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Pakistan Shaheens commence training ahead of Top-End series in Australia

LAHORE: Pakistan Shaheens begin their training camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) here on Sunday for the forthcoming Top-End T20 series in Australia.

The eight players from the 15-member squad carried out a training session under the supervision of the coaching staff, led by head coach Ghulam Ali.

The Pakistan Shaheens squad members who participated in the session were Captain Muhammad Irfan Khan, Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Mohammad Salman Mirza, and Yasir Khan.

The remaining seven squad members are currently on tour with the Pakistan Shaheens in England and will join the camp on August 7.

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During the five-day camp in Lahore, players will participate in both training sessions and scenario-based matches.

The 11-team Top End T20 Series is scheduled to take place in Darwin from August 14 to 24.

Pakistan Shaheens’ squad for Top End T20 Series

Muhammad Irfan Khan (captain), Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicket-keeper), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Mubasir Khan, Saad Masood, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shahid Aziz, Ubaid Shah, and Yasir Khan

Team management: Ghulam Ali (head coach), Sami Ullah Niazi (bowling coach), Mansoor Amjad (fielding coach), Muhammad Ibrahim (analyst) and Muhammad Aleem (physio)

Pakistan Shaheens fixtures:

14 Aug – vs Bangladesh ‘A’, TIO Stadium (7pm local time)

16 Aug – vs Scorchers, TIO Stadium (4pm local time)

18 Aug – vs Renegades, TIO Stadium (6pm local time)

19 Aug – vs Kingsmen, DXC Arena (1pm local time)

20 Aug – vs Strikers, DXC Arena (7pm local time)

22 Aug – vs Nepal, DXC Arena (7pm local time)

24 Aug – Semi-finals and final

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WATCH: Pakistan women cricketers train ahead of action-packed international season

LAHORE: Pakistan women cricketers are gearing up for a blockbuster international season with an intense training here at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

The training aims to enhance the players’ skillset and sharpen their fitness levels ahead of the upcoming international assignments.

The national side’s next assignment will be the tour of Ireland, where they are scheduled to play a three-match T20I series in Dublin from August 6 to 10.

Following the Ireland series, Pakistan Women will participate in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, scheduled from September 30 to November 2. The team will play all their matches in Sri Lanka.

While speaking on the sidelines of the training session, all-rounder Aliya Riaz stated that they are putting in a strong effort.

“We’re working hard to represent Pakistan in the best way possible,” said Aliya Riaz.

Spinner Nashra Sandhu highlighted the boost in morale within the squad after Sadia Iqbal topped the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings.

“It’s a proud moment for all of us to see our teammates reaching such milestones,” Nashra said.

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Sadia, who has been a standout performer with the ball, said staying calm under pressure has been the key to her success, while crediting the coach for her success.

“I try to stay composed even in pressure situations. Training with the men’s players in the camp has helped refine my bowling further,” she said.

For the unversed, the ICC Women’s World Cup is all set to kick off on September 30, with hosts India facing joint-hosts Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. The month-long event will span across five venues — Bengaluru, Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Colombo.

The Pakistan women cricketers will begin their World Cup 2025 journey on October 2 against Bangladesh, before taking on India in what promises to be a blockbuster clash on October 5.

They will then face Australia (Oct 8), England (Oct 15), New Zealand (Oct 18), South Africa (Oct 21), and Sri Lanka (Oct 24) in a packed league stage.

As for the knockouts, the first semi-final is scheduled for October 29 in Guwahati or Colombo, while Bengaluru will host the second semi-final on October 30.

The final will be played on November 2 in Bengaluru, unless Pakistan qualify, in which case the summit clash will shift to Colombo.

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PCB calls 38 players for specialised camps at NCA

LAHORE: Thirteen spinners and 11 fast bowlers will undergo specialised men’s camps at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore this month in a bid to develop a deep and strong core ahead of an exciting and challenging season.

Fourteen batters will also be involved in the two camps that will run from 10 till 15 June (for spinners) and 16 till 21 June (for fast bowlers).

The men’s national selection committee has invited players from the Pakistan men’s, Shaheens and U19 sides and they will train under the guidance of national team’s and NCA’s coaches.

These camps will help the selectors in jotting the best possible squad for Pakistan’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka in July, which will be national side’s first assignment in the third cycle of the World Test Championship.

Separate camps for spin and fast bowlers will help these bowlers to bowl longer spells in specially tailored sessions that along with enhancing their skill level will test their fitness under tough weather conditions. Similarly, the batters will bat for extended periods, a requisite for the upcoming tour.

Having players from across the rungs together will also help in inculcating The Pakistan Way in the upcoming players, so they are aware of the expectations of the national side as they continue their journey. This will also help the youngsters to benefit from the experience of the senior side’s players.

The players who have been granted No-Objection Certificates to participate in County cricket or other leagues will continue to feature in them. The following is the list of the invited players.

Mohammad Nawaz (rehabilitation for finger injury), Sarfaraz Ahmed (personal commitments), Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan (both are traveling for Hajj) have been exempted from the camp.

Spinners – Abrar Ahmed, Ali Asfand, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Mohammad Junaid, Mehran Mumtaz, Mubasir Khan, Noman Ali, Qasim Akram, Sajid Khan, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usama Mir and Zahid Mehmood

Fast bowlers – Aamir Jamal, Arshad Iqbal, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Naseem Shah and Shahnawaz Dahani

Batters – Abdullah Shafique, Haris Sohail, Haseebullah, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Huraira, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Tayyab Tahir

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