Former Indian batsman Virender Sehwag praised the hospitality of the people of Pakistan in a recent video.
The ace Indian batter, known for criticising Pakistan cricket, very rarely has something positive to say about the arch-rival country.
However, in a recent interview on an Indian channel, Sehwag recalled the Indian cricket team tour of Pakistan in 2004.
Sehwag disclosed that he bought 30 to 35 Pakistani suits for his family. w When he tried to pay, the shopkeeper refused to accept any charges.
Sehwag said, “I was wondering why he was not taking any charges, so I asked him what happened. The shopkeeper replied with a sweet and gentle tone, ‘You are our guest, how can I take money from you? Take it as a gift.’
“Aap toh mehmaan ho, aapse paise kaise le sakte hain hum?” Sehwag said.
Wherever the Indian team traveled in Pakistan, this was the constant behavior of the community, their hospitality is amazing, Sehwag said.
“We ate a lot of street food, did a lot of shopping, and no one charged us. The love we received in Pakistan is unforgettable,” he commented, adding that the Indian team felt emotional when they saw the love Pakistani people have for them. “And then we thought we are just two brothers who are separated from each other.”
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also known as Mahi, is widely considered the coolest and the most successful captain Indian cricket team has ever produced. The superstar recently won the Indian Premiere League (IPL) 16th edition for the fifth time as the captain of Chennai Super Kings.
A die-hard fan of the ace cricketer has grabbed headlines for an incredible gesture.
Deepak, a resident of Tamnar in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, got Dhoni’s photo printed on both sides of his wedding card, as well as the number of his jersey.
The unique wedding invitation has now become the talk of the town.
Deepak, who considers Dhoni his ideal is also the captain of his village cricket team. He has said that he has won many matches for his team using the strategy employed by Dhoni as captain.
The yellow wedding card is going viral on social media, while Deepak has also invited MS Dhoni to his wedding.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials have reportedly made it clear to International Cricket Council (ICC) officials that Pakistan will only travel to India, for the upcoming World Cup 2023, if the neighboring country gives a guarantee in written form that they will send their team to Pakistan in the 2025 Champion’s Trophy.
PCB officials placed the demand for give and take from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in front of two top ICC officials – Chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice- on the second day of their tour at the board’s headquarters.
PCB interim management committee chairman Najam Sethi spelled it out that Pakistan boycotting World Cup in India and playing their matches at a neutral venue is “very much a possibility”. This will be seen as a retaliation by the country, if India will not negotiate on Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be played in Pakistan in September 2023.
The BCCI, so far, has also rejected the revised version of a hybrid model proposed by the PCB, in which initial group stage matches, except the matches of India, will be played in Pakistan and the rest of tournament will shift to a neutral venue. Even if the proposal is accepted, the PCB would mull playing the World Cup at a venue outside India and would provide the latter the same option come the Champions Trophy.
Asia Cup so far, is not a matter of concern, with the ICC.
Najam Sethi and co sat down at the table with the two top officials of ICC, but the minutes of the meeting have not been made public yet.
PCB asked the ICC officials for a formal assurance of India’s participation in the Champions Trophy, the hosting rights of which were awarded to Pakistan two years ago.
Barclay and Allardice’s visit, although a “scheduled” one, was a high-profile one given the scenario, but there has been silence from both the ICC and the PCB and neither have made any officials announcements so far.
Discussions over the ICC’s expected revenue sharing model — leaked figures of which have revealed that India would take away 38.5 per cent of the body’s revenue, while Pakistan would get a mere 5.75 per cent — also continued between the PCB and the ICC officials.
According to sources, Pakistan’s concerns on its deadlock with the BCCI will be discussed during the upcoming ICC Board meetings.
However, given India’s stranglehold over the world’s cricket economy, it would be difficult for the ICC to entertain PCB’s asks. In such circumstances, the PCB may well consider forfeiting it’s matches in the World Cup.
International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Aralldice have finished their tour of Pakistan, revealing why they were visiting the country Pakistan a very short period.
The two visited Lahore Cricket Academy, Lahore Museum, Badshahi Mosque, Minar-e-Pakistan and Shahi Qilla. They also toured Punjab Safe City office to examine the city’s security apparatus for cricket tours.
