Tag: PCB

LAHORE: Pakistan Shaheens will play four additional four-day and six 50-over matches this year at home against Bangladesh A and Sri Lanka A in August and November, respectively.

Pakistan Shaheens are currently playing a four-day series against Bangladesh A in Darwin, Australia.

Following the second four-dayer between the two teams which will conclude on 29 July, they will go toe-to-toe in two four-dayers from 10-13 August and 17-20 August in Pakistan (Venues TBC). The four-dayers will be followed by three 50-over matches on 23, 25, and 27 August.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

In November, Sri Lanka A will visit Pakistan for five matches against Pakistan Shaheens. The four-dayers will be played from 11-14 November and 18-21 November, while the 50-over matches will be held on 25, 27, and 29 November. Venues will be announced in due course.

Separately, the Pakistan Emerging team will also defend their ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup title in October, while the Pakistan U19 team will feature in a U19 50-over Tri-Nation Tournament and ACC Asia Cup U19 in November/December. The ACC will announce details of the two tournaments in due course.

Schedule of upcoming development/pathways events

BANGLADESH A IN PAKISTAN

10-13 Aug – 1^st four-day match

17-20 Aug – 2^nd four-day match

23 Aug – 1^st 50-over match

25 Aug – 2^nd 50-over match

27 Aug – 3^rd 50-over match

ACC EMERGING TEAMS ASIA CUP 2024

October (dates, venue and schedule TBC)

SRI LANKA A IN PAKISTAN

11-14 Nov – 1^st four-day

18-21 Nov – 2^nd four-day

25 Nov – 1^st 50-over match

27 Nov – 2^nd 50-over match

29 Nov – 3^rd 50-over match

U19 50-over Tri-Nation Tournament & ACC U19 ASIA CUP 2024

November/December (dates, venues and schedule TBC)

READ: Scotland’s Charlie Cassell registers best ODI bowling figures for a debutant

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided against issuing the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi to participate in the Global T20 (GT20) Canada 2024.

According to the cricketing body, the three all-format players were denied NOCs, in light of Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025 which includes ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“The PCB had received NOC requests from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, amongst other players. After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests,” stated PCB.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“The three are all-format cricketers and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is.

“As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh.”

Earlier, the PCB had also declined permission to Naseem Shah for The Hundred on the same grounds.

However, the PCB has approved NOCs for Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz as the four players are predominantly white-ball cricketers, while Iftikhar and Nawaz are centrally contracted players.

READ: GT20 Canada awaits approval from ICC for upcoming edition

Former Pakistan Test cricketer Atiq-uz-Zaman recently criticized the national white-ball men’s head coach Gary Kirsten over his remarks in his report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Kirsten reportedly wrote a confidential report to the PCB, which got leaked in the media, in which he highlighted the issues that contributed to Pakistan’s disastrous performance during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

The former champions failed to advance to the Super Eights stage, mainly due to their upset defeat against co-host United States of America (USA) in the campaign opener, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

Kirsten’s report highlighted the Pakistan cricket team’s disciplinary and fitness issues. However, Atiq-uz-Zaman did not mince his words in slamming Kirsten over complaining to the PCB, rather than solving the issues.

“Gary Kirsten came in and started complaining already. If you had the leadership skills, why are you complaining to the board about it? You should have resolved it while you were there. So, fingers crossed, I hope they do well, but I don’t see things getting fixed quickly,” Atiq said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt also voiced a similar opinion yesterday, that management should be taking action not complaining.

During an appearance at ARY News’ show Sports Room, Butt was asked whether the authorities would take any action against Shaheen Afridi for his alleged misconduct.

The former captain, in response, emphasized that the management should have taken action straightaway but instead, they kept on selecting Shaheen Afridi for every World Cup fixture.

“If he was not disciplined then they should have dropped him and opted to go with some other player,” Butt stated.

“But, if you gave him full opportunity despite all these issues and are now complaining I think, anybody can do that. What’s the point of appointing [big names] with hefty salaries?” Salman Butt questioned.

“Management’s job is not to complain but to take action,” he concluded.

READ: Hardik Pandya confirms divorce with Natasa Stankovic

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday appointed Australia’s Tony Hemming as the new head curator on a two-year contract. The Western Australian will arrive in Lahore on Wednesday to assume his role.

Hemming’s immediate tasks will be to prepare pitches for Pakistan’s upcoming five home Test matches, which are part of the ICC World Test Championship.

