Author: Wasim Sarwar

  • PCB decides against replacing skipper Agha, head coach Hesson despite World Cup disappointment: reports

    PCB decides against replacing skipper Agha, head coach Hesson despite World Cup disappointment: reports

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly decided not to make changes to the national team’s leadership despite the side’s disappointing campaign in the Men’s T20 World Cup.

    According to media reports citing sources, the board wants to maintain policy continuity and will not replace captains or coaches across formats after the tournament.

    Reports have said that the current coaching setup will remain intact. Mike Hesson will continue as head coach in white-ball formats in line with his contract.

    The reports also stated that Salman Ali Agha will remain captain in T20 Internationals, while Shaheen Shah Afridi has received the Board’s backing to continue as captain in One Day Internationals.

    PCB wants to show confidence in the current leadership instead of repeating past decisions where captains and coaches changed after major defeats.

    Meanwhile, PCB has decided to accept the resignation of selector Aleem Dar.

    The vacant position of Test head coach will likely go to former Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed after the resignation of Azhar Mahmood. Sarfraz is expected to assume the role after returning from Abu Dhabi.

    In addition, Aaqib Javed will continue working as Director of the High Performance Centre, while the current selection committee will also carry on with its responsibilities.

    Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign started with a narrow win over the Netherlands followed by victory against the United States. Expectations remained high before the match against India, but Pakistan suffered defeat after repeating mistakes seen earlier in the Asia Cup.

    A win over Namibia helped Pakistan reach the Super 8 stage. However, rain washed out the match against New Zealand and a defeat against England left Pakistan dependent on other results. 

    England’s win over New Zealand briefly reopened Pakistan’s qualification chances, but a narrow victory against Sri Lanka failed to improve the team’s net run rate enough to advance. New Zealand later progressed to the semifinals, ending Pakistan’s campaign.

    After the team’s performance in the tournament, reports said the PCB imposed a fine of five million rupees on each player.

  • IShowSpeed gets birthday wish from Cristiano Ronaldo

    IShowSpeed gets birthday wish from Cristiano Ronaldo

    American YouTube streamer Darren Watkins, also known as IShowSpeed, with over 34 million subscribers, celebrated his 20th birthday on January 22, 2025. Fans from all over the world wished him, but the highlight was a special message from football player Cristiano Ronaldo.

    The YouTuber posted photos of his birthday celebration on Instagram featuring two cakes: one inspired by Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece and the other dedicated to Ronaldo, with cutouts of the football star. He captioned the post, “Happy birthday to me, I’m 20 now.”

    To Speed’s excitement, Ronaldo commented, “Happy Birthday, Speed! Hope your day was great. Stay wild and fast!”

    Speed is a huge fan of Ronaldo and has often expressed his love and admiration for the football legend.

  • Pakistan’s deadliest PUBG Mobile team is looking for sponsor

    Pakistan’s deadliest PUBG Mobile team is looking for sponsor

    4Thrives Esports, one of the deadliest teams in the competitive PUBG Mobile scene in Pakistan right now, is actively looking for sponsors.

    The team, known for its aggressive gameplay and strong performances, has recently made some exciting roster changes that have generated a lot of attention in the Esports community.

    Four key players—FALAK, IQ, NOCKi, and T20 OP—have recently made moves from their former teams to join 4Thrives Esports. FALAK, IQ, and NOCKI left i8 Esports, while T20 OP shifted from Seventh Elements. 

    The team is not only at the top in Pakistan but also has the number one South Asian player, FALAK.

    As Esports continues to grow in Pakistan, partnering with a successful team like 4Thrives could provide brands with exposure to a dedicated and rapidly expanding audience. By joining forces with potential sponsors, 4Thrives aims to improve their training, equipment, and overall performance, taking their game to the next level.

    For companies and brands looking to make their mark in the booming Esports industry, 4Thrives represents an exciting opportunity to support one of Pakistan’s most promising teams. 

    Interested sponsors can reach out to the team directly through their social media accounts, including their official Instagram page, to explore partnership opportunities.

