Pakistan Shaheens’ white-ball captain announced for Darwin tour

Wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Haris has been appointed as Pakistan Shaheens’ white-ball captain for the two 50-over matches and nine-team Top End T20 series to be played from 4-18 August in Darwin, Australia.

Haris last captained Pakistan Shaheens in the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 in Colombo, where Pakistan defeated India by 128 runs to successfully defend the title.

Pakistan Shaheens are already in Darwin for two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’ from 19-22 July and 26-29 July. Sahibzada Farhan is leading the red-ball squad.

After the two four-day matches, Shaheens will play 50-over matches against Northern Territory (NT) and Bangladesh ‘A’ on 4 and 6 August, respectively before the T20 series commences on 9 August.

Other participating teams in the T20 series are ACT Comets, Bangladesh ‘A’, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Northern Territory Strike, Adelaide Strikers and Tasmania.

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Moreover, for the white-ball matches, seven changes have been made from the red-ball side.

Abdul Faseeh, Arafat Minhas, Arif Yaqoob, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Imran Jnr and Usman Khan will replace Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Ali, Mubasir Khan, Tayyab Tahir and Umar Amin.

Pakistan Shaheens will feature in the Darwin series for the second successive year. Last year, NT Strike had defeated Shaheens in the Top End T20 Series final by 46 runs, before Pakistan Shaheens beat PNG by 224 runs and Northern Strike by 84 runs in the two One-day matches.

Pakistan Shaheens’ white-ball squad

Mohammad Haris (c), Abdul Faseeh, Arafat Minhas, Arif Yaqoob, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper/batter), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Omair bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Khan

Player Support Personnel: Abdul Rehman (head coach), Mohammad Masroor (Assistant coach-cum-manager), Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist), Imranullah (trainer) and Usman Hashmi (analyst).

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Hunain Shah ruled out of Pakistan Shaheens’ tour to Darwin

LAHORE: Young right-arm pacer Hunain Shah has been sidelined from Pakistan Shaheens’ upcoming tour to Darwin due to an injury.

As a result, Hunain Shah was replaced by young all-rounder Qasim Akram in Pakistan Shaheens’ squad, led by Sahibzada Farhan.

Earlier today, Farhan was named the captain of Pakistan Shaheens’ squad for the four-day matches against Bangladesh A, scheduled to be played in Darwin, Australia.

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Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, followed by a tri-series with the Northern Territory side and Bangladesh in Darwin. They will also participate in the nine-team Top End T20 Series.

Pakistan Shaheens will depart for Brisbane in the wee hours of Saturday via Dubai. They will travel through Brisbane to Darwin later.

Notably, Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will travel to Darwin as the team’s head coach for the two four-day matches.

Pakistan Shaheens squad

Sahibzada Farhan (c), Haseebullah, Qasim Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin and Mohammad Ali.

Player Support Personnel – Jason Gillespie (head coach for red-ball matches, will also supervise camp from 8-13 July), Abdul Rehman (head coach for white-ball matches and will join the side on 28 July), Mohammad Masroor (Assistant coach-cum-manager and camp commandant from 24 June-7 July), Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist), Imranullah (trainer) and Usman Hashmi (analyst).

Schedule (all matches in Darwin)

14 Jul – Arrival in Darwin
19-22 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
26-29 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
4 Aug – 50-over match vs Northern Territory (NT)
6 Aug – 50 over match vs Bangladesh ‘A’
9-18 Aug – nine-team Top End T20 Series

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Sahibzada Farhan wants ‘fair’ chance as Pakistan opener

Pakistan Shaheens’ captain Sahibzada Farhan on Friday expressed his frustration over not getting a fair chance as an opener for the senior team.

Farhan is set to lead Pakistan Shaheens’ red-ball team in two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’ on the upcoming tour of Darwin.

During Shaheens’ pre-departure press conference, the top-order batter expressed gratitude for being appointed as the captain of the squad earlier today.

