Category: Sports

Former Pakistan cricket team captain Azhar Ali has been appointed as the head of youth development at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

This role will be an extension of Ali’s current responsibilities as a member of the national selection committee. His appointment has been made as per the recruitment process.

Reacting to the news, Azhar said he felt proud and excited to play this important role. “After playing club and domestic cricket, I understand that grassroots development has a vital role in shaping the stars of the future. Significant progress has already been made in this area and I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance our youth development programme further.”

Azhar started his journey with the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2002, after which he joined the senior team. In his career from 2010 to 2022, he represented Pakistan in 97 Tests and 53 ODIs. He also captained the national team in 9 Tests and 31 ODIs.

His appointment comes at time as the PCB makes prominent changes to the management of the board as well as the cricket team.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made several key appointments recently to enhance its coaching and administrative teams. Shahid Aslam has been appointed as the new batting coach, and his tenure will begin during the team’s upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Known for his meticulous approach and technical insights, Aslam has previously been part of Pakistan’s support staff and is expected to impact the team’s batting performance significantly.

Syed Sameer Ahmed has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer, and Sumair Ahmad Syed will serve as the Chief Operating Officer for the ICC Champions Trophy. Azhar Ali has taken on the role of Head of Youth Development, while Aqib Javed has been named the Interim White-Ball Head Coach. Wahab Riaz will act as the Supervisor for the ICC Champions Trophy and the Leader of the Mentoring Team.

These appointments are part of PCB’s efforts to improve the team’s performance and ensure better governance and transparency within the organization.

Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Lahore Qalandars has announced its squad for the T20 Global Super League.

As per the details, Pakistani all-rounder Faheem Ashraf has become a part of Qalandars’ squad whereas some players, namely Salman Mirza, Muhammad Faizan, and Tayyab Abbas, from Qalandars’ Player Development Program have also been included.

South African spinner Tabriz Shamsi and West Indies’ Carlos Brathwaite are among the foreign players on the squad, while former England cricketer Darren Gough will take charge as Qalandars’ head coach for the first time.

Arif Yaqoob, Muhammad Akhlaq, Mirza Tahir Baig, Adam Rossington, Luke Wells and Tom Able have also been included.

Qalandars’ coaching staff includes head coach Gough, batting coach Amjad Ali as manager and bowling coach Kashif Raza as performance manager.

The 2024 Global T20 Super League is set to be an exciting international cricket tournament, featuring five top teams from around the world. The tournament will be held at the Providence Stadium in Guyana from November 26 to December 7, 2024.

Teams Participating:

1. Guyana Amazon Warriors (West Indies)

2. Hampshire Hawks (England)

3. Lahore Qalandars (Pakistan)

4. Rangpur Riders (Bangladesh)

5. Victoria (Australia)

Tournament Format:

• Round-Robin Stage: Each team will play one match against every other team, resulting in a total of 10 matches.

• Final Match: The top two teams based on the points table will advance to the final match.

Prize Money:

The total prize money for the competition is US$1 million.

Key Players to Watch:

• Guyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd

• Hampshire Hawks: Chris Wood (C), Liam Dawson, James Fuller

• Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Afridi (C), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf

• Rangpur Riders: Nurul Hasan (C, WK), Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar

• Victoria: Corey Anderson (C), David Moody, Joe Clarke (WK)

The Global T20 Super League promises to be a thrilling showcase of T20 cricket, bringing together some of the best talents from different cricketing nations.

A video of controversial Indian anchor Arnab Goswami with Pakistani journalist Hafiz Imran is going viral amid the ongoing issue of the Champion Trophy 2025.

An Indian journalist invited Pakistani journalist Hafiz Imran to his programme on Republic TV to discuss the matter of the Champions Trophy. Goswami claimed, “We [India] are the bosses of cricket. You should understand that you do not have enough money to control India. If the Indian Prime Minister says that we will not fund Pakistani cricket, then the entire cricket of Pakistan will be destroyed. This is the truth that you will have to accept. You are trying to fight us, but you cannot.”

Hafiz Imran responded to the Indian anchor, saying, “You are not the boss. You have no choice but to look at us. It is a big misunderstanding among you people that India funds the International Cricket Council (ICC). If India funds the ICC, does it come from India versus India? It is not like that. Rather, this revenue comes from India playing with Pakistan, England, Australia, Bangladesh, and other countries.”

