Pakistan and India matches these days, as Indian players come into the crease, our players check their bats, pat them, have a friendly talk,” he said.

Moin Khan stressed the importance of maintaining “certain boundaries” as professionals, revealing that in his playing days, seniors always advised them to stay focused and avoid unnecessary interactions.

“When you get too friendly, they see it as a sign of weakness,” he warned.

The former wicketkeeper-batter also admitted that one of his biggest regrets was never beating India in a World Cup match.

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It’s worth noting that the arch-rivals Pakistan and India are set to lock horns in the much-anticipated clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 23 in Dubai.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off in Karachi on 19 February, while the final is scheduled for 9 March.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues to host tournament play. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games apiece, with Lahore hosting the second semi-final.

Lahore will also host the final on 9 March, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai. Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.

READ: Former pacer warns about decline of fast bowling in Pakistan

Legendary Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Moin Khan termed Mohammad Rizwan’s age only obstacle for him to become the all-format Pakistan captain, stating he would be a short-term option.

In an interview with a cricket news platform, Moin said Pakistan can appoint an all-format captain but should be given ample tenure to lead the national team.

Moin Khan acknowledged Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership skills but claimed the 32-year-old to be a short-term option. He instead called for grooming a youngster for the national team’s leadership.

“A single captain can be appointed for all formats of cricket, but it’s crucial for any player to perform across all formats to achieve this. Whoever becomes captain should have the responsibility for a long term. There is no doubt about Mohammad Rizwan’s abilities; any criticism against him might be due to his age,” said Moin Khan.

“It’s also important to consider how long he can represent the team if given leadership. Mohammad Rizwan could be a great short-term captain, but you would need to groom a young cricketer to take over in the future. We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy,” he added.

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Moin Khan then backed ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as the ideal candidate for Pakistan captaincy.

“Shaheen Afridi has the ability to lead the team and is highly liked by the players. He is an excellent choice for captaincy in T20s,” Moin stated.

“In white-ball cricket, I don’t see anyone else suitable for the role. Removing him from the captaincy was unjust. He is one of the best T20 players, and I’ve noticed his performance has slightly declined since he was removed from the captaincy. How can you expect good performance if you don’t give players confidence? They should be given some time as captain,” he added.

READ: Mohammad Abbas achieves major milestone in first-class cricket

Former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper batter Moin Khan backed ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as the ideal candidate for Pakistan captaincy.

Following a series of dismal performances across formats, the future of both Pakistan Test and white-ball captains, Shan Masood and Babar Azam, is under scrutiny.

Last week, it was reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to call a high-profile meeting on September 22, dubbed “Connection Camp”, to discuss the future of Pakistan cricket which includes the captaincy of the national men’s teams.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the aforementioned reports regarding the captaincy, stating that national selectors and coaches will decide on the appointment of the Pakistan men’s team captain.

“The decision regarding captaincy will be made after consultation with the coaches, mentors and selection committee,” said Naqvi.

“A workshop is scheduled for September 22, where everyone will be invited to give their suggestions, and decisions will be made afterwards,” he added.

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Meanwhile, legendary wicketkeeper batter Moin Khan threw his weight behind Shaheen Shah Afridi, terming him an ideal candidate for Pakistan captaincy, especially for T20Is.

He also highlighted a dip in the pacer’s performance after being removed from the captaincy.

“Shaheen Afridi has the ability to lead the team and is highly liked by the players. He is an excellent choice for captaincy in T20s. In white-ball cricket, I don’t see anyone else suitable for the role. Removing him from the captaincy was unjust. He is one of the best T20 players, and I’ve noticed his performance has slightly declined since he was removed from the captaincy. How can you expect good performance if you don’t give players confidence? They should be given some time as captain,” stated Moin.

READ: Moin Khan wants former India cricketers to “advise” BCCI regarding Champions Trophy

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan called on former India cricketers to advise the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding their national team’s participation in the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025  is scheduled to take place in Pakistan from February to March, however, India’s participation in the tournament is uncertain as the BCCI seeks the government’s approval to visit the country.

Remember, reports emerged in Indian media, citing a source from the BCCI, that the Indian team will not be visiting Pakistan for the upcoming ICC event.

Further reports claimed that the board has formally proposed Dubai and Sri Lanka as potential venues for hosting India’s matches.

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Meanwhile, Moin Khan, in an interview with a cricket news platform, was of the view that cricket should remain separate from politics and also that India’s visit to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025 would benefit the sport.

“In my view, Indian cricket legends should advise the BCCI to keep sports separate from politics. Fans worldwide want India and Pakistan to play, benefiting not just Pakistan but the sport as a whole. India must honour ICC commitments, and if they don’t, Pakistan should also consider taking a stand by not participating in future tournaments in India,” Moin said.

Earlier this week, the Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Geoff Allardice confirmed that the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in Pakistan, as scheduled, dismissing any speculation about the event being relocated to a different country.

During a media briefing in Dubai for the Women’s T20 World Cup, Allardice expressed satisfaction about Pakistan as the venue for the tournament. He further highlighted the ICC’s confidence in Pakistan’s ability to host the Champions Trophy.

Notably, Pakistan is upgrading three stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi for the Champions Trophy.

READ: Mohammad Abbas achieves major milestone in first-class cricket

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan commented on the rumours surfacing the internet regarding the potential international return of experienced left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir and subjected it to the latter’s performance.

Moin while talking to the media here responded to a question regarding the reports of Amir’s comeback to international cricket and termed the pacer a brilliant player.

