Tag: Pakistan vs India

Arch-rivals Pakistan and India will come face to face on the opening day of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, scheduled to run from November 1 to 3, 2024, at the Tin Kwong Road Cricket Ground.

A total of 12 teams will participate in the highly-anticipated tournament, making its return after a six-year hiatus. The teams are divided into four groups of four.

Hosts Hong Kong alongside New Zealand and former champions South Africa are placed in Group A while Group B features Australia, England and Nepal.

Fierce rivals Pakistan and India are drawn in Group C, accompanied by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), whereas, Group D is comprised of Bangladesh, Oman and Sri Lanka.

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South Africa and England lead with the most Hong Kong Sixes titles, each winning five. Sri Lanka, Australia, India, and the West Indies have each won one title.

Pakistan since the inception of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes in 1993 have won the tournament four times, while it has remained runners-up of the event five times, which includes qualifying for the final of the last edition held in 2017.

Schedule of Hong Kong Cricket Sixes

NOVEMBER 1:

• South Africa vs Hong Kong (6 AM IST-6:55 AM IST)
• England vs Nepal (6:55 AM IST-7:50 AM IST)
• Pakistan vs UAE (7:50 AM IST-8:45 AM IST)
• Sri Lanka vs Oman (8:45 AM IST-9:40 AM IST)
• New Zealand vs Hong Kong (9:40 AM IST-10:35 AM IST)
• Bangladesh vs Oman (10:35 AM IST-11:30 AM IST)
• India vs Pakistan (11:30 AM IST-12:25 PM IST)
• England vs Australia (12:25 PM IST-1:15 PM IST)
• South Africa vs New Zealand (1:15 PM IST-2:10 PM IST)
• Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (2:10 PM IST-3:05 PM IST)

NOVEMBER 2:

• Australia vs Nepal (6 AM IST-6:55 AM IST)
• India vs UAE (6:55 AM IST-7:50 AM IST)
• Bowl Match 1: A3 vs D3 (7:50 AM IST-8:45 AM IST)
• Bowl Match 2: B3 vs C3 (8:45 AM IST-9:40 AM IST)
• Quarterfinal 1: B1 vs A2 (9:40 AM IST-10:35 AM IST)
• Quarterfinal 2: A1 vs C2 (10:35 AM IST-11:30 AM IST)
• Bowl Match 3: A3 vs C3 (11:30 AM IST-12:25 PM IST)
• Bowl Match 4: B3 vs D4 (12:25 PM IST-1:15 PM IST)
• Quarterfinal 3: D1 vs B2 (1:15 PM IST-2:10 PM IST)
• Quarterfinal 4: C1 vs D2 (2:10 PM IST-3:05 PM IST)

NOVEMBER 3:

• Bowl Match 5: A3 vs B3 (6 AM IST-6:55 AM IST)
• Plate Semifinal 1: LQ1 vs LQ2 (6:55 AM IST-7:50 AM IST)
• Plate Semifinal 2: LQ3 vs LQ4 (7:50 AM IST-8:45 AM IST)
• Bowl Match 6: C3 vs D3 (8:45 AM IST-9:40 AM IST)
• Semifinal 1: WQ1 vs WQ2 (10:20 AM IST-11:10 AM IST)
• Semifinal 2: WQ3 vs WQ4 (11:10 AM IST-12:05 PM IST)
• Bowl final (12:05 PM IST-12:55 PM IST)
• Plate Final (12:55 PM IST-1:45 PM IST)
• Cup Final (1:55 PM IST-2:45 PM IST)

READ: Pope hails Pakistan thrashing as ‘special win’ for England

Former cricketer-turned-analyst Aakash Chopra has recently raised doubts over the prospect of India visiting Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

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.

Aakash Chopra, during an appearance in a podcast on Raj Shamani’s YouTube channel, opined that the chances of India visiting Pakistan are low considering the current political situation between the two countries.

“The chances [of India visiting Pakistan] are very slim, to be honest. While cricket is back in Pakistan and the Asia Cup was held there, the hybrid model worked before with matches in Sri Lanka,” Chopra said.

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“Although teams like England, New Zealand, and Australia are visiting Pakistan, I doubt India will go. The final decision is not just in the hands of the BCCI but also involves the government’s policy.”

Chopra suggested the hybrid model as a viable solution, like last year’s ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023. India stuck to their stance of not visiting Pakistan, resulting in Sri Lanka stepping in as the co-host.

“We might end up playing our matches outside, in places like Dubai or Sri Lanka. It’s all about timing. Personally, I don’t think India will travel to Pakistan,” he said.

Aakash Chopra further asserted that the situation will be tricky if Pakistan and India both reach the final.

