Tag: pakistan team

Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan-led team reached Karachi on Sunday ahead of their second match of the tri-nation series against South Africa, set to be played at the rebuilt National Bank Stadium Karachi on Wednesday.

According to the report, the Men in Green will practice for three hours at the venue tomorrow afternoon for a must-win game against South Africa.

For the unversed, New Zealand achieved a convincing victory against the Pakistan team by 78 runs in the opening match of the tri-nation ODI series at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Batting first, Phillips scored a fiery unbeaten ton after Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell’s fifties to power New Zealand to 330 over the loss of six wickets.

Chasing 331, Pakistan got off to a promising start with the new opening pair of Fakhar and Babar Azam putting together a brisk 52-run stand.

Fakhar Zaman was the only silver lining for Pakistan as they crumbled in chase, and were bowled out for 252 in 47.5 overs at Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan squad for tri-nation series and Champions Trophy 2025:

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Tri-nation series: Haris Rauf set to be rested for match against South Africa

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir hosted an Iftar dinner for the Pakistan Cricket Team at Army House Rawalpindi, ARY News reported on Monday, quoting the military’s media wing.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Iftar dinner was also attended by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi along with other PCB officials.

Speaking on the occasion, COAS Asim Munir wished the Pakistan cricket team “all the best in their future endeavours”.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Meanwhile, the cricketers thanked the army chief for the ‘excellent training’ provided to them at Kakul training camp and the role Pakistan Army plays in supporting the games.

A total of 29 cricketers attended the pre-season camp at the historic and iconic Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul from March 26 to April 6, with the training and drills designed by Pakistan Army experts and strategists.

Pakistan Players who took part in the Physical fitness camp in Kakul are:

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah, Saud Shakeel, Usman Khan, Mohammad Haris, Salman Ali Agha, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Irfan Khan Niazi, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mehran Mumtaz, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Ali, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Aamir Jamal, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir.

Pakistan is all set to face New Zealand in the upcoming five-match T20I series, starting from April 18.

Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium will host the first three T20Is between Pakistan and New Zealand on 18, 20 and 21 April.

The two sides will then travel to Lahore to lock horns in the remaining two T20Is on 25 and 27 April, respectively.

READ: Pakistan’s squad for New Zealand T20Is to be announced tomorrow

BAHAWALPUR: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) head Zaka Ashraf on Monday hinted that Pakistan cricketers will be allowed to play only one franchise league apart from Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Talking to journalists here, the PCB head acknowledged that Pakistan cricketers were preferring to play franchise leagues across the world as “they were relatively underpaid”.

“Our cricketers get very little money,” Zaka Ashraf regretted, noting that the PCB was considering to raise payments so that they delightfully sign central contacts.

Earlier, the PCB announced central contracts, first time for a three-year period, with a significant increase in monthly retainers as well as match fees for all four categories.

As many as 25 cricketers will be offered a momentous deal that will include a portion of ICC revenue. Unlike last year, red-ball and white-ball national contracts have been merged.

The list of players will be divided into four categories with significant increases in monthly retainers. Revenue from ICC will be incorporated in overall monthly remuneration.

Category A (3 players): 202 %
Category B (6): 144 %
Category C (2): 135 %
Category D (14): 127 %

Players’ match fees will also see a major hike: 50% increment in Test, 25% in ODI and 12.5% in T20I. Centrally contracted players who are playing domestic cricket will be paid 50% of the international match fee.

Zaka Ashraf – while talking to journalists – pointed out that there was a proposal that the Pakistani cricketers will be allowed to play only one league apart from the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Responding to a question, Ashraf said that he had invited former chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq for a meeting but he resigned from the post before it.
The former cricketer stepped down last month from his post after “conflict of interest” allegations.

He also addressed a controversy surrounding a phone call of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, saying that he had no conversation with the batter.

Ashraf also expressed best wishes for Babar Azam, saying that he held a telephonic conversation with the skipper following the victory against New Zealand.

Appreciating the players, he said that the Pakistani openers put up a great show in the previous match of the World Cup 2023 against New Zealand. “I talked to the skipper and announced Rs1 million reward for Fakhar Zaman,” he added.

When asked whether Babar would be removed as Pakistan captain if the team fails to qualify for the semi-final spot, Ashraf said the decision will not be made solely as the Cricket Technical Committee (CTC) is there to deliberate on the issue.

READ: Zaka Ashraf dispels rumours of rift in Pakistan team

BAHAWALPUR: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf opened up on the alleged rift within the Pakistan men’s cricket team.

Speaking to the media here on Monday, the PCB head cleared the air on the ongoing controversy regarding the national team, who are participating in the ICC World Cup 2023.

Zaka Ashraf categorically denied any rift within the players and blamed “cricket enemies” for spreading the false rumours.

“There is no infighting in the team,” said Ashraf. “The whole team is united. These baseless stories are created by the enemies of the game.”

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

For the unversed, it was reported in late September that Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi got into an argument when the captain expressed his disappointment with the senior players in the dressing room, after losing the deciding Super Four clash of the Asia Cup to Sri Lanka, which led to their elimination from the continental event.

Reports also suggested that things got pretty tense between Babar and Shaheen after the heated argument before wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan intervened to bring the situation back under control.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Later, the ace pacer Shaheen took to his Instagram account in the evening, sharing a picture with Babar. He captioned the solo picture from a chess game with “Family”.

Babar, who was in Dubai, then flew down to Karachi to attend Shaheen and Ansha Afridi’s wedding reception in the metropolitan.

It appeared that all was well among Green Shirts but their series of losses in the ICC World Cup 2023 reignited the rumours of a rift, especially among the three frontmen of the national cricket team – Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan.

Meanwhile, Zaka Ashraf then extended well wishes for the national team’s ICC World Cup 2023 campaign.

READ: PCB Management Committee extended by three months