Pakistan will play two matches against Bangladesh in August/September, followed by a three-Test series against England, scheduled to be played in October.

Hemming will also oversee pitch preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, which Pakistan will host from 19 February to 9 March.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Hemming is a highly respected curator with nearly four decades of experience. He has worked at various iconic cricket grounds in Australia, including Melbourne, Perth and Tasmania, as well as in countries such as Bangladesh, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where he was the ICC’s Head Curator from 2007 to 2017 in Dubai.

During his time with the ICC, Hemming also oversaw pitch preparation at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which was one of Pakistan’s home venues between 2009 and 2019.

Prior to joining PCB, Tony Hemming was involved with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), where we worked from July 2023.

READ: PCB Chairman announces ‘zero-tolerance policy’ for discipline violation

LAHORE: The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, announced on Monday that a zero-tolerance policy will be implemented for national team players who violate team discipline.

Naqvi chaired a three-hour-long meeting with the national men’s coaching staff, members of the men’s selection committee, and senior PCB officials at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, PCB CEO Salman Naseer, assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, Director of International Cricket Usman Wahla, members of the selection committee Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, Bilal Afzal, Director High-Performance Centers Nadeem Khan and Director Domestic Cricket Abdullah Khurram Niazi participated in the meeting.

The chairman made some major decisions during the meeting to improve the team’s overall performance and one of them was to implement a zero-tolerance policy towards indiscipline.

Naqvi underscored the critical importance of discipline and team unity, emphasizing that these values are non-negotiable. He sternly announced that any player found violating these principles would face strict consequences.

These decisions were taken in the wake of recent reports of star bowler Shaheen Afridi’s misconduct during the recent tours.

The reports suggest that Afridi was engaged in a heated argument with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during the team’s tour of England ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Sources asserted that the incident occurred during Pakistan’s net practice at Headingley when Shaheen engaged in a verbal exchange with the former batter.

The batting coach pointed towards Shaheen Afridi’s continuous no-balls in the nets, they added.

However, the pacer got furious and told Mohammad Yousuf to let him practice and not intervene in his bowling.

According to sources, Shaheen later apologised to the batting coach while the team management also reprimanded him for his misconduct.

The incident was later termed the heat of the moment and the chapter was closed after Shaheen Afridi apologised to Mohammad Yousuf.

It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) axed former pacer Wahab Riaz from the position of senior team manager and as a member of the selection committee after Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024.

Former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq was also sacked from the PCB selection committee.

READ: Pakistan women’s head coach eyes victory against India in Asia Cup

Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), made some major decisions on Monday during a meeting with the national men’s coaching staff, members of the men’s selection committee, and senior PCB officials at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, PCB CEO Salman Naseer, assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, Director of International Cricket Usman Wahla, members of the selection committee Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, Bilal Afzal, Director High-Performance Centers Nadeem Khan and Director Domestic Cricket Abdullah Khurram Niazi participated in the three-hour long meeting.

The chairman chaired the meeting and gave complete autonomy to the red-ball and white-ball head coaches of their respective teams to improve their performances.

Naqvi also confirmed the formation of Pakistan’s new selection committee, which includes the head coaches and captains of the respective format along with former Test cricketers Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq.

He also revealed that the selection committee will oversee a process to ensure every player’s participation in domestic cricket. Meanwhile, players will also undergo fitness tests every three months.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The chairman also announced that the central contract will be given for a one-year period, unlike last year’s three-year contracts. The contract will be reviewed annually based on the player’s fitness and performance.

Meanwhile, a technical procedure will be made to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the players for playing in the franchise leagues across the globe.

The chairman also announced the plans to upgrade the current high-performance centres as well as the training of local coaches. Moreover, high-performance centres will be built in Islamabad and Peshawar.

He also gave instructions to appoint separate coaches for Pakistan Shaheens and Under 19 cricket teams as well as organise consistent series and tournaments for these teams.

READ: Faf du Plessis, Marcus Stoinis steer Texas Super Kings to victory against MI New York

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday, decided against granting the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to right-arm pacer Naseem Shah, owing to his participation in The Hundred.

According to the details, the cricketing body made the decision in a bid to prevent Naseem from potential injuries and to ensure his workload management as he is Pakistan’s first-choice pacer in all three formats.