He added, “If you are so proud of your market, then you should create a separate world and separate yourself from the rest of the world. Say that we will only play cricket among ourselves. India A will play with Maharashtra; we will play with UP; we will play with Mumbai and Delhi.”

Indian journalists kept interrupting Hafiz Imran’s answer, but the Pakistani journalist continued with his response and said, “You asked the question, then listen to the answer, which is the truth. When you are playing cricket with the world, all the cricket boards are business partners; everyone plays cricket and earns money, and your industry is running because of us.”

When the Pakistani journalist was repeatedly interrupted by the Indian journalist, he said, “If you don’t like the answer, I have a solution for that too. The Indian media tells the public the wrong thing: that we fund [ICC]; this is not funding but a business partnership, and everyone takes their share. You go to a businessman and ask him if you can earn money if you are playing alone, but the problem is that you don’t want to hear the truth.”

The Indian media is propagating that the Champions Trophy will be played under a hybrid model at the behest of the Indian Cricket Board and that India’s matches will be held in Dubai. The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, however, has made it clear to the ICC and India that the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan and that no hybrid model is acceptable.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written a letter to the ICC and has also sought written reasons for India’s refusal to come to Pakistan.

Interim head coach for white-ball cricket in Pakistan, Aqib Javed has shared his thoughts on Fakhar Zaman’s return to the national team.

Fakhar Zaman was benched ahead of the series against England. Media reports claimed that his ouster from the team had come due to a post in support of former skipper Babar Azam, against the wishes of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“As soon as Fakhar Zaman’s fitness issues are resolved, he will be selected… there is no doubt that Fakhar is a warrior,” Aqib said in conversation with media persons in Lahore.

“Coaching is not new to me. I have been associated with it for 22 years and there will be no problems due to additional responsibilities. I was earlier included in the selection committee and we have achieved positive results there,” he added.

Fakhar had questioned PCB’s decision to rest Babar Azam in two matches of the series against England.

In a post on social media, he had given the example of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, saying that when he was out of form, he was not benched by India. This had prompted the PCB to serve Fakhar with a show-cause notice.  Responding to the notice, Fakhar said that Babar was one of the best batsmen in the world and was also a good friend, which was why he expressed his opinion.

He had said that Babar should have been given a chance considering the PCB’s central contract.  While Fakhar had then been dropped from the team amid speculations regarding the controversy’s role in his exit, the board had later cited fitness issues as the reason behind the star batter’s removal.

Prior to the controversy, Fakhar’s name was also being considered for the slot of Pakistan’s white-ball captain.

India’s senior sports journalist, Vikrant Gupta, has provided a strange reason to justify the Indian team’s non-commission to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

Gupta, while speaking on the social media platform of an Indian cricket website, linked the Indian team’s decision not to travel to Pakistan to the visit of religious scholar Zakir Naik and his warm welcome.

Talking about Dr Zakir Naik’s visit, Gupta said, “The Pakistani government welcomed Zakir Naik warmly and gave him the status of a state guest. By doing so, Pakistan shot itself in the foot. I would say that Pakistan will have to choose between Zakir Naik or the Champions Trophy.”

He also stated that “India has given Pakistan a list of terrorist organisations and individuals. If they had taken action against them, perhaps our government would have agreed to send its team.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has asserted that the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan, and if India has reservations, they should address them with us.

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to send its team to Pakistan for the next Champions Trophy, as per Indian media.

The Indian board has reportedly decided to reverse its decision to send the Indian team to Pakistan, as confirmed by the Indian Express. Pakistan has been informed of this decision. The BCCI has expressed concerns regarding security about playing in Pakistan and prefers neutral venues, with Dubai being the top choice.

Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi, however, has claimed not to have received any letter from BCCI, adding that “the Indian board has not said anything in writing so far, there has been no discussion on the hybrid model and there will be no discussion.”

Earlier, there were reports that the Indian Cricket Board agreed to send the team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, but India refused and wanted to conduct the tournament under a hybrid model.

Other teams, however, have confirmed they will send their teams to Pakistan for the event.

The Champions Trophy is scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025, with matches to be played in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

India has withdrawn from the Blind T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan, as the Indian government has refused to grant the team a No Objection Letter (NOC) to participate in the T20 World Cup.