The 28-year-old Farhan has played five T20Is in Pakistan’s senior team, however, he believes he did not get a fair chance as a top-order batter.

He played three matches in 2018 as an opener, then had to wait for six years for his next game. On the New Zealand tour earlier this year, Farhan returned to the team but was given a chance at number five and number seven.

Sahibzada Farhan, while responding to a question during the press conference, shared his opinion over the sporadic chances he got, while expressing disappointment on the fact that he did not get enough opportunities as an opener.

“I’ve always played as an opener, and I want a chance at that position. I haven’t been given a fair chance at my number like other guys have,” said the opening batter.

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“I’m from Pakistan and I also play domestic cricket here. I have the right to play for Pakistan as an opener at my number, where I’ve been performing well for the last 3 years.”

He managed only 60 runs in his five T20I appearances, however, he stated that lack of performance did not shake his confidence because he was not playing at his usual position.

“My confidence hasn’t shaken because I haven’t been given a chance at my number. If I get the chance to open and then I fail to perform well, then my confidence might go down. Right now, I haven’t gotten the right opportunity that I’ve been waiting for,” Farhan shared.

He also advocated for more matches each year for Pakistan Shaheens’ and Pakistahn under-19 team in order to help build a strong bench strength for the national team.

Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, followed by a tri-series with the Northern Territory side and Bangladesh in Darwin. They will also participate in the nine-team Top End T20 Series.

The 15-member red-ball Shaheens’ squad will depart for Darwin in the wee hours of Saturday from Karachi via Dubai.

Pakistan Shaheens squad: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Haseebullah, Qasim Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin and Mohammad Ali.

Player Support Personnel – Jason Gillespie (head coach for red-ball matches), Abdul Rehman (head coach for white-ball matches), Mohammad Masroor (Assistant coach-cum-manager), Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist), Imranullah (trainer) and Usman Hashmi (analyst).

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Pakistan Shaheens captain revealed for Darwin tour

Top-order batter Sahibzada Farhan on Friday was named the captain of Pakistan Shaheens’ squad for the four-day matches against Bangladesh A, scheduled to be played in Darwin, Australia.

Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, followed by a tri-series with the Northern Territory side and Bangladesh in Darwin. They will also participate in the nine-team Top End T20 Series.

Meanwhile, young pace bowler Hunain Shah has been ruled out of the tour due to an injury, therefore, Qasim Akram has replaced him in the squad.

Pakistan Shaheens will depart for Brisbane in the wee hours of Saturday via Dubai. They will travel through Brisbane to Darwin later.

Notably, Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will travel to Darwin as the team’s head coach for the two four-day matches.

Pakistan Shaheens squad

Sahibzada Farhan (c), Haseebullah, Qasim Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin and Mohammad Ali.

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Player Support Personnel – Jason Gillespie (head coach for red-ball matches, will also supervise camp from 8-13 July), Abdul Rehman (head coach for white-ball matches and will join the side on 28 July), Mohammad Masroor (Assistant coach-cum-manager and camp commandant from 24 June-7 July), Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist), Imranullah (trainer) and Usman Hashmi (analyst).

Schedule (all matches in Darwin)

14 Jul – Arrival in Darwin
19-22 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
26-29 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
4 Aug – 50-over match vs Northern Territory (NT)
6 Aug – 50 over match vs Bangladesh ‘A’
9-18 Aug – nine-team Top End T20 Series

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Bangladesh announce squads for series against Pakistan Shaheens

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) High-Performance (HP) announced squads for a full-fledged tour to Darwin, scheduled to commence with two four-day matches against Pakistan Shaheens.

Test opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy will lead Bangladesh’s four-day squad which features middle-order batsman Shahadat Hossain and another Test opener, Shadman Islam.

The BCB HP Unit will then turn their attention towards a 50-over tri-series involving Pakistan Shaheens and Northern Territory of Australia.

Bangladesh HP squad will start their One-Day Tri-series campaign against Northern Territory Australia on August 1 and will wrap up against Pakistan Shaheens on August 6.