“Mohammad Amir is a brilliant player. If his performance is good then he should definitely be added to the national team,” said Moin.

Notably, a report emerged on Sunday that Amir has been told to get ready for international cricket.

Reports further claimed that the national men’s team’s selection committee also contacted the pacer’s manager and asked him to prohibit Amir from making unnecessary statements on the media and focus on his performance.

According to the details, Amir also received a green signal to represent Pakistan in the forthcoming ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

It is pertinent to mention that Amir represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20Is. He last played an international match in Pakistan colours in 2020 before announcing his retirement citing his difference with the then team management led by the former chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq.

The left-arm pacer played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s last two ICC title victories – T20 World Cup 2009 and Champions Trophy 2017.

READ: Pakistan should not travel to India for World Cup: Moin Khan 

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan on Monday, stated that Pakistan should not tour India for World Cup if the Indian team does not play their Asia Cup matches in Pakistan.

Moin interacted with the media here and commented on the most debated deadlock between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) over the Asia Cup and World Cup venue.

The former captain opined that the PCB should take a strong stance on the matter and not send the national team to India for World Cup if the Indian team does not come here to participate in the Asia Cup.

“If India does not come to Pakistan to play the Asia Cup, then Pakistan should not go either for the World Cup. I think Pakistan Cricket Board should oppose this,” said Moin.

“If India plays the Asia Cup at a neutral venue, Pakistan’s matches should also be held at a neutral venue,” he added.

Moin also stated that the BCCI can not impose its decision on other boards by extortion of money while also stating that the two cricket boards should resolve the deadlock by dialogue and called for cricket diplomacy between the two nations.

“India cannot impose its will on other cricket boards by extortion of money. Cricket should be played, and for this, there should be a discussion in the boards of India and Pakistan,” stated Moin.

“There should be cricket diplomacy between the two countries,” he concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup and Pakistan’s participation in the Men’s ODI World Cup has been in jeopardy after the BCCI refused to tour Pakistan for the aforementioned tournament on political grounds.

The BCCI maintained their stance of not touring Pakistan for the Asia Cup, while the PCB was adamant that if they do not, then Pakistan might not travel to India for the World Cup in October-November.

The uncertainty around the 2023 Asia Cup began in October last year when the ACC president, and BCCI secretary, Jay Shah refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan and has since been trying to shift the tournament to a neutral venue.

Several ideas have been pitched to find a way through the long-persisted deadlock including the hybrid model to host the matches of Pakistan and India during the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup and Asia Cup at neutral venues.

However, the deadlock persisted after the BCCI flatly refused to accept the hybrid model and insisted on shifting the entire Asia Cup to a neutral venue and hosting all World Cup matches in Pakistan.

READ: Haider Ali joins Derbyshire for County Championship 2023 

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan opined regarding his son Azam Khan’s comeback to the national side and claimed that the latter’s job is to perform silently.

Moin, while talking to this reporter here responded to a question regarding his son Azam’s comeback to the national side and asserted that Azamr’s duty is to perform without uttering a word while also claiming to be unaware of his son’s return.

“Azam’s job is to perform quietly,” said Moin.

“Now, whether the chief selector or Azam himself knows about his return to the national side,” he added.

The former captain then commented on the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia and the national team’s ongoing middle-order woes and stated the conditions would not be too favourable for the men in green.

“Pakistan’s performance is improving but the middle-order needs to work hard. The conditions in Australia are going to be tough for Pakistan so it’s going to be a real test for them,” Moin said.

Moin then once again went on to highlight the issue of the team’s slower strike rate and also commented on Mohammad Rizwan’s reply to his statement by stating, “It’s good if Rizwan replied to my statement.

“But again I would say that in modern-day cricket if you don’t have all the shots, it would hurt the team.

“The opposing teams then will not let you score freely if you only play only on one side.”

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KARACHI: Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan responded to former captain Moin Khan’s statement regarding him and asserted that he does not need to play on the offside.

Rizwan, while talking to the media after Pakistan’s six-wicket loss to England in the first T20I, responded to a question regarding Moin’s statement, who called him a one-dimensional player, by stating that there is no problem if he can play on the leg side.

“If I can hit the off-stump delivery on the leg side then I think there is no problem in that. May Allah rewards those who are talking about my command on the offside,” Rizwan stated.

“I don’t need to play on offside although If I can play a shot on the leg side from off stump, I can also play from off stump to cover,” he maintained.

It is apropos to mention that Moin while speaking on ARY News’ show Bouncer highlighted a weakness in the batting approach of wicketkeeper batter Rizwan and alleged that the latter is a one-dimensional batter and prefers to score on the on-side.

“Rizwan, on the other hand, plays on one side only and he needs to score on the other side as well or else he will be trapped,” Moin stated.

Rizwan then also commented on Pakistan’s dismal performance against England in the series opener and asserted that the management is trying to make a combination for the World Cup.

“Everyone knows that little changes are being made. We are trying to make a combination for the World Cup so if you make changes, there will be an error,” Rizwan said.

The top-ranked T20I hitter responded to a question about playing too many dot balls by acknowledging the criticism and saying he and Pakistan captain Babar Azam are striving to address the issue.

“We are playing too many dot balls, we will work on it and also inform the players further,” Rizwan said.

It is pertinent to mention here following the series opener triumph, England lead the seven-match T20I series 1-0.

The action-filled T20I series is being streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

READ: Hales, bowlers power England to seal series opener against Pakistan