  • Esports to make Asian Youth Games debut

    Esports to make Asian Youth Games debut

    The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that esports will debut as a medal event in the 3rd Asian Youth Games to be held in Bahrain from October 22 to 31.

    According to reports, young esports players will compete alongside athletes from 20 other sports, representing 45 countries in the 14-17 years age group.

    “The Asian Youth Games is an important platform that now recognises esports as a competitive sport. With esports already a medal event in the Asian Games, this will create more opportunities for young players and help develop a strong esports community,” said Lokesh Suji, director of the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) and vice president of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF).

    Last year, the International Esports Federation (IESF) also held the first Esports World Cup featuring 22 video games for a combined prize pool of over $60 million. The staggering amount was distributed across various games, making it one of the largest prize pools in esports history.

    Saudi Arabia’s Falcons had won the tournament held in Riyadh, scoring 5,665 points. The Falcons had strengthened their lead by winning the Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Championship in Week 1 and Free Fire in Week 2.

    The team was awarded $7,000,000 (PKR 1.93 billion) in a ceremony attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also presented them the winning trophy.

    The 2025 edition of the cup is also set to take place in Riyadh in June-August, the prize pool for which is expected to exceed $60 million.

    Want to read about Esports World Cup 2025?

  • Vlogging on the rise in Pakistan; What does it say about us?

    Vlogging on the rise in Pakistan; What does it say about us?

    YouTube, once a platform to learn and earn, is now becoming a cinema and a way to entertain people. There are few content creators left today in Pakistan who are generating content that helps people. 

    There was a time when people like Irfan Junejo, Shahveer Jafary, Ducky Bhai (when he was a gamer and roster), Moroo, Syed Muzamil, and many other creators created content to help and entertain people positively. But today, If we look at YouTube’s situation in Pakistan, especially in the recent few years, it is almost dying. 

    Daily vlogging has taken over the YouTube scene in Pakistan, with an increasing number of channels gaining millions of views. 

    In 2024, eight out of the top ten most popular YouTubers in the country were daily vloggers. This trend indicates a significant shift in content consumption as audiences enjoy the real-time experiences and behind-the-scenes glimpses offered by these creators.

    While daily vlogs are popular across the globe, including in India, with vloggers like Saurav Joshi, Pakistan’s audience has also embraced this genre. However, the question arises: Why do people follow these vloggers? It’s not just about entertainment; it’s about connection. Many viewers enjoy seeing a glimpse into the lives of these influencers, no matter how dramatic or controversial their actions might seem.

    It’s becoming increasingly common for vloggers to push boundaries in their quest for views. 

    One incident that sparked public outrage involved a vlogger who filmed his brother’s funeral while everyone else was grieving. Such behaviour reflects a deeper issue within the vlogging culture — the pursuit of fame and recognition often trumps moral considerations.

    In another video, a new vlogger is showing his newly married wife, saying, “Today I will reveal my wife’s face”, and then he moved the camera from her head to her foot, saying, “Check out the look of your Bhabhi.”

    Vlogging is not a bad thing in itself, but the point is how people get inspired by other vloggers who show their cars, expensive houses, lavish lives, and so on.

    In a recent example, if you look at famous YouTuber Rajab Butt’s wedding, he spends millions of rupees on his marriage. Big YouTubers like Ducky Bhai, Sistrology, and many others came to his marriage. 

    He inspired many with how rich he is and how much he spent on his marriage; no one knows about his struggle. One of the important things is that he uploaded vlogs of every ceremony of his marriage, which got approximately sox to seven million views for each video. Technically, he recovered the money he spent on his marriage from YouTube. 

    This obsession with social media fame has led some vloggers to reveal too much about their personal lives, including showcasing family members and personal moments. This has raised concerns about privacy and respect, with viewers questioning whether the line between entertainment and exploitation has been crossed. 

    The audience thinks this is the only formula to get views, which it is not. These big YouTubers have different backgrounds in different industries. Ducky was a gamer; people have known him since 2015-16, and that is why they were attracted to him; this is what our audience needs to understand. 