“The venue for the final will be decided in advance. If Pakistan makes it to the final, they would naturally prefer to host it in Pakistan. However, if Pakistan and India reach the final, hypothetically, India isn’t likely to travel,” he said.

It is worth noting that India has not travelled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

In contrast, Pakistan has made four trips to India in the last 16 years. Their most recent visit was last year for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.

READ: I haven’t done justice to my talent: Faheem Ashraf

HULUNBUIR CITY: Pakistan succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against arch-rivals India in the ongoing Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 here at the Moqi Hockey Training Base on Saturday.

Pakistan started the blockbuster clash on a high as they took the lead just 10 minutes into the first quarter, courtesy of a precise assist from Hannan Shahid, who fed the ball inside the circle to Nadeem.

Nadeem effortlessly smashed the ball into the net to give Pakistan a head start.

Pakistan’s lead, however, was short-lived as India earned a penalty corner.

India’s skipper Harmanpreet Singh took the penalty corner for India and successfully sent his drag-flick into the bottom-right corner, helping India equalise just a few minutes later.

The defending champions took the lead in the second quarter when Abhishek fed the ball to Harmanpreet near the circle, who similarly converted it into a goal.

The remaining two quarters of the blockbuster Asian Hockey Champions Trophy clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India remained goalless despite both sides making ferocious attacks on each other’s goalposts.

The 2-1 victory over Pakistan, meant India won all of their group-stage fixtures and topped the standings with 15 points. Whereas, Pakistan had two victories and as many draws before their defeat against India.

Remember, Pakistan have already qualified for the semi-final of the ongoing Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 after thumping China 5-1 on Thursday.

Abdul Rehman opened the scoring for Pakistan before Nadeem Ahmed and Hannan Shahid scored two goals each to secure a dominant 5-1 victory for the Green Shirts.

This is Pakistan’s second consecutive victory in the tournament as they defeated Japan 2-1 yesterday after two drawn games.

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Ahmad Nadeem opened the scoring against Japan in the ninth minute after finding Shahid Hannan and sending the ball to the back of the net. Sufyan Khan soon doubled Pakistan’s lead in the 21st minute with a sublime drag flick.

However, Raiki Fujishima helped Japan make a subtle comeback six minutes later and reduced the deficit.

Japan made efforts to level the scores, but the Green Shirts’ dominant gameplay maintained their lead until the final hooter.

Prior to this game, Pakistan’s second fixture in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy ended in a 2-2 draw as they failed to defend their narrow one-goal lead in the final quarter against South Korea.

South Korea opened the scoring in the dying minutes of the second quarter, courtesy of Hyun Jigwang. Their lead remained intact until the third quarter and it appeared that Pakistan were closing in on their first defeat in the ongoing tournament.

The national team, however, made an astounding comeback as Shahid Hanan scored back-to-back last-minute goals to give the Green Shirts what appeared to be a decisive lead.

But just a few seconds before the final whistle, South Korea equalized through Kim Sunghyun and denied Pakistan a victory.

Pakistan tasted the same fortune in their Asian Hockey Champions Trophy opener against Malaysia. They started their campaign with a 2-2 draw despite dominating the majority of the match.

The Green Shirts started the game strongly, taking the lead in the second quarter, thanks to a goal by Sufyan Khan.

In the third quarter, Nadeem Ahmed extended their lead with another goal, before Malaysia made a comeback with a goal from the penalty corner.

Pakistan were cruising towards victory with a 2-1 lead, however, Aiman Rozemi’s late goal helped Malaysia level the scores in the dying minutes of the game.

READ: PCB announces free entry for Pakistan-South Africa T20Is

DUBAI: Pakistan will take on arch-rivals India on October 6 here as the International Cricket Council (ICC) today unveiled the revised schedule of the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Bangladesh however due to the ongoing political turmoil in the country, it was relocated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the matches staged in Dubai and Sharjah.

The mega event will kick off with hosts Bangladesh taking on Scotland on October 3 in Sharjah before Pakistan open their campaign against Sri Lanka later that day at the same venue.

Pakistan will then travel to Dubai where they will lock horns with arch-rivals India on October 6 before taking on Australia and New Zealand on October 11 and 14 respectively.

The Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will feature 10 teams, divided into two groups of five. Group A features defending champion Australia alongside India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka while Group B includes South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Scotland.

The top two teams from each group will advance into the semi-finals, scheduled on October 17 and 18 respectively while the final will take place in Dubai on October 20.

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Earlier on Sunday, The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled their squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with Fatima Sana given the leadership role.

The decision to appoint Fatima was made unanimously by the women’s national selection committee.

22-year-old Fatima, who has featured in 41 ODIs and 40 T20Is, has previously led Pakistan’s emerging and domestic sides.

