PAKvBAN Archives

Former pacer set to join Bangladesh as bowling coach ahead of Pakistan tour

Former Pakistan pacer Umar Gul is set to join Bangladesh as the new bowling coach ahead of the Pakistan tour, according to a report by Telecom Asia Sport.

According to the report, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has offered Gul a 30-month contract to help enhance the country’s fast bowling prospects.

Umar Gul, a pivotal member of Pakistan’s 2009 T20 World Cup triumph, has confirmed that he has been offered the role. However, he stated that the terms and conditions are yet to be finalized.

“It’s an exciting offer, and I look forward to it, said the 42-year-old pacer.

The BCB’s decision to rope in Gul as bowling coach could be seen in the light of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026.

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The Bangladesh team boasts some exciting fast bowlers, including Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Taskin Ahmed.

Earlier, Umar Gul served as a bowling coach for Afghanistan and Pakistan. The pacer has also coached the Pakistan Super League franchise, Quetta Gladiators.

It is pertinent to mention that the right-arm pacer played in 179 ODIs, 47 Tests, and 60 T20Is for Pakistan. Gul earned a reputation as a phenomenal death bowler, particularly in T20 cricket.

Gul’s most notable performance came against New Zealand in the 2009 World Cup, where he ripped the Black Caps line-up with a five-wicket haul for just six runs.

For the unversed, Bangladesh will tour Pakistan for a five-match T20I series in May. However, the exact dates and venues for the series are yet to be announced.

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Pakistan, Bangladesh eye white-ball fixtures beyond FTP schedule

LAHORE: Faruque Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), revealed the possibility of scheduling white-ball matches against Pakistan beyond the Future Tour Programme (FTP).

BCB’s Ahmed was among the cricket board representatives invited by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi to watch the ongoing second semi-final of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 between New Zealand and South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium here.

While speaking to the media, Faruque thanked Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi for the invitation.

“I would like to thank PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi for inviting me,” said Faruque.

He mentioned that both boards are considering holding white-ball series apart from FTP.

“There has been a discussion between the two boards to hold white ball series apart from FTP. The boards are in talks to schedule the series,” he added.

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Speaking on the occasion, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi welcomed Faruqe Ahmed to Pakistan and acknowledged the support of BCB in hosting the Champions Trophy 2025.

Chairman PCB further confirmed that the two cricket boards have been in discussion regarding the series for the last few weeks.

“I would like to welcome Faruque Ahmed on the occasion of the semi-final in Lahore. I thank Faruque Ahmed and BCB for their support in organizing the Champions Trophy,” said Mohsin.

“The two boards have been discussing a mutual series for the past few weeks and the progress will be made soon,” he said.

It is pertinent to note that Bangladesh is already scheduled to tour Pakistan at the end of May.

Pakistan and Bangladesh will play a three-match ODI and T20I series as part of the Future Tour Programme.

Read: BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla opens up on Pakistan-India bilateral series

‘Will learn from mistakes’: Mohammad Rizwan opens up after Champions Trophy debacle

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan expressed disappointment over his team’s poor performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, vowing to learn from their mistakes.

The hosts and defending champions, Pakistan, crashed out of the tournament after successive defeats at the hands of New Zealand and India.

The Men in Green’s final group game against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain, leaving the 2017 edition winners with out a win in their first ICC event hosted in nearly three decades.

Following the above-mentioned fixture washout, Rizwan reflected on the team’s poor performances and the shortcomings in the eight-nation tournament.

“We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation. The expectations are very high. We didn’t perform well and it is disappointing for us,” said Rizwan.

The skipper further emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes and vowed not to repeat similar mistakes in the series against New Zealand.

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“You can learn from your mistakes, and we have looked at our mistakes in this tournament and the Tri-Nation series and by the will of Almighty Allah, we will look to work on them.”

“Our next tour is of New Zealand, hopefully we will perform there since we have made a lot of mistakes against them here,” he remarked.

Mohammad Rizwan highlighted the disturbance of combination due to the absence of their regular opener Saim Ayub’s injury, refraining from making it an excuse.

“When a player who has performed in the last two to three series in Australia and South Africa, and he gets injured, so the team will get disturbed,” Rizwan said.

“As a leader, you have to look forward since there are other players in the Pakistan team too. This is not an excuse and we will learn from them,” the skipper said.

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The wicket-keeper batter also shed light on the Pakistan team’s bench strength, mentioning that he will pay attention to the players participating in the Domestic tournament, the ‘Champions Cup’.

“We want improvements in different things. If we want to improve, and for Pakistan to have a high standard, we need awareness, and professionalism. We see that in the Champions Cup, but we need more improvement,” he concluded.

READ: Pakistan-India to play again this year as Asia Cup’s window finalised: reports

Champions Trophy: Pakistan squad reaches Islamabad for Bangladesh clash

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan-led team reached here on Monday for their last group game against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash, scheduled to be played on Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The squad arrived from Dubai after their defeat in a one-side encounter against arch-rivals on 23 February.

The Pakistan team will practice at the Islamabad club tomorrow evening for their game against Bangladesh.

For the unversed, Bangladesh and Pakistan have been eliminated from the multi-nation tournament following their defeats to India and New Zealand, respectively.

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Pakistan suffered a crushing six-wicket defeat on Sunday against the arch-rivals India.

While batting first, Pakistan managed a modest 241 before getting bowled out in the final over. In reply, India cruised to victory with 45 balls to spare, thanks to a masterclass from Virat Kohli, who notched up a brilliant century.

Earlier, Bangladesh succumbed to defeat against New Zealand. The Black Caps chased down the modest 237-run total in 46.1 overs with five wickets in hand.

The match between Bangladesh and Pakistan will be played on 27 February at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

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Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, 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.

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