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Bangladesh HP side will then partake in a nine-team Top End T20 series, featuring Pakistan Shaheens and some of the prominent Big Bash League (BBL) sides.

For the unversed, the Bangladesh HP squad concluded their practice session on Wednesday and is scheduled to depart for Australia on July 13.

BCB HP squads:

Four Day team: Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy (c), Parvez Hossain Emon, Amite Hasan, Sahadat Hossain Dipu (vc), Ariful Islam, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Aich Mollah, Rakibul Hasan, Sk Peavez Rahman Jibon, Hasan Murad, Rezaur Rahman Raja, Md Mukidul Islam, Ripon Mondol, Maruf Mridha.

One Day team: Tanzid Hasan, Jisan Alam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Afif Hasan (c), Shamim Hossain Patwari, Ariful Islam, Akbar Ali (vc), Wasi Siddique, Rakibul Hasan, Sk Peavez Rahman Jibon, Mahfusur Rahman Rabbi, Abu Haider Rony, Md Mukidul Islam, Ripon Mondol, Maruf Mridha.

T20 team: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Jisan Alam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Afif Hasan, Shamim Hossain Patwari, Ariful Islam, Akbar Ali (c), Wasi Siddique, Rakibul Hasan, Allis Islam, Mahfusur Rahman Rabbi (vc), Abu Haider Rony, Md Mukidul Islam, Ripon Mondol, Maruf Mridha.

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Mohammad Ali added to Pakistan Shaheens squad for Darwin tour

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday added Test fast bowler Mohammad Ali to the Pakistan Shaheens’ squad for the upcoming tour to Darwin under the supervision of red-ball coach Jason Gillespie.

Mohammad Ali was added as the 15th player in the squad and will participate in Pakistan Shaheens’ training camp in Karachi, scheduled from 8-13 July.

In Darwin, Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, two 50-over matches against Northern Territory and Bangladesh, and also participate in the nine-team Top End T20 Series.

Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will supervise the Pakistan Shaheens’ training camp from 8-13 July and will also travel to Darwin as the team’s head coach.

He will return to Pakistan after the second four-day match against Bangladesh ‘A’, which finishes on 29 July, to assume responsibilities as the national side’s head coach and commence preparations for the two-Test series against Bangladesh.

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The pre-season fitness and fielding camp will be supervised by Mohammad Masroor, who will also travel to Darwin as Assistant Coach-cum-Manager.

Abdul Rehman will be the white-ball head coach and will join the Pakistan Shaheens side on 28 July for the two 50-over and Top End T20 Series matches from 4-18 August.

Pakistan Shaheens squad

Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin and Mohammad Ali.

Captain will be confirmed in due course

Player Support Personnel – Jason Gillespie (head coach for red-ball matches, will also supervise camp from 8-13 July), Abdul Rehman (head coach for white-ball matches and will join the side on 28 July), Mohammad Masroor (Assistant coach-cum-manager and camp commandant from 24 June-7 July), Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist), Imranullah (trainer) and Usman Hashmi (analyst).

Schedule (all matches in Darwin)

14 Jul – Arrival in Darwin
19-22 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
26-29 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
4 Aug – 50-over match vs Northern Territory (NT)
6 Aug – 50 over match vs Bangladesh ‘A’
9-18 Aug – nine-team Top End T20 Series

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Pakistan Shaheens to play Top End T20 Series, schedule announced

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the schedule of the upcoming Top End T20 Series 2024, featuring Pakistan Shaheens, Bangladesh A and Big Bash League (BBL) teams on Tuesday.

The Top End T20 Series is set to take place from August 9 to 18 across various venues in Darwin, Northern Territory.

With nine teams participating, including host NT cricket and the powerhouses from the Big Bash teams, such as Perth Scorchers, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Tasmania, Adelaide Strikers and ACT Comets.

The series will feature 30 action-packed T20 matches over 10 days, culminating in a Finals Day on August 18. Teams will compete in a round-robin format, each playing six fixtures.