She also captained the Pakistan side to a famous ODI win against New Zealand in a Super Over at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch, in December 2023.

Fatima will replace 37-year-old all-rounder Nida Dar, who took over as all-format captain from Bismah Maroof.

Pakistan squad for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

Fatima Sana (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal (subject to fitness), Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab and Tuba Hassan

Travelling reserve: Najiha Alvi (wk).
Non-travelling reserves: Rameen Shamim and Umm-e-Hani.

READ: Two key players left out of England’s white-ball squad for Australia series

The Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla responded to the reports of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) considering boycotting ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup is set to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. However, Pakistan may pull out of their matches in India, in response to the BCCI’s reluctance to send their team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla spoke to the media on Sunday, during a players’ auction for a local league, and shared that the board is awaiting the government’s approval to send their team for Champions Trophy 2025.

“Pakistan can say whatever it wants about coming to India during the 2026 World Cup, but we are only waiting for the approval of the Indian government,” Shukla said.

Regarding the possibility of Pakistan pulling out of the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka, Shukla remarked that they are free to express their opinions as they wish.

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Another senior BCCI official stated that the board is expecting retaliation from Pakistan in case of India not visiting the neighbouring country. However, he stressed that PCB should understand that this matter is in the government’s hands, not in the board’s.

“Of course, we expect retaliation. If we don’t travel to Pakistan, they will threaten to boycott the Asia Cup. But PCB should understand that it’s not in BCCI’s hands,” said a senior BCCI official.

“Sending a team to a foreign country requires the government of India’s permission. So far, we have had dialogues regarding Champions Trophy. But we haven’t had any positive outcomes.”

It is worth mentioning here that India refused to tour Pakistan for last year’s Asia Cup and the continental event was thus, held in a hybrid model with Sri Lanka emerging as a co-host.

As per the hybrid model, Pakistan could host only four matches while the rest of the games were played in Sri Lanka including the final.

READ: Indian fans slam Sanju Samson over poor performance in Sri Lanka series

Pakistan and India are set to lock horns in a highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash on March 1 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, according to Indian media reports citing an ICC Board member.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly submitted the schedule for the Champions Trophy to the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is approved by all the participating countries except India.

“The PCB has submitted the draft of the 15-match ICC Champions Trophy. Seven games in Lahore, three in Karachi and five in Rawalpindi,” an ICC Board member said.

Notably, India is scheduled to play all their matches in Lahore.

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The host Pakistan is placed with India, Bangladesh, and New Zealand in Group A, while Group B features England, South Africa, Australia, and Afghanistan, according to the proposed schedule.

The tournament is proposed to commence on February 19. The final match is scheduled to take place on March 9, and March 10 has been designated as a reserve day in case of any unforeseen circumstances for the final.

The opening match will be played in Karachi, while the final is scheduled in Lahore.

Notably, ICC Champions Trophy will return for its ninth edition after an eight-year hiatus. The last edition was played in England back in 2017, where Pakistan defeated India to clinch their maiden title.

READ: Cricket Australia proposes hosting tri-series with Pakistan, India

Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Executive Nick Hockley on Wednesday expressed the desire to host a tri-series involving arch-rivals Pakistan and India.

During a Zoom meeting with Pakistan and Indian media, Hockley acknowledged the hype around the clash between the neighbouring countries. He proposed hosting a triangular as well as a bilateral to help revive the series between the two nations.

“Pakistan and India are traditional rival teams; there is a lot of excitement for their matches,” said Hockley. “We are ready to support both teams for a bilateral and a tri-series.”

“We would be happy to play a role in the revival of the Pakistan vs India bilateral series,” he added.

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It is worth noting that Pakistan and India haven’t played a bilateral series since the 2013 ODI series due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

Since then both teams have played each other only in ICC events and Asia Cups. They recently squared off in the high-octane T20 World Cup 2024 clash in New York, where India clinched a narrow victory.

“Nassau County Stadium [in New York] was a house full during the T20 World Cup [2024]. We witnessed a similar excitement at the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia,” stated Hockley.

However, the Cricket Australia chief was of the view that such plans could only become a reality if the respective cricket boards and governments of both countries co-ordinate on the matter.

WATCH: Pakistan players perform fielding drills using old mattresses

FLORIDA: Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim took responsibility for the failed run-chase against India in a blockbuster ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 clash.

Imad, while addressing the pre-match press conference ahead of Pakistan’s last fixture against Ireland, talked about what went wrong for the Green Shirts against fierce rivals.

India set Pakistan to chase 120 on a tricky Nassau County International Cricket Stadium surface. The Green Shirts had a decent start to the pursuit but ended up losing the match by six runs.