    The rise of this trend has sparked debates on the limits of daily vlogging. As more influencers join the race to gain followers, the content becomes increasingly sensational, sometimes to the point of being distasteful. There are fears that if this continues, viewers will grow tired of the repetitive nature of the content, and daily vlogging could lose its appeal.

    Vlogging has become popular in Pakistan because it is easy to make. Many vloggers share their personal lives, families, and financial status, which attracts viewers interested in others’ lives. 

    However, this popularity often leads to repetitive and addictive content rather than innovation. While people consume such content, it lacks depth or appreciation for creativity.

    Creating impactful content requires effort and investment. In India, platforms like Dice Media and FilterCopy started with small skits and grew into major players, even lending some creators to Bollywood. 

    In Pakistan, ventures like Nashpati Prime started strong but failed due to a lack of investment and long-term vision. New projects often stop growing because they aren’t treated as proper businesses.

    While vlogging remains a convenient way to gain followers, it doesn’t grow the industry. To move forward, Pakistan needs investment and support for creative content. By fostering originality, the digital content industry can become a sustainable and thriving sector.


    YouTube in India:

    On the other hand, if we look at YouTube in India, few people are vlogging, but their content is top-notch. Recently, MrBeast (the World’s biggest YouTuber) visited India and made a video with Carryminati (an Indian YouTuber with more than 40 million subscribers). Almost every Indian creator participated in the video, and it was actually worth watching for entertainment purposes.

    Apart from this, they have many standup comedians, like Munawar Faruqui, Samay Raina, Ravi Gupta, Zakir Khan, Muhammad Haseeb, Ashish Solanki and many others. Samay made a show named “India Got Latent”, which is a masterpiece for dark humour audiences, and it has gone viral. 

    Indian creators perform internationally. They have a very big gaming industry, and it’s not about whether they are big as a country or they have a big economy. The point is that they have made their audience. They picked a small YouTuber from trash and made him a star in months. They collaborate, helping new creators to grow.


    Final thoughts:

    You can do vlogging, but it should have some potential that a viewer does not feel that he wastes his time. There should be something in your vlog to learn; it should not be just about what you eat, what you wear and where you go. You can teach your viewers how to join YouTube and what difficulties you can face while starting YouTube. Each type of content has a saturation time, and with time, you’ll be forgotten by the people because trends change as the interest of the audience changes.

    As the landscape of YouTube in Pakistan evolves, it’s crucial to keep an eye on how these trends develop. Will the craze for daily vlogs continue, or will the excessive and controversial behaviour push the audience away? Only time will tell, but for now, daily vloggers remain at the forefront of Pakistan’s YouTube scene, shaping the content and culture for years to come.

  • Esports World Cup 2025: Life changing opportunity for Esports athletes

    Esports World Cup 2025: Life changing opportunity for Esports athletes

    The Esports World Cup 2025 is set to be one of the most significant events in the world of competitive gaming following the success of the 2024 tournament. This annual event continues to grow in prestige and popularity, engaging the best gamers from around the world to compete for massive prize pools and the honour of being the world’s best.

    Esports World Cup 2024

    The 2024 edition of the Esports World Cup was nothing short of spectacular. The event was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 3 to August 25, 2024.

    It consisted of a combined prize pool of over $60 million featuring 22 video games. This staggering amount was distributed across various games, making it one of the largest prize pools in esports history.

    Saudi Arabia’s Esports team, the Falcons, won the Esports World Cup 2024. The world competition, held for the first time in Riyadh, saw Team Falcons scoring 5665 points.

    The Falcons had strengthened their lead by winning the Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Championship in Week 1 and Free Fire in Week 2, earning them 1,000 points for each tournament.

    The team was awarded $7,000,000 (1.93 billion PKR) in prize money and the World Cup trophy at the closing ceremony on Sunday, August 25, which was attended by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who presented the trophy to the team.

    Team Falcons’ participation and success in the eight-week-long Esports World Cup event reflected the significant investment made in Saudi Arabia’s gaming sector.