Notably, Naseem was signed by Birmingham Pheonix in the £125,000 category and his absence from the tournament will result in him suffering significant financial loss.

Considering Pakistan’s upcoming busy season which includes World Test Championship (WTC) matches against Bangladesh, England and West Indies while also playing an ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, the PCB is unwilling to take any risks regarding Naseem Shah’s fitness.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

For the unversed, Naseem also missed the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India due to a shoulder injury.

The right-arm pacer suffered the injury during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023 fixture against India which resulted in him ruling out of the tournament remainder.

The incident occurred in the 46th over of India’s innings when he walked off the field favouring his bowling shoulder on the reserve day allocated for the blockbuster clash between two Asian giants.

Briefly, after Pakistan’s 228-run defeat against arch-rivals India, the PCB called up Zaman Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani as backup pacers for the rest of the tournament, as a precautionary measure to provide a cover for injured Naseem and Haris Rauf.

Later, the PCB confirmed that Naseem Shah was ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 and Zaman was added to the Pakistan squad.

READ: BCCI breaks silence on India not visiting Pakistan for Champions Trophy

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday updated the new selection committee on their official website, following the sacking of two selectors earlier this week.

Former cricketers Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were removed from their positions as selectors, while Riaz was also sacked as the senior team manager, along with team manager Mansoor Rana.

The new selection committee consists of former cricketers Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Yousuf, along with the captain and head coach of the respective formats.

Test captain Shan Masood and red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will join the aforementioned selectors to form the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Meanwhile, assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, Advisor to Chairman Bilal Afzal, Manager of Analytics and Team Strategy Hassan Cheema, Direct High-Performance Nadeem Khan and Director of International Cricket Usman Wahla are also part of the selection committee as the non-voting members.

Asad Shafiq will also serve as the selector for the women’s along with Batool Fatima, captain and head coach. Currently, Nida Dar and Mohammad Waseem are serving as the captain and head coach of the Pakistan women’s team respectively.

The ongoing changes in Pakistan cricket are a part of the “major surgery”, hinted at by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi last month.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan team were knocked out from the group stage of the T20 World Cup, majorly because of their upset defeat against the USA, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan wants ‘fair’ chance as Pakistan opener

Former Pakistan pacer Sarfaraz Nawaz has suggested wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan for the national team’s white-ball captaincy.

While talking to a local news outlet, the former fast bowler threw his weight behind Rizwan, who led Multan Sultans to three consecutive PSL finals.

“[Mohammad] Rizwan has proved his captaincy credentials by helping KPK win all domestic events in the past while his performance as Multan Sultans’ captain has been consistent over the years. He is the best choice for the job. Babar Azam is low in confidence and should not be considered for the job,” he stated.

For the unversed, Pakistan’s current white-ball captain Babar Azam has been under hot water following the national men’s team’s early exit from the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Sarfaraz Nawaz also commented on the recent decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to remove former players Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from the national selection committee, while suggesting major changes to improve the selection process.

“The selection committee has worked collectively as was apparent during the pre-World Cup press conference with every member admitting that the team was constituted after consensus,” said the former player.

“Every member of the committee was responsible for the selection, so all should be sacked. The entire selection committee was incapable of delivering.

“Major surgery is required if at all we want to put the system on the right track. There should be a three-member selection committee and the mere sacking of Wahab and Abdul Razzaq would not be enough.”

READ: Bayern Munich sign Portugal star Joao Palhinha at second time of asking

Former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has recently reacted over his sacking as the national men’s and women’s selector.

Razzaq, along with former pacer Wahab Riaz, was expelled from the seven-member Pakistan Men’s Cricket Selection Committee on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later confirmed through a statement that Razzaq will not continue in his role as women’s selector as well.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed that it has notified Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz that their services will no longer be required in the national selection committee setup. Abdul Razzaq was a member of the men’s and women’s selection committee, while Wahab was a member of the men’s selection committee” the statement said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The former all-rounder took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, raising questions over the reports circulating in the media.

“If all were given equal power how can one vote overpower the other 6 in the selection committee ??” Abdul Razzaq posted.

Notably, Wahab Riaz also raised a similar question in his post yesterday after he was removed as the senior team manager as well.

“I don’t agree with the statements being discussed about adding pressure to the members of the selection committee, how can 1 vote dominate 6? Everything is documented on record in the meeting minutes,” Wahab posted.

READ: Colombia defeat Uruguay to reach Copa America final