Gavin Dovey, Northern Territory (NT) Cricket CEO said, “We’re thrilled the Top End T20 Series will expand this year and continue to bring the best emerging domestic and international talent to the Northern Territory.”

“To have two cricket powerhouses in Pakistan and Bangladesh now participating alongside half of the Big Bash League Franchises is a testament to the potential of winter cricket in the Territory.”

Meanwhile, Usman Wahla, PCB Director of International Cricket, expressed his gratitude towards the Northern Territory for inviting Pakistan Shaheens.

“I am grateful to Northern Territory for inviting the Pakistan Shaheens for the second successive year,” said Wahla.

“Last year, the players had a memorable experience and enjoyed playing and performing in excellent playing conditions, in front of enthusiastic cricket fans.”

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Moreover, Naimur Rahman, Bangladesh Cricket Board’s High-Performance Unit Chairman also expressed similar sentiments as Wahla.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to Northern Territory Cricket and Cricket Australia for inviting the BCB High-Performance team to the prestigious Top End Series,” stated Rahman.

“This opportunity will undoubtedly provide invaluable experience to our players, exposing them to a high standard of competition.”

Top End T20 Series Schedule

Friday 9 August
6:00 pm: Northern Territory vs. Perth Scorchers | DXC Arena

Saturday 10 August
10:00 am: Melbourne Renegades vs. Melbourne Stars | DXC Arena
3:00 pm: Perth Scorchers vs. Pakistan Shaheens | DXC Arena
6:00 pm: Tasmania vs. Adelaide Strikers | TIO Stadium

Sunday 11 August
10:00 am: Bangladesh HP vs. Melbourne Renegades | Gardens Oval
1:00 pm: Adelaide Strikers vs. Northern Territory | Gerry Wood Oval
3:00 pm: Pakistan Shaheens vs. Melbourne Stars | Gardens Oval

Monday 12 August
10:00 am: Tasmania vs. Northern Territory | TIO Stadium
2:00 pm: Perth Scorchers vs. ACT Comets | DXC Arena
6:00 pm: Tasmania vs. Bangladesh HP | TIO Stadium

Tuesday 13 August
10:00 am: Melbourne Stars vs. Adelaide Strikers | Cazaly’s Arena
1:00 pm: Northern Territory vs. Melbourne Renegades | DXC Arena
3:00 pm: Melbourne Stars vs. ACT Comets | Cazaly’s Arena
6:00 pm: Tasmania vs. Pakistan Shaheens | DXC Arena

Wednesday 14 August
10:00 am: Melbourne Renegades vs. Perth Scorchers | Cazaly’s Arena
1:00 pm: Adelaide Strikers vs. Bangladesh HP | DXC Arena
3:00 pm: Melbourne Renegades vs. Tasmania | Cazaly’s Arena
6:00 pm: Northern Territory vs. Melbourne Stars | DXC Arena

Thursday 15 August
1:00 pm: ACT Comets vs. Bangladesh HP | TIO Stadium
3:00 pm: Perth Scorchers vs. Adelaide Strikers | Gardens Oval
6:00 pm: Melbourne Renegades vs. Pakistan Shaheens | TIO Stadium

Friday 16 August
10:00 am: Tasmania vs. Melbourne Stars | TIO Stadium
2:00 pm: ACT Comets vs. Northern Territory | Gardens Oval
6:00 pm: Pakistan Shaheens vs. Bangladesh HP | TIO Stadium

Saturday 17 August
10:00 am: ACT Comets vs. Adelaide Strikers | DXC Arena
2:00 pm: Bangladesh HP vs. Perth Scorchers | TIO Stadium
6:00 pm: ACT Comets vs. Pakistan Shaheens | DXC Arena

Sunday 18 August
10:00 am: Semi-Final 1 | DXC Arena
10:00 am: Semi-Final 2 | TIO Stadium
4:00 pm: Final | DXC Arena

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Pakistan Shaheens to tour Darwin under red-ball coach Gillespie

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced details of the pre-season fitness and fielding camp and Pakistan Shaheens’ tour to Darwin under the supervision of red-ball coach Jason Gillespie.