    The second place in the tournament was secured by the Netherlands’ Liquid, which won $4,000,000 (1.1 billion PKR), followed by Team BDS in third place, winning $2,000,000 (55 crore PKR).

    The Free Fire team HotShot from Pakistan participated in the event but was eliminated during the league stage. Eight Pakistani players competed in Tekken, with four of them qualifying for the top eight. However, they were unable to win the trophy, as South Korea’s Ulsan defeated Pakistan’s Atif Butt 5-0 in the Tekken 8 final.

    Esports World Cup 2025

    The excitement among esports fans is already building, with many now looking forward to the 2025 edition. The tournament is set to take place once again in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from June to August 2025, promising another thrilling summer of competitive gaming.

    The prize pool is expected to exceed $60 million this time, continuing the trend of substantial financial incentives for participants – underscoring the growing importance and recognition of esports as a legitimate competitive sport again.


    Games and Competitions

    The Esports World Cup 2025 will feature a diverse lineup of games catering to a wide range of gaming enthusiasts. Some of the games expected to be included are:

    Dota 2
    Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
    PUBG Mobile
    Honour of Kings
    Apex Legends
    Rainbow Six Siege

    This diverse selection will cater to fans of various genres, from first-person shooters to multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), offering something exciting to watch and cheer for.

    The upcoming event could feature 24 games, two more than the previous edition, but the final decision has yet to be made.

    The Esports World Cup is more than just a tournament; it’s a celebration of the global gaming community. It brings together players, teams, and fans from all corners of the world, fostering a sense of unity and shared passion for gaming. The event also highlights the immense talent and dedication required to excel in esports, providing a platform for players to showcase their skills on an international stage and offering them an opportunity to change their lives.


    Chances for the Pakistani Esports teams

    Teams from Pakistan will also participate in national qualifiers for various games.

    The Free Fire Esports World Cup 2024 featured a Pakistan qualifier, where the top teams advanced to the next stages. Similar qualifiers are expected to be held for other games in 2025.

    The top teams will compete in regional competitions after the national qualifiers. Success in these events will earn them points and an opportunity to advance to the global stage.

    Teams can also accumulate points by performing well in international tournaments throughout the year. This year, for instance, the top six teams from PMSL 2024 qualified for the Esports World Cup 2024.

  • From PUBG to forever: Pakistani man finds love with US women online

    From PUBG to forever: Pakistani man finds love with US women online

    A unique love story has unfolded as Shahad Hussain, a 23-year-old man from Chitral, Pakistan, married 18-year-old Flores Sarah from the United States. The couple connected through the popular online game PUBG and maintained a long-distance relationship for three years.

    Their relationship led to a traditional wedding held at a private hotel in Chitral, with the Nikah ceremony performed by Maulana Khaliq-uz-Zaman, the khatib of the Shah Mosque in Chitral. Sarah’s mother attended the wedding, and she did not need to change her name since it was already an Islamic one.

    Raisuddin, a local from the Marooi area of Chitral, confirmed their three-year relationship, stating that Sarah had obtained her mother’s permission before marrying Shahad. The wedding followed local traditions, with Sarah wearing a traditional bridal outfit and her mother dressed in local attire. Women from nearby areas also joined the celebration.

    This story highlights how cross-cultural relationships can also develop through online gaming and social media, leading to marriages that cross geographical boundaries.

    In a similar heartwarming cross-border love story, Seema Haider from Pakistan and Sachin Meena from India found each other through the popular online game PUBG.

    Seema Haider, drawn by her growing affection for Sachin, decided to leave her home in Pakistan and cross into India to be with him. This bold move was filled with challenges, not just because of the geographical distance but also due to the legal and social barriers they faced as citizens of two different countries with complex relationships.

    In an interview shared by BBC, Seema and Sachin opened up about how the romance began for them and what they mean to each other. They started talking on PUBG in 2020, becoming close friends in seven months. According to the lovers, they met in Nepal in March for the first time, and Seema got Sachin a ticket.