Chairman Greg Barclay said that he wants to visit every single member of ICC to examine cricket facilities in each country. He praised Pakistan on bilateral cricket arrangements. Barclay said that cricket facilities and related programs are praiseworthy.
Now that international cricket is back in Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is successfully playing its role in bilateral cricket arrangements.
He expressed hope that he will see Pakistan’s men’s and women’s cricket at the next level.
The recent tour of ICC’s Chairman Greg Barclay is the first ever visit to Pakistan. The two ICC officials also sat down with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi at the board’s head quarter and talked about the betterment of cricket and commercialism in the sport.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) want to exclude Pakistan from the Asia Cup 2023, The Telegraph India has reported.
Jay Shah, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary and ACC Chairman, has made it clear to the other countries in the tournament, that his board will not accept Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) suggested ‘hybrid model.’ Shah recently discussed the matter with the heads of member nations and proposed that the tournament should take place at a single venue, specifically Sri Lanka.
Speculations are rife in Indian media that Sri Lanka secretly shook hands with India on the issue of hosting Asia Cup 2023, hinting to ACC that the weather in the island nation is also perfect for the game.
PCB had proposed a hybrid model, under which the initial four matches of the group stage in the primary phase of the tournament shall be played in Pakistan.
Moreover, the next phase, including matches of India and finals, were to be played at a neutral venue. In that scenario, Pakistan will play their group stage match against Nepal on home ground.
Likewise, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will also be playing their pool matches in Pakistan. The PCB had designated Dubai as a favored neutral location within a hybrid framework.
The report further added that Pakistan will be informed during the next executive board meeting of the ACC that all other participating nations have agreed to play in Sri Lanka.
The PCB, as the designated hosts, will have to comply and play in Sri Lanka or withdraw. In that case, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will be the four teams participating, with the inclusion of a fifth team yet to be decided.
India’s refusal to tour Pakistan and not accepting the hybrid model may push Pakistan to consider pulling out of World Cup. The PCB has reportedly informed ICC officials that their participation in the World Cup depends on government clearance.
Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batsman Muhammad Rizwan went back into university life as the batting duo joined the prestigious Harvard Business School’s executive education programme on the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports (BEMS), becoming the first two cricketers to join the prestigious school.
Babar Azam on Monday night shared a picture on his Twitter account, reminding every student of hostel life, where everyone is tense and worried and studying hard just one night before an exam.
Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan are the number two and three ranked batsman in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings. Twitter reacted hilariously when the superstars shared a picture of them studying in a room.
Babar is the one who is befikra will read and give exams but Rizwan is the one who'll read and continuesly praying too for both of them so they both clear this exam 😭😂🤌🫶 pic.twitter.com/vsuTwuM4qY
It is a proud moment for Pakistan as the two stars become the first ever cricketers to take part in this business course. In the press release issued by the management company of the two players, -Saya Corporation- it is said that the program taught at Harvard Business School in Boston will continue from May 31 to June 3. After which both will hold meetings with various communities in America till June 13.
Details of Harvard Business Programme
Programme details have been shared on the school’s website, where they have stated that the programme in which Babar and Rizwan are placed is called the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports (BEMS). It is structured with new modules and techniques on how to develop new business, why some startups becomes successful and why some fail.
It states that the need for digital technology is most felt in the entertainment industry today and the course discusses the latest approaches in this regard.
This course will teach you how to make the best decisions, how to take advantage of market fluctuations and how to achieve long-lasting profits.
Course fees stated on the website is $10,500 but it is not clear yet who is paying the fee of the two star players.
The Asia Cup controversy is showing no sign of ending, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not want to end the stalemate with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
BCCI has rejected the proposal of a hybrid model proposed by PCB, with Indian officials rejecting the offer to play in Dubai. The Indian government’s rigid influence did not let Asian Cricket Council (ACC) solve the dispute amicably.
As of PCB’s proposed hybrid model, which suggested that the first four matches will be played in Pakistan and the rest of the tournament moves to a neutral venue, Pakistan demanded that India first accepts it, then Board officials will decide which country will host the rest of the matches.
Revenue concerns are the first priority of Pakistan, with Dubai being the favorite choice.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have expressed concerns over weather conditions in Dubai. Sri Lanka is up in line for hosting Asia Cup 2023.