The pre-season camp, which will be attended by 25 cricketers, will take place from 24 June to 7 July. The squad will be trimmed to 15-member Pakistan Shaheens squad that will undergo a training camp from 8-13 July to prepare for their tour to Darwin.

In Darwin, Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, two 50-over matches against Northern Territory and Bangladesh, and also participate in the nine-team Top End T20 Series.

Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will supervise the Pakistan Shaheens’ training camp from 8-13 July and will also travel to Darwin as the team’s head coach.

He will return to Pakistan after the second four-day match against Bangladesh ‘A’, which finishes on 29 July, to assume responsibilities as the national side’s head coach and commence preparations for the two-Test series against Bangladesh.

The pre-season fitness and fielding camp will be supervised by Mohammad Masroor, who will also travel to Darwin as Assistant Coach-cum-Manager.

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Abdul Rehman will be the white-ball head coach and will join the Pakistan Shaheens side on 28 July for the two 50-over and Top End T20 Series matches from 4-18 August.

National team players presently involved in competitive cricket in the United Kingdom and those who recently participated in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 have been exempted from the pre-season fitness and fielding camp.

Following are the players invited by the national selection committee for the pre-season fitness and fielding camp as well as the Pakistan Shaheen squad:

Players for pre-season fitness and fielding camp – Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sameen Gul, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mahmood. One more player will be added to the camp next week

Pakistan Shaheens – Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir and Umar Amin. Captain and one more player will be confirmed in due course

Player Support Personnel – Jason Gillespie (head coach for red-ball matches, will also supervise camp from 8-13 July), Abdul Rehman (head coach for white-ball matches and will join the side on 28 July), Mohammad Masroor (Assistant coach-cum-manager and camp commandant from 24 June-7 July), Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist), Imranullah (trainer) and Usman Hashmi (analyst).

ABOUT THE DARWIN TOUR:

This is the second successive year Pakistan Shaheens will feature in the Darwin series.

Last year, Pakistan Shaheens participated in the six-team Top End T20 Series, which was followed by 50-over matches against Papua New Guinea (PNG) and NT Strike. NT Strike had defeated Shaheens in the Top End T20 Series final by 46 runs, while in the 50-over matches, Pakistan Shaheens beat PNG by 224 runs and Northern Strike by 84 runs.

The two four-dayers are part of bilateral series fixtures, which Northern Territory Cricket (NTC) are hosting on behalf of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The PCB is scheduled to host Bangladesh A at home in August.

PCB Director International Cricket, Usman Wahla:

“I am grateful to Northern Territory for inviting the Pakistan Shaheens for the second successive year. Last year, the players had a memorable experience and enjoyed playing and performing in excellent playing conditions, in front of enthusiastic cricket fans.

“This year we have added red-ball cricket matches to give more exposure to our cricketers and I am confident the players will benefit from this tour and will return as better cricketers.”

Schedule (all matches in Darwin)

14 Jul – Arrival in Darwin
19-22 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
26-29 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
4 Aug – 50-over match vs Northern Territory (NT)
6 Aug – 50 over match vs Bangladesh ‘A’
9-18 Aug – nine-team Top End T20 Series

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Aamer Jamal’s blitz powers Pakistan Shaheens to Asian Games semi-final

HANGZHOU: Aamer Jamal’s blistering 41 off 16, followed by a combined bowling effort by spin bowlers helped Pakistan Shaheens qualify for the Asian Games 2023 semi-finals after thumping Hong Kong by 68 runs in the quarter-final match at Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field on Tuesday.

After being put into bat first, Pakistan put 160 on the board, courtesy of Aamir Jamal’s fiery batting display at death.