  • IShowSpeed may compete in 100-meter dash at Olympics 2028

    IShowSpeed may compete in 100-meter dash at Olympics 2028

    YouTube sensation Darren Watkins Jr., known as IShowSpeed, has announced his goal to compete in the 100-meter dash at the 2028 Olympics.

    The 19-year-old YouTube star with over 33 million subscribers, famous for his high-energy videos and athletic challenges, shared his dream to move from online fame to professional sports.

    This announcement comes after IShowSpeed raced against Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles in a 50-meter dash. Although Lyles won, IShowSpeed impressed many with his speed and determination. The event, organised by YouTuber MrBeast, offered a $100,000 prize and showcased IShowSpeed’s athletic abilities.

    Lyles suggested that IShowSpeed train hard and consider a rematch over a longer distance, such as the 100 meters. IShowSpeed’s aim for the 2028 Olympics indicates he is serious about taking on this new challenge.

    Moving from being a YouTube star to an Olympic athlete will not be an easy task as it will involve rigorous training, meeting qualification standards, and competing against experienced athletes. IShowSpeed’s determination and current athletic skills have, however, gained him support from his fans.

    With the 2028 Olympics four years away, it will be interesting to see how IShowSpeed progresses in his training and if he can qualify to represent his country. His journey from a digital entertainer to an aspiring Olympian is an exciting story that blends the worlds of social media and sports.

  • ‘No more Bazball’: Muhammad Rizwan’s video from behind the stumps goes viral

    ‘No more Bazball’: Muhammad Rizwan’s video from behind the stumps goes viral

    The final and deciding match of the 3-Test series between Pakistan and England is underway in Rawalpindi. In this decisive match, England won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan, but they were dismissed for 267 runs.

    Sajid Khan took six, while Noman Ali took three wickets for Pakistan.

    England’s aggressive strategy, popularly known as ‘Baseball’, also seems to be failing as half of England’s team returned to the pavilion for 267 runs.

    A video of the match is also going viral on social media, in which Harry Brooke gets out after scoring five runs, then Muhammad Rizwan says ‘No more Baz-ball’.

    The English team has been famous for playing baseball and cricket for the last 2 years. Be it social media or news headlines, this word has been attributed to the England cricket team.

    What is the term ‘Bazball?

    The basic meaning of the word Bazball is to make quick runs with the aim of winning the test matches. England’s cricket team ushered in a new era of Test cricket under coach Brendon McCullum from New Zealand.

    The former Kiwi batsman’s new thinking has apparently changed the way the longest format of the game is played.

    In 2022, the England Cricket Board appointed McCullum as the head coach of the English team and Ben Stokes as the captain. After this, the English team changed its strategy by completely changing the style of the traditional Test match to an aggressive playing style in the Test matches.

    While the batsmen used to bat slowly in the Test match, now the English team has changed this style and started batting fast and has taken the run rate to 4-5 runs per over.

    The England team has adopted the style of playing fast in Test cricket, so aggressive play in Test cricket is now called ‘Baseball’.

  • ‘Surprise captain announcement on the way,’ claims journalist

    ‘Surprise captain announcement on the way,’ claims journalist

    The announcement for the Pakistan cricket team’s white-ball captain is expected today.

    Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif hinted that the future of the team will be decided after an important meeting between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Muhammad Rizwan.

    However, Sports Journalist Shoaib Jatt has posted on X (Formerly Twitter), “Surprise CAPTAIN announcement on the way”, hitting toward something surprising.

    Muhammad Rizwan is a strong candidate for captaincy, but it will be decided after he meets with Mohsin Naqvi. Shadab Khan, Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha were also strong candidates along with Rizwan.

    NEW SELECTION COMMITTEE:

    Earlier, the board announced the new selection committee for the national team.

    The captain and head coach have been removed from the new selection committee of the national team; Aleem Dar, Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali and Hasan Cheema are included in the new selection committee. All five members will be voting members.

    The non-voting members include Azhar Mehmood, Bilal Afzal, Nadeem Khan, and Usman Wahla.

    However, PCB has not included the captain and coach in the selection committee.