Media speculation suggests that they secretly shook hands with BCCI and hinted to ACC that the weather is also suitable there.
As time passes, Pakistan is losing its grip on hosting Asia Cup 2023 with Asian teams looking to favour India. PCB Chairman Najam Sethi has said that if the hosting rights will be stolen from the country, then Pakistan will also not play World Cup 2023 in India.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) equaled Mumbai Indians’ record of five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles after MS Dhoni’s side triumphed in a last-ball thriller, beating the Gujarat Titans, the defending champions, by five wickets in Monday’s rain-hit final in Ahmedabad.
Put into bat, Gujarat racked up 214 for four after Sai Sudharsan capitalised on a strong start and smashed 96 off 47 balls that included six sixes.
Chasing a revised target of 171 from 15 overs after a lengthy rain interruption, Chennai survived intense drama before Ravindra Jadeja sealed their victory, hitting 10 runs off the last two deliveries.
The final was originally scheduled on Sunday but incessant rain forced the organisers to move the game to its reserve day. After Dhoni won the toss and elected to field, Shubman Gill walked out to bat having smashed three hundreds in his past four innings.
The opener seemed to have luck on his side as Deepak Chahar dropped Gill, the tournament’s leading scorer, at square-leg when the batter was on three. Gill also survived a run out chance when Jadeja could not properly gather the ball before breaking the stumps.
The left-arm spinner, however, made amends in the same over. Jadeja lured Gill (39) out of the crease and Dhoni proved age has not dulled his reflexes and the 41-year-old whipped off the bails in a flash.
Chahar also floored a return catch from Wriddhiman Saha, who smashed 54 before falling to the seamer with Dhoni collecting the top edge. Sudharsan then tore into the attack and hit Matheesha Pathirana for back-to-back sixes in the final over of the innings to inch closer to a hundred but Pathirana denied him the milestone.
Chennai’s openers faced three balls before rain forced them off the field and held up play for two hours and 20 minutes. Chasing a revised target, Ruturaj Gaikwad (26) and Devon Conway (47) plundered 72 runs from the first six overs before Noor Ahmad removed both in the seventh over.
Shivam Dube, who made 32no, kept Chennai in the race but Mohit Sharma removed Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni in successive deliveries.
Chennai needed 13 runs from the last over from Mohit, who conceded three runs from his first four deliveries. Needing 10 off the last two, Jadeja hit Mohit over his head for a six and followed it with a boundary to seal a thrilling victory.
“I was just trying to swing hard because every ball was important,” Jadeja said. “I knew anything could happen, so I was trying to swing hard and hit it straight.”
International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardice will arrive in Lahore on Tuesday morning on a two-day visit, during which they will meet Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Mr Najam Sethi (also an ICC Director), PCB Chief Operating Officer Barrister Salman Naseer and other board officials.
While Mr Allardice has regularly visited Pakistan, first as ICC General Manager – Cricket and then as ICC Chief Executive, this will be Mr Barclay’s first visit to Pakistan.
Mr Barclay will be the first ICC Chairman to tour Pakistan since ICC President Ray Mali’s visit in 2008. This will also be the first time since October 2004 when both the top two ICC officials will together visit the Pakistan cricket headquarters.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced an open invitation to media to cover the arrival of ICC top officials.
While the purpose of this meeting is not disclosed yet, speculations are rife that ICC officials are here to discuss World Cup 2023 dispute with Najam Sethi.
Mr. Sethi has made it clear that if India accepts their hybrid model for Asia Cup 2023, then they will also propose a same model for World Cup 2023 as Pakistan cricket team also has security concerns in India.
However, he also said that the country’s government will have the right to decide (BBC).
Sami Zayn, a Canadian professional wrestler of Syrian descent, has performed Umrah today.
The wrestler, whose real name is Rami Sebei, shared pictures from inside the Holy Mosque in Mecca.
Sami Zayn, along with many WWE wrestlers, is on a tour to Saudia Arabia where the night of the champions event will be organized by local broadcasters.
Outside of wrestling, Zayn is known for activism and humanitarian work. He has been involved in various social and political causes, including supporting Syrian refugees and advocating for Palestinian human rights.