In the second innings, the Qasim Akram-led spin attack proved too difficult a task for the Hong Kong batters who folded for 92 runs in 18.5 overs.

Nizakat Khan won the toss for Hong Kong and elected to field first. After a bumpy start to the innings, Pakistan eventually ended with a solid total of 160, owing to Aamir’s extraordinary hitting in the final overs of the innings.

Coming to bat in the 17th over, Aamir took only 16 balls to score 41 runs, including four maximums and two boundaries.

Earlier in the innings, veteran Asif Ali and debutant Arafat Minhas stitched a partnership of 36 runs from 26 balls for the seventh wicket. Asif (25, 21b, 1×4, 2x6s) and Arafat (25, 16b, 2x4s, 2x6s) were the second-highest scorers after Aamir.

Hong Kong had an impressive day with the ball; Ayush Shukla ended the innings with four wickets and Mohammad Ghazanfar grabbed three wickets.

In turn, Pakistan spinners rose to the occasion, allowing the side to completely command the game. The Hong Kong batters fell victim to the web Arafat, Sufiyan Muqeem, Qasim Akram and Khushdil Shah spun around them.

Khushdil got three wickets while the remaining three got two wickets each. Babar Hayat was the highest scorer for the side, after making 29 runs in 27 balls, hitting three boundaries and two sixes.

Pakistan will now feature in the second semi-final on Friday, 6 October against the winner of the third quarter-final between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka scheduled tomorrow.

READ: Arshad Nadeem withdraws from the Asian Games 2023

Pakistan Shaheens squad reaches Hangzhou to partake in Asian Games 2023

HANGZHOU: Pakistan Shaheens on Sunday touched down in Hangzhou, China to participate in the men’s cricket competition of Asian Games 2023.

Qasim Akram-led Pakistan Shaheens will rest today before taking part in the training session tomorrow afternoon to prepare for the 19th Asian Games.

The T20 format will see Pakistan Shaheens starting their journey from the quarter-final stage, after having directly qualified by virtue of being one of the top four ICC-ranked sides in the continent.

The quarter-finals are scheduled to take place on 3 and 4 October, with Pakistan playing their quarter-final on 3 October at Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field in Hangzhou.

The semi-finals will take place on 6 October, while the final and the bronze medal match are scheduled to take place on Saturday, 7 October.

Pakistan Shaheens underwent a five-day camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore where players, under the guidance of coaches, engaged in training sessions and featured in match scenarios to get ready for the tournament.

The squad includes 15 players of which seven have already represented Pakistan in international cricket. These include Aamir Jamal (2 T20Is), Arshad Iqbal (1 T20I), Asif Ali (21 ODIs, 55 T20Is), Haider Ali (2 ODIs, 33 T20Is), Khushdil Shah (10 ODIs, 24 T20Is), Shahnawaz Dahani (2 ODIs, 11 T20Is) and Usman Qadir (1 ODI, 23 T20Is).

Pakistan Shaheens’ captain Qasim Akram, ahead of his team’s departure for the Asian Games 2023, termed it an honour to lead the side in the event while expressing hope that his players would continue to perform for the team.

“It is an honour for me to lead the side in the Asian Games. The players have performed well in the past, winning the ACC Emerging Asia Cup recently and I am looking forward to the same performance from the players in the upcoming games,” stated Qasim Akram.

“We have a good combination and have undergone rigorous training, preparing for whatever challenges spinning wickets may present. So, we are ready for the challenge.

“This will be our first tour to China, so we will keep things very simple and aim to win matches for the country.

“I will urge the fans to keep supporting the Shaheens side in the Asian Games.”

Pakistan Shaheens squad for Asian Games 2023:

Qasim Akram (captain), Omair Bin Yousuf (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Rohail Nazir (wk), Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Qadir

Player Support Personnel – Shahid Aslam (head coach-cum-manager), Umar Rasheed (bowling coach), Hanif Malik (batting and fielding coach) and Hafiz Naeem ul Rasool (physiotherapist)

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