The team was issued an NOC by the Sports Ministry, after which the Ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs were to grant the team an NOC, but neither ministry provided clearance.

The Indian Blind Cricket Association has confirmed that the External Affairs Ministry has refused to grant the NOC.

The Association Secretary, Shailendra Yadav, stated that they were yet to receive the letter, but as of yet, they have decided not to go to Pakistan based on the discussion.

He said, “We have been waiting for the government permission for 25 days, and we cannot wait any longer because the tournament is starting now. When we spoke to the External Affairs Ministry on the phone, they told us not to grant the NOC, and we were told that we would also give a formal letter of refusal.”

The Blind T20 World Cup is scheduled to start in Pakistan from November 23.

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to send its team to Pakistan for the next Champions Trophy, as per Indian media.

The Indian board has reportedly decided to reverse its decision to send the Indian team to Pakistan, as confirmed by the Indian Express. Pakistan has been informed of this decision. The BCCI has expressed concerns regarding security about playing in Pakistan and prefers neutral venues, with Dubai being the top choice.

Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi, however, has claimed not to have received any letter from BCCI, adding that “the Indian board has not said anything in writing so far, there has been no discussion on the hybrid model and there will be no discussion.”

Earlier, there were reports that the Indian Cricket Board agreed to send the team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, but India refused and wanted to conduct the tournament under a hybrid model.

Other teams, however, have confirmed they will send their teams to Pakistan for the event.

The Champions Trophy is scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025, with matches to be played in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

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.

A young weightlifter from Sukkur has brought glory to Pakistan by winning two gold and one silver medal in the Bodybuilding World Championship organised by the United World Sports and Fitness Federation.

He participated in the 2024 World Championship in Thailand at his own expense.

“When financial difficulties arose, Sindh Government Spokesperson and Sukkur Mayor Arsalan Sheikh provided full support. If I am fully supported, I can bring glory to Pakistan further,” he said.

He won the title of Mr. Sindh in 2021 in bodybuilding competitions and later participated in the South Asia Championship, secured third place, and now won three medals in the World Championship.

Moeed Baloch wins gold medal in World Military Games

Earlier, Pakistan’s Moeed Baloch won the gold medal in the 400-meter race at the World Military Games in Venezuela while representing the Pakistan Air Force in the event.

Earlier in the Olympics held in Paris, Pakistan’s athlete Arshad Nadeem set a world record in the javelin throw and won the gold medal for Pakistan after 40 years.

At the same time, Amir Khan from Swat won gold at the International Taekwondo Championship in Bangkok.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Shahid Aslam as the new batting coach for the national cricket team.

Pakistani cricket team’s batting lineup faced difficulties in Australia, where they were unable to play 20 overs.

The board has confirmed Aslam’s appointment and he will be going to Zimbabwe and South Africa as a batting coach.

The spokesperson for the board has stated that a spin bowling coach is also being sought for the Pakistan team, who will be appointed soon.

Shahid has been appointed as the coach on the recommendation of Aqib Javed. He was part of the team’s support staff for many years, and he is famous for getting the batters to practice and throwing throw-downs for hours.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has said that the country’s honour comes first, and come what may, Champions Trophy 2025 will be held in Pakistan.

“Pakistan’s honour comes first, the rest will come later. The Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan… our contact is only with the International Cricket Council (ICC), and we are waiting for their response. If India has reservations, they should talk to us. We will address them,” the PCB chairman said in conversation with media personnel in Lahore.

He hoped for the best, saying that sports and politics were two separate things. “We stand by our decision and will remain so. The ICC will soon announce the schedule for the Champions Trophy,” Naqvi added.

When talking about renovation work at Gaddafi Stadium, he said it was progresssing rapidly. “The development work at Gaddafi Stadium will be completed on time. All enclosures will remain in place, no enclosure is being demolished.”

To a question about reports of changes within the management of the cricketing board, the PCB chief said, “Wahab Riaz is working continuously, no one was removed… and Mohammad Yousuf is also not being allowed to go anywhere. I am bringing cricketers together. How can I let them go? Abdul Razzaq is also very important to me.”

To another question, Naqvi clarified that the Champions Trophy tour had not been cancelled. “It has only been rescheduled.”