Imad Wasim came out to bat when Pakistan were 73/3 in 12.2 overs, needing a further 47 runs off 46 deliveries.

The all-rounder revealed that the plan was to take the run-chase against India deeper but he could not execute the plans properly.

“Our game plan [against India] was to take the chase deep. The wicket was tough to bat on. I let the team down because usually when I go in these situations, I stay very calm and finish the job,” stated Imad.

“Finishing this chase was my job which I couldn’t do, and I am very hurt by that. But this is life, sometimes you make mistakes. I believe my planning was right but the execution wasn’t good,” he added.

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He then went on to opine that Pakistan are left way behind the other teams in terms of mindset.

“In my opinion, the reason for our defeat [In the World Cup] was our mindset. We need to take the fear of failure out of our minds and try something new. It is all about mindset, other teams have also changed their thinking, we are behind them because we didn’t change our way of thinking,” he added.

In response to a question regarding the need for major changes in the team, Imad Wasim said it was not his domain but “drastic” changes are required right now.

“It’s not my domain but I think there need to be changes. There should be a drastic change so that we can move forward and fight with world cricket in the way that cricket is played now,” Imad concluded.

READ: Ross Taylor reveals reason behind Pakistan’s early T20 World Cup exit

NEW YORK: Jasprit Bumrah-led bowling attack decimated Pakistan’s batting unit and powered India to a narrow six-run victory in the blockbuster ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 clash here at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Set to chase 120, Pakistan only managed 113 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Pakistan had a cautious start to the pursuit as their decorated opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan added 26 runs to the total before the former fell victim to Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth over after scoring 13.

Rizwan then put together an important partnership with Usman Khan as the duo added 31 runs to the total, taking Pakistan’s total to 57 at the halfway mark.

But Usman (13) was trapped lbw by Axar Patel on the first delivery of the 11th over as India forced a comeback.

Rizwan was then involved in yet another crucial partnership for Pakistan when he put together 26 runs for the third wicket with Fakhar Zaman.

The duo of Fakhar and Rizwan, however, failed to continue and perished in quick succession as Pakistan slipped to 80/4 in 14.1 overs.

The back-to-back dismissal halted the flow of runs for the Green Shirts and the new pair of Imad Wasim and Iftikhar Ahmed found it tough to score freely.

Iftikhar perished on the last delivery of the penultimate over after scoring a nine-ball five while Imad followed on the next delivery, walking back after a scratchy 15 which came off 23 deliveries.

Tailender tried to pull off the impossible for Pakistan with his 10-run cameo but Arshdeep Singh held his nerves under immense pressure to steer India to a hard-fought victory.

Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers for India for his 3/14 in four overs, followed by Hardik Pandya, who took two wickets.

Patel and Singh, on the other hand, made one scalp each.

Sent into bat first, India’s strong unit unfolded on a paltry 119 in 19 overs despite Rishabh Pant’s 42-run knock.

India had a decent start to their innings when Rohit Sharma scored eight off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first over but the returning rain halted their momentum.

Fortunately for cricket fans, it was a passing shower and the action resumed after a brief delay and Naseem Shah bowled from Pakistan from the other end.

The right-arm pacer brought major breakthrough for the Green Shirts as he dismissed Virat Kohli (4) with just 12 runs on the board.

Shaheen doubled the delight for Pakistan in the next over when he avenged Sharma for a first-over six by dismissing him on a similar stroke. Sharma made 12 off 13 deliveries.

Returning wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant then took the reigns of India’s batting charge. He put together a crucial partnership with Axar Patel to anchor the innings.

Pant and Patel added 39 runs for the third wicket before Patel was cleaned up by Naseem in the eighth over.

Rishabh Pant then put together a one-sided partnership with Suryakumar Yadav.

The fourth-wicket stand, which yielded 31 runs, lasted with Yadav’s dismissal in the 12th over. The top-ranked T20I batter could score seven off eight.

Yadav’s dismissal sparked a middle-order collapse as India lost three more wickets in quick succession including their mainstay Pant, who fell prey to Mohammad Amir in the 15th over.

Pant remained the top-scorer for India with 42 off 31 deliveries, laced up with six boundaries.

Pakistan pacers, fuelled with momentum, soon rattled India’s toothless batting tail and booked them on a below-par total.

Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf picked up three wickets each for Pakistan, followed by Mohammad Amir, who bagged two, while Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with a wicket.

India are placed second in Group A standings of the T20 World Cup 2024 with two points after one match. Whereas, Pakistan are fourth with zero points.

READ: Chris Gayle predicts winner of Pakistan-India clash

NEW YORK: Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bowl first against arch-rivals India in the blockbuster ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 clash at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